Academic Progress Standard for Financial Aid

Academic Progress Standard for Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid must meet a Standard of Academic Progress (SAP) to continue receiving financial aid. Eligibility for continued receipt of both federal and state financial aid is evaluated at the end of each semester. The New York State Programs (including TAP, the Tuition Assistance Program) have separate and distinct academic progress rules from the Federal Programs (Pell Grants, student and parent loans). 

New York State Grants

  • Students who receive TAP are expected to make progress toward their degree and maintain a certain grade point average to remain eligible for TAP in a subsequent semester.  
  • The criteria is based on program level and when you received your first TAP award. The NYS rules are applicable only to the NYS programs, and should not be confused with the Academic Progress Standard for Federal Financial Aid Eligibility. 
  • TAP “Points” and Placement Within the Standards: Each payment a student receives under the TAP or other NYS Grant/Scholarship programs at any school is recorded by the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (NYSHESC) in Albany. A student is charged six points for each semester payment.  For each of the standards below, a student is placed in the appropriate section of the eligibility chart according to the cumulative lifetime undergraduate TAP points as recorded by NYSHESC.

Standards of Eligibility for NYS Grants and Scholarships

The NYS Standards of Academic Progress have two components:

  1. “Pursuit of Program” measures whether a student has actually completed each semester for which a NYS award has been paid (or has withdrawn after receiving NYS Grant/Scholarship funds for that specific semester). 
  2. “NYS Academic Progress" measures cumulative academic progress on a tiered scale according to the number of NYS payments a student has received. 

NYS Pursuit of Program Standard:  Each student is charged with completing the coursework in any semester for which the student has received NYS Grant/Scholarship funds. For purposes of the Pursuit of Program Standard, a failing grade that is the result of a full semester’s effort is considered “completed,” even though no credit is earned. Grades indicating withdrawal at any point in the semester or incomplete work are not considered “completed.”  Any student receiving NYS Grants/Scholarships must complete the required number of credits each semester based upon the student’s class year (as determined by cumulative TAP points at the end of the measured semester), or the student will lose eligibility for subsequent NYS Grants/Scholarships payments.

NYS Academic Progress: Each student must also maintain satisfactory cumulative academic progress in order to continue receiving NYS Grants/Scholarships awards. Before receiving a NYS Grants/Scholarships payment, a student’s previous academic progress is measured according to the following chart:

First TAP Award received Fall 2010 or AFTER – TAP and other State Aid (Monitored at the end of every semester) 

Certificate and Associate's Degree Students
Semesters completed 1 2 3 4 5
Total Earned Credits 6 15 27 39 51
Cumulative GPA 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.0
Prior Term Completed Credits  6  6  9  9  12

 

Bachelor's Degree Students
Semesters Completed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8** 9**
Total Earned Credits 6 15 27 39 51  66  81  96  111
Cumulative GPA 1.5 1.8 1.8 2.0 2.0  2.0  2.0  2.0  2.0
Prior Term Completed Credits  6  6  9  9  12  12  12  12  12


** EOP students only

Remedial Courses

  • Students who successfully complete remedial courses earn “credit equivalents” rather than college credit. These credit equivalents are included in all academic eligibility calculations for purposes of NYS Grants/Scholarships, including contributing to a student’s full-time status and total earned credits for the academic progress chart. Remedial courses do not impact Grade Point Average (GPA).
  • Loss of Eligibility: Students who fail to meet both sets of standards will lose future eligibility for NYS Grants and Scholarships, including TAP.

Waivers

  • Students who fail to meet the standards for TAP SAP may request a one-time written appeal based on mitigating circumstances. A mitigating circumstance is an exceptional or unusual event(s) beyond the student's direct control, which contributed to or caused the academic difficulty. Copies of supporting documentation should also be submitted.

   The request should include:

  • A completed, signed REQUEST OF FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC PROGRESS waiver form
  • A letter that includes a complete description of the circumstances, how the circumstances have changed, and an explanation of how you plan to improve your academic performance
  • Copies of supporting documentation
  • Additional documentation may be needed and will be requested once the letter has been reviewed.

Academic Progress Standard for Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

In order to remain eligible for federal student aid, each student must maintain academic performance in compliance with the following standards:

Certificate Programs:
Total Attempted Credits In Program Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Cumulative Credits: Earned / Attempted
18.5 or fewer attempted credits 1.00 34 percent
19 or more attempted credits 2.00 67 percent

 

Associate's/Bachelor's Degree Programs:
Total Attempted Credits In Program Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Cumulative Credits: Earned / Attempted
18.5 or fewer attempted credits 1.00 34 percent
19 to 30.5 attempted credits 1.25 34 percent
31 to 40.5 attempted credits  1.5  67 percent
 41 to 47.5 attempted credits  1.75  67 percent
 48 or more attempted credits  2.00  67 percent

Additional “Maximum Timeframe” Standard

  • Eligibility is also limited to students completing their programs within one and one-half times the normal program length. The maximum timeframe is reached when the student’s “attempted" credit hours exceed one and one-half times the number of credits required to earn their degree(s) or certificate in the program(s) in which the student is currently enrolled.

Definitions

  •  “Attempted” credit hours include all college-level credit that is contained in the student’s academic history (transcript) at SUNY Delhi (including transfer credits, advanced placement credits, proficiency credits, and all other credits accepted into the student’s program). “Earned” credit hours include all “attempted” credit hours (see above) except those for which a failing, withdrawn, incomplete or other non-passing grade has been issued.

Consistency with Academic Policy

  • All issues of grading policy, GPA calculation, etc. are calculated in accordance with SUNY Delhi’s academic policies.

Timing of Evaluations and Evaluation Process

  • SUNY Delhi measures academic progress at the end of each semester, including the summer semester. Grades listed as “incomplete” at the time of evaluation will be considered attempted and not earned, but will not affect the GPA.

Financial Aid Warning Status

  • Students who fail to meet the standards defined above will be placed on Financial Aid Warning Status for a period of one semester. Students in Financial Aid Warning Status remain eligible for federal financial aid, but are expected to improve their academic standing by the end of the “warning” semester.
  • If the student has not returned to “good” academic standing (according to the Standard) by the end of the Financial Aid Warning semester, the student will lose eligibility for federal student aid from that point forward. Such loss of eligibility may be subject to appeal (see below).

Regaining Academic Eligibility by Appeal

  • Students who fail to meet the standards will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status for one semester. Students are expected to improve the standing by the end of the warning semester.
  • If the student has not returned to good standing (according to the Standard) by the end of the Financial Aid Warning semester, the student will lose eligibility for federal student aid from that point forward. 
  • Students who lose eligibility may submit a written request to appeal the decision based on mitigating circumstances.

The request  should include:

  • A completed, signed REQUEST OF FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC PROGRESS waiver form
  • A letter that includes a complete description of the circumstances, how the circumstances have changed, and an explanation of how you plan to improve your academic performance
  • Copies of supporting documentation

Additional documentation may be needed and will be requested once the letter has been reviewed.

Mitigating circumstances for federal aid and waiver requests for state aid may be submitted using a common form, letter and documentation as appropriate. The letter should clearly indicate that the request is for both federal and state financial aid.

Regaining Eligibility Other Than Through Appeal

  • Students who have lost federal financial aid eligibility may potentially regain academic eligibility by one of two methods: a) make up the academic deficiencies at SUNY Delhi without benefit of federal student aid; or b) return to SUNY Delhi after an absence of not less than twelve months and submit transfer credit acceptable to SUNY Delhi which will bring the student’s record into compliance with the attempted/earned standard.
  • Students for whom the completion of the program will not be mathematically possible within the Maximum Timeframe Standard (see above) will not be approved for regained academic eligibility.

Upon Return to Good Standing

  • Once a student has returned to good academic standing, any previous academic difficulty, warning, or probation shall have no future bearing on the student’s status. Hence, such students will have the benefit of all provisions of this policy, including a warning semester.
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress for Graduate Students
    • Graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and earn 67% of credits they have attempted.