Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) denotes a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a degree. The Higher Education Amendment Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education to establish a minimum standard of “Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)” for students receiving federal financial aid. Lincoln University makes its standard applicable to all federal, state and institutional funds. The satisfactory academic progress applies to all terms regardless of whether financial aid was received. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated for all students (full or part-time) annually (at the end of each spring semester).

Satisfactory Academic progress will be evaluated for all students at the end of each academic year (end of spring semester). Students who enroll at the mid-point (January) of an academic year or attend one semester only will also be evaluated at the end of the spring semester. Thereafter, these students will be evaluated at the end of the academic year unless on a financial aid appeal.

To ensure Satisfactory Academic Progress students must meet all of the following standards:

•  Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
•  Minimum Completion Standard for Attempted Credit Hours
•  Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

Undergraduate SAP Requirements

All undergraduate students must maintain the following minimum requirements to be in compliance with SAP:

• Total number of attempted hours (part-time students are excluded from this standard)
  • 0-30 Credits - 1.50 GPA
  • 30-59 Credits - 1.75 GPA
  • 60+ Credits - 2.00 GPA
• Must Earn 67% of Hours Completed
• Must not Exceed 150% of Hours Required for Degree Completion

Graduate SAP Requirements

All graduate students must maintain the following minimum requirements to be in compliance with SAP:

• Must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher
• Must Earn 67% of Hours Completed
• Must not Exceed 150% of Hours Required for Degree Completion

Completion Standard for Completed Credit Hours

Students who receive financial aid must successfully complete a minimum of 67% of all completed hours. If the number of completed hours drops below 67%, the student will no longer be eligible for financial aid. Completed hours include all hours completed at the University and transfer hours, whether or not the student earns a grade or receives credit. Successful completion of a course means the student received a grade of A, B, C or D (excluding a grade of D for a graduate student or courses required for the major-undergraduate or graduate).

Students can view SAP progress in LU Self-Service to monitor their academic progress. Information can be found on the financial aid portal of self-service. 

To calculate, multiply the total number of attempted hours by 67 (rounded downward to the nearest whole number). As an example, if a student attempted 30 credit hours, she must complete a minimum of 23 credit hours (30 x .67 = 23) in order to ensure SAP for the year.

Maximum Time Frame, Undergraduate – The number of credit hours a student completes may not exceed 150% of the number of credit hours required for graduation in his or her program of study, as published in the University Bulletin. If the published number of hours required for graduation is 120, an undergraduate student may not complete more than 180 credit hours (120 x 1.50= 180) and continue to receive financial aid. All completed hours are counted in determining the 180 hours limit, including transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received or the course work was successfully completed.

Maximum Time Frame, Graduate – All graduate students are expected to complete their degree program within a maximum time frame, which cannot exceed 150% of the average credits needed to complete the degree program. This means that students enrolled in any graduate program at Lincoln University must have a maximum time frame of 50 - 74 credits depending on their academic program of study.  Graduate students, whether part-time or full-time, must satisfy degree completion (statute of limitation) within five (5) years from the date of admission to the School of Adult & Continuing Education.  

Second Degree – Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and are pursuing another undergraduate degree must submit a completed re-admit application and are subject to the same policies as re-admitted students. Second-degree students cannot exceed the aggregate loan limit for an undergraduate student. Second-degree students must maintain a 2.0 each academic semester and pass 67% of the hours completed.  

Students can view SAP progress in LU Self-Service to monitor their academic progress. Information can be found on the financial aid portal of self-service. 

Dual Degree/Double Major – Students must maintain progress as stated above. Students seeking a dual degree must be maintaining SAP prior to declaring their dual/double degree.

Withdrawal – A ”W” grade which is recorded on the student’s transcript will be included as credits attempted and will have an adverse effect on the student’s ability to maintain SAP. Students who officially withdraw from the University must make up the deficit hours and are encouraged to attend summer school to remove the deficient hours. The successful completion of a course is defined as receiving one of the following grades: A, B, C or D. Courses with grades of F, I, U and W will not qualify in meeting the minimum standard.

Incomplete (I) grade – An incomplete grade indicates that a student has not finished all course-work required for a grade and is included in the cumulative credits attempted. An incomplete will count toward attempted hours but not as hours passed until a final grade is posted in the Registrar’s Office.

Repeated courses – Federal Regulations specify that students may receive federal financial aid funding for one repetition of a previously passed course. A passed course is defined as one in which a grade of A, B, C, D, P, or S is received. All repeated courses are included in the total attempted hours for SAP evaluation. 

Change of Major, Undergraduate – A student may change from one degree to another during attendance at the University. Students who change from one major to another are still expected to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and complete the course work within the time frame or hours limitation stated unless an appeal is approved. All completed hours from a prior major are included in the total completed hours. 

Change of Major, Graduate – A student who attended a graduate program at SACE wants to transition to a new academic program, the student should apply to the new program. A SACE undergraduate student may change from one program to another during attendance at Lincoln University. Students who change from one major to another are still expected to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and complete the course work within the time frame or hours limitation stated unless an appeal is approved. All completed hours from a prior program are included in the total completed hours.  

Audited courses – Courses audited do not count as either attempted or earned hours.

Hours Enrolled – The number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled on the day following the published last day to add/drop a class will be used as official enrollment for financial assistance purposes; full-time status is 12 or more hours. If a student withdraws from classes after the last day to add/drop a course the student may not meet the minimum number of hours to be earned in one academic year.

Re-admitted students will be reviewed on their previous academic records in order to determine eligibility for assistance, whether or not financial aid was received. Re-admitted students not maintaining SAP must submit a letter of appeal.

Students who have been placed on Academic Suspension or Dismissal from the University must meet the Satisfactory Academic Policy (SAP) once they are re-admitted. Re-admitted students are not automatically eligible for Financial Aid, if they do not meet the standard; they have an option to submit an appeal.

Financial Aid Termination

Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are not eligible for further financial aid, including Summer School. Students will be notified by Office of Financial Aid of their financial aid termination at the end of the spring semester through a letter to their University e-mail account.

Students whose financial aid is terminated must remove their academic deficiencies or have an appeal granted before aid can be reinstated. This includes students who withdraw from a class or the semester, receives all “F’s” for the semester or receive a grade of “Incomplete”.

Conditions for Reinstatement

Students whose financial aid is terminated must remove their academic deficiencies or have an appeal approved before their aid can be reinstated. Students who withdraw from a class or classes after the add/drop period, receives all "F’s" for the semester or a grade of "Incomplete" may be ineligible for aid for the next term.

Students who are denied federal and/or state financial aid for failure to meet the SAP standards have the opportunity to appeal the decision. Students may appeal the decision in writing to the Admissions, Academic Standing and Financial Aid committee, if there were extenuating circumstances that led to the unsatisfactory academic progress. The student will be notified in writing by the University Registrar of the Committee’s decision.

Any student whose financial aid has been terminated may reestablish Satisfactory Academic Progress by any of the following methods: • Enroll in a course or courses for Summer School • Repeat courses in which a grade of F was earned • Satisfy requirements for all incomplete grades.

Appeal Procedure

Students not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress may appeal for consideration of financial aid. To appeal for the reinstatement of financial aid eligibility, students should complete and submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal form to the Office of Financial Aid indicating the extenuating circumstance(s) (i.e. personal illness, injury, medical problems, undue hardship, death of parent or immediate family member, or other special circumstances) that may have prevented the student from performing at their academic best. The appeal form must be accompanied by supporting documents and an Academic Action Plan approved by the student’s academic advisor. All appeals must be submitted through Lincoln University Self-Service to be reviewed.  

A complete appeal consists of the following: 

• A written and signed statement explaining the unforeseen circumstances which caused the student to fail academic progress. Furthermore, the student must state how the circumstances have changed and what steps will be taken to improve their academic progress. 
• Official supporting documentation that corroborates the circumstances explained in the appeal letter. Documentation must be specific to the terms in which the student did not meet the SAP requirements. 

Incomplete appeals will be REJECTED. The appeal letter alone is NOT considered supporting documentation. 

Examples of valid reasons for an appeal include: The death of an immediate relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances that can be documented. 

Examples of valid supporting documentation include: Statement from physician on letterhead with stamp, death certificate, police reports, signed witness statements or testimonials that speak to the extenuating circumstance 

Examples of invalid reasons for an appeal include: Change of major, double major, taking courses for a minor, personal conflict not explained and documented, and/or the need for financial assistance. 

Students who are granted an appeal will be placed on progress probation. The student’s progress will be reviewed each semester thereafter. At the conclusion of the probationary semester, a new progress check will be conducted.  

Students will be notified in writing of the appeal decision. Students who are granted an appeal and do not meet the requirements are placed on financial aid suspension until Satisfactory Academic Progress is achieved. All Decisions are FINAL. After Fall and Spring mid-terms, the Office of Financial Aid will send an email to students on SAP, reminding students of their standing and the actions to be taken once grades have been posted at the end of the semester. The Office of Financial Aid will make every effort to promptly notify students of the award's cancellation and academic progress status.