Undergraduate students who wish to receive assistance through any federal, state or institutionally supported grant, loan, or work-study program must comply with the following minimum standards for satisfactory progress and academic performance. The following policy is for financial aid evaluation purposes and is in addition to the Academic Good Standing Policy for all undergraduate students in the university catalog. Failure to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards will result in the loss of financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements
To be meeting SAP standards for financial aid at Quinnipiac, undergraduate students must meet minimum GPA and completed credit requirements, which demonstrate measurable progress towards a degree within the maximum timeframe. A student fails to meet SAP requirements if their:
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Cumulative GPA is below 2.0; or
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Semester GPA is below 2.0 in any two consecutive semesters; or
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Number of earned credits at the point of evaluation is below the pace requirement; or
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Number of earned credits exceeds the maximum timeframe of 150 percent of their program length Details of each of these requirements are outlined below.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements
Students fail to maintain SAP if, at the point of evaluation, their cumulative GPA is below 2.0 or their two most recent semester GPAs are below 2.0.
Pace/Earned Credit Requirements
To progress towards their degree at a pace that will not exceed the maximum timeframe, full-time students enrolled in a four-year degree program must successfully complete an average of 10 (ten) credits per semester enrolled.
A part-time student must complete an average of 6 credits per semester registered. Some individual degree programs have higher GPA and credit requirements for students to maintain program eligibility. Consequently, students should consult the program description in the catalog for the requirements of their individual program
Maximum Timeframe
All students must complete course work over a period no longer than 150 percent of their program length to maintain the satisfactory academic progress standards of the university.
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Transfer Credits: The SAP requirements for transfer students are based on the number of credits accepted for transfer. For example, students who enter Quinnipiac with 20 transfer credits are considered to have completed two semesters and are subject to the requirements of a third-semester student during their first semester at Quinnipiac. However, minimum GPA is based only on courses completed at Quinnipiac.
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Incompletes: Incomplete courses are not counted towards the pace/earned credit or GPA requirements.
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Course Withdrawals (“W” Grades): Course withdrawals after the end of add/drop period are considered "attempted but not completed" for pace/earned credit requirements and are not included in GPA calculations.
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Repeated Courses: When the student earns a passing grade for a previously failed course, that grade and those credits are calculated in the student’s cumulative average for GPA and pace/earned credit calculations. If a C- or D grade is repeated, no credits are added for the pace calculation but the most recent grade in the course applies towards the GPA calculation.
SAP Review Process and Timing
Financial Aid will evaluate the progress and performance of each student at the end of the spring term for the prior academic year. The academic year is defined as running from the beginning of the fall term to the end of the spring semester.
Students who are not meeting SAP requirements will be notified by an email to their Quinnipiac email address. Students who are not making satisfactory progress and who have not filed an application for financial aid for the upcoming year will not receive this letter until such forms are filed.
Students who were granted financial aid eligibility on a probationary basis and were placed on an academic plan will be evaluated every semester to determine whether they are meeting the terms of their plan. If they are either meeting the terms of the plan or are meeting SAP, they may continue to receive financial aid for the subsequent term. If they are not, they immediately cease to be eligible for financial aid.
Regaining Eligibility
Students whose performance or progress does not meet the required standards may repair the deficiency during the summer. Those who do not complete the required hours or attain the required GPA prior to the fall term will not be eligible for any form of federal, state or institutionally supported financial aid (loan, scholarship, grant, or work study program) until performance and progress is consistent with the standards stated herein.
Students who have corrected their satisfactory academic progress deficiencies MUST contact the University Director of Financial Aid if they wish to receive financial aid. Reinstatement of aid is not automatic, and a subsequent review of satisfactory academic progress is done only at the request of the student.
Students applying for re-admission to the university whose transcript shows deficiencies in the area of satisfactory academic progress should follow the appeals process listed below in order to be reconsidered for financial aid.
Appeals
A student who wishes to appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility because of sickness or other extenuating circumstances may do so by submitting the Appeal Form for Financial Aid/Scholarship Reinstatement online.
Questions about the form may be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid at finaid@qu.edu or 203-582-8750
Your appeal should include:
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Any mitigating circumstances that may have caused your deficiency
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Documentation to support your circumstances
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A description of the specific steps you will take to reach the satisfactory academic progress standards by the next evaluation period. It is important to note that coursework taken outside Quinnipiac can repair credit deficiencies but will NOT help to restore a GPA deficiency.
Once the Appeals Committee Chair receives your written appeal, (s)he will review the merits of your request. A written response will be sent to you within 10 days of this review outlining the results of your appeal. The Committee Chair will also notify the University Director of Financial Aid of this decision, WHICH IS FINAL.
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Approved Appeals: Students whose SAP appeal is approved will be eligible for financial aid on a probationary basis for one semester, with an academic plan to assist them in achieving the required standards. Financial Aid will review the academic record of each student on financial aid probation at the end of the semester. If the student is meeting SAP or has met all of the requirements of the academic plan, they may continue to receive financial aid until the next review period in May.
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Denied Appeals: Students whose SAP appeal has been denied are no longer eligible for financial aid until they meet one of the conditions in the “Regaining Eligibility” section, above.
For a complete listing of all academic standards required for financial aid, please consult the Quinnipiac University Catalog. Also, individual programs may have other academic requirements to remain in good standing in the specific program. Students should refer to the program section of the catalog for information regarding individual program requirements. Individual programs or scholarships may have GPA and completed credit requirements that are higher than those listed above.
Revised 9/2022