Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

A-1. Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

Federal regulations specify that a student must complete his/her degree within 150% of the published length of the program. The maximum time frame at Clarkson is measured in attempted hours. A student must earn 120 credits to receive a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, to retain financial aid eligibility, the maximum time frame to complete the program for full time students cannot exceed 180 attempted credit hours, 6 years, or 12 terms, whichever comes first. A part-time student cannot exceed 180 attempted credit hours. A student pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree concurrently with the first Bachelor’s degree must complete the additional required coursework within the 150% time frame period. A student may appeal the Maximum Time Frame requirement based on extenuating circumstances.

Credits counted in the maximum time are all attempted credits and include:

• Earned hours – Passed (A-D), Pass (P)
• Repeated Courses – all attempts – refer to the REPEATED COURSE section for detailed information.
• Withdrawal (LW) and (W) - Maximum time frame regulations do not allow for the exclusion of courses in which a student has remained past the drop period and earned a grade of ‘W”.
• Failure (F)
• Incomplete (I)
• All accepted transfer credits (including consortium agreements & Study-Abroad courses) &test credit (T)
• All courses attempted at Clarkson, even if they are not used to meet degree requirements.

A-2. PACE Standards

PACE is defined by federal regulations as steady progress towards degree completion within the 150% time frame.  
Clarkson is required to measure a student’s PACE as a percentage as indicated below:  

Cumulative # of Earned Hours divided by Cumulative # of Attempted Hours                            

Earned credit hours include:

• Grades of A, B, C, D or P (with credit)
• All accepted transfer credits (including consortium agreements and Study Abroad courses) and test credit (T)

Attempted credit hours include:              

• Earned hours – Passed (A-D), Pass (P)
• Repeated Courses – all attempts – refer to the REPEATED COURSE section for detailed information.
• Withdrawal (LW) and (W) - PACE regulations do not allow for the exclusion of courses in which a student has remained past the drop period and earned a grade of "W”.
• Failure (F)
• Incomplete (I)
• All accepted transfer credits (including consortium agreements and Study Abroad courses) and test credit (T)
• All courses attempted at Clarkson, even if they are not used to meet degree requirements.

The chart below indicates the PACE required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid. Clarkson rounds when factoring PACE for SAP purposes. For example, a PACE of 66.50% and above will be considered meeting SAP for those requiring 67%, while a PACE of 66.49% and below will be considered not meeting SAP. 

New Transfer students are placed on the PACE chart based on the number of transfer credits that have been accepted by Clarkson.

PACE Chart

A-3. Qualitative Standards – Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

Federal regulations require the student to meet minimum cumulative GPA standards to retain eligibility for aid. As indicated in the following GPA chart, after 4 terms of attendance at Clarkson a student must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA to be eligible for financial aid. 

Grades earned in prior attempts of repeated courses are excluded from the GPA calculation.

The chart below indicates the GPA required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid. Clarkson does not round  when factoring GPA for SAP purposes. 

Transfer students are placed on the GPA chart based on the number of terms they have attended Clarkson.

GPA Chart

A-4. Financial Aid Warning Term

A student who does not meet both the PACE and GPA standards, or does not meet the maximum time frame requirement,  is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid. The student is notified by the Financial Aid Office via email that they are  on Financial Aid Warning for the subsequent term of attendance. During the Financial Aid Warning Term, the student retains eligibility for both federal and institutional aid.

A student who meets both the PACE and GPA standards at the conclusion of the Warning Term is again meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid and is eligible for federal and institutional aid for the subsequent semester of attendance.

A student who does not meet both the PACE and GPA standards, or does not meet the maximum time frame requirement at the conclusion of the Financial Aid Warning Term is notified by the Financial Aid Office via email that they are not making Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid and they are ineligible for federal and institutional aid. The student is also notified of the Appeal Process.

A student may have more than one Financial Aid Warning Term; however they may not be consecutive.

A-5. Appeal Process

A student may file an appeal based on extenuating circumstances “beyond the student’s control,” such as personal illness or injury, death, illness or injury of a loved one, or another extenuating circumstance.  A student is allowed to appeal once based on a change of major. 

Students who have been disqualified from aid are notified via email at the end of the term or when readmitted regarding how to begin the appeal process. It is recommended that students submit the appeal within 3 weeks of notification of their disqualified status. Appeals must be submitted no later than the 5th class day of the term.

There are 3 required elements of an appeal:

• A written statement from the student - Federal regulations require a student who is requesting an appeal to submit a written statement explaining why the student was not able to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards and what has changed that will allow the student to meet the standards at the conclusion of the academic plan or probation term. (see #3 below)
• Supporting documentation - A student requesting an appeal must submit supporting documentation such as a physician’s written statement to substantiate illness or accident, a copy of a death certificate or newspaper obituary, a written statement from clergy, family member(s), or other third party familiar with the student’s situation, or a written statement from an academic advisor, professor or counselor.
• Development of an Academic Plan if Required- An academic plan is designed to enable the student to meet both PACE and GPA standards at the conclusion of the plan. If a student can meet SAP in one semester, no formal academic plan is required. If, however, the students will need more than one semester to meet SAP, an academic plan of 1-4 semesters is required. Whether on an academic plan or not, although the student is not making satisfactory academic progress, federal and institutional aid is reinstated on a term-by-term basis. 

A student filing an appeal must authorize the release of pertinent information as part of an investigation of the facts concerning the failure to meet satisfactory academic progress standards.

Each appeal is reviewed by the Financial Aid Department in conjunction with faculty members from the student’s program of study as well as other Clarkson University personnel as necessary. The Financial Aid Department will make the final decision to approve or deny the appeal and will reach out to the student via email with that decision and further instructions. 

Upon approval of an appeal, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next term of attendance.  It is the expectation that students on Financial Aid Probation will regain financial aid eligibility within one semester however, in certain situations that is not mathematically possible.  In these situations, students may be placed on an academic plan for the semester which will enable them to demonstrate steady improvement towards regaining their eligibility. The need for students to be placed on a plan will be evaluated by the Financial Aid department on an individual basis.  
At the end of the Financial Aid Probationary term, the student will be evaluated according to the requirements specified in the academic plan or the general SAP policy for those with no academic plan. Provided that the student is successfully meeting the conditions of the plan or SAP, the student may continue to receive federal and institutional aid for the subsequent term. For subsequent terms, if the student continues to meet the requirements of the plan, the student remains eligible for financial aid. At the end of the plan, the student should be meeting general SAP standards. 
A student who does not meet the conditions of the academic plan or whose appeal is denied is no longer eligible for federal and institutional aid at Clarkson until both standards are met. A student who is ineligible for aid may regain eligibility by:

• Taking courses at Clarkson without receiving federal or institutional aid that raises their  GPA  to the minimum standards and/or increases earned hours to the minimum PACE  requirements. The student must contact SAS at the end of the term to request an evaluation of their SAP standing and financial aid eligibility.
• Transferring in course credit - A transferred course must count toward degree requirements. A minimum of a “C” is required for transfer credits.

Transfer credits are included in both attempted and earned hours.  Transfer credits for repeated courses may have an effect on the GPA. Transfer credits for non-repeated courses have no effect on the GPA. 

Subsequent Appeals

A student who does not meet the requirements of their academic plan is permitted to submit a subsequent appeal. The appeal must be based on new extenuating circumstances that have occurred since the first appeal was approved and are outside of the student's control. There is a limit of two appeal submissions while an undergraduate student.

A-6. Repeated Courses

Courses in which a grade of "F" or "W" is recorded on a student’s transcript may be repeated a maximum of 2 times.  

• The earned hours are counted once.
• The attempted hours are counted each time and may be used to establish full-time enrollment status.  
• The student may receive financial aid for these course repeats.

Courses in which a student has previously earned credit (A, B, C, D)

• Federal regulations allow a student to repeat a course once if the student previously earned credit for the course. The repeated course(s) will be used toward full-time enrollment status and are eligible for financial aid. Courses repeated more than once will not count toward enrollment status and are ineligible for financial aid. More than one course may be repeated per term. This does not apply to students receiving International Scholarships.
• The attempted hours are counted each time.
• The earned hours are counted once.
• The grade from the prior completion(s) is excluded from the GPA calculation.

Courses in which a grade of "F" or "W" is recorded on a student’s transcript may be repeated a maximum of 2 times.

The earned hours are counted once.

The attempted hours are counted each time and may be used to establish full-time enrollment status.  

The student may receive financial aid for these course repeats. 

Courses in which a student has previously earned credit (A, B, C, D)

Federal regulations allow a student to repeat a course once if the student previously earned credit for the course. The repeated course(s) will be used toward full-time enrollment status and are eligible for financial aid. Courses repeated more than once will not count toward enrollment status and are ineligible for financial aid. More than one course may be repeated per term. This does not apply to students receiving International Scholarships.

• The attempted hours are counted each time.
• The earned hours are counted once. 
• The grade from the prior completion(s) is excluded from the GPA calculation.

A-7. Academic Grade Changes and Incompletes

At the end of each semester, any incomplete grades will be factored into a student’s SAP status as attempted credits and unearned credits, therefore incompletes can negatively affect a student’s PACE.

For purposes of determining SAP for federal and institutional financial aid, all grade changes including incompletes must be submitted to SAS prior to the 10th day of the subsequent term. This deadline may differ from academic departmental guidelines. The student must contact SAS to request a recalculation of SAP. 

A-8. Readmitted Students

A student who has left the University for one or more terms and has been readmitted will have Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid reviewed at the time of readmission. Transfer credits must be received prior to the 10th day of the term in order to be included in the SAP determination.

If the student is determined to be meeting SAP, federal and institutional aid will be offered provided the student meets all other eligibility requirements.

If it is determined that the student is not meeting SAP, the student will be notified via email of his/her status and the appeal process. 
There is no guarantee that a readmitted student will receive the same type or amount of institutional aid they received during prior terms.

B-1. Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for New York State Aid

New York State aid includes the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veteran Scholarships and other merit based scholarships.  NYS Legal Residency is required. For dependent students, parent NYS residency is also required. 

Students must apply for TAP and other state scholarships at www.hesc.com after filing the FAFSA. The amount of the award is determined by the TAP division of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Students are notified directly by HESC of the amount of their award.

TAP can only be credited toward tuition charges. For students who receive other tuition only scholarships or grants, the total of TAP and the other aid cannot exceed the tuition charge.

TAP and other scholarships require matriculation in a degree program and enrollment in a minimum of 12 credits per semester.  Students whose enrollment status is less than full-time at the end of the drop period are ineligible for TAP for that semester.

In order to receive TAP and scholarships a student must meet specific academic standards. Evaluations occur at the end of each semester. Good academic standing for TAP involves two components:

1. Pursuit of Program - HESC regulations require that a student receive a passing or failing grade in a certain percentage of courses each semester, depending on the number of state awards the student has received. A completion for TAP includes the grades of A, B, C, D, and F.  During the first 2 semesters, a student must complete at least 50% of a full time load, during the 3rd and 4th semesters – 75% and in all subsequent semesters, a student must complete 100% of a full time load. Students who do not meet the pursuit of program requirements will lose good academic standing and are not eligible for an award for the next semester. 
2. Satisfactory Academic Progress - Effective July 1, 2011 New York State enacted revised regulations regarding satisfactory academic progress. The regulations changed the number of credits a student must accumulate and the cumulative grade point average that must be achieved each semester.  The chart that pertains to you depends upon the year you received your first TAP award and whether or not you are a HEOP student.

Please refer to the charts below:

The following chart must be used by all institutions for students who received their first TAP in 2007-2008 through and including 2009-2010 and HEOP students who received their first award in 2007-2008 and thereafter: 

The following chart must be used by all 4 year institutions for students (excluding HEOP) who received their first TAP award in 2010-2011 and thereafter:

B-2. Reinstatement of Good Academic Standing

Students who have lost good academic standing may restore this standing in one of the following ways: 
Make up past academic deficiencies by completing one or more semesters of student without receiving any state grants or scholarships. 
Be readmitted to the school after an absence of at least one calendar year; or be granted a one-time waiver. 
A student may not regain eligibility by changing their program of study. 
NOTE: Students who lose good academic standing for failing to achieve a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 can regain eligibility by completing appropriate coursework without state support to achieve a 2.0. Students cannot regain eligibility by remaining out of school for a period of time. 

B-3. One-time TAP Waiver

Regulations permit students to receive a one-time waiver of the good academic standing requirement as an undergraduate. Waivers may be issued for students who have experienced exceptional or extraordinary circumstances "beyond the student's control" that resulted in the failure to satisfy the requirements and where there is a reasonable expectation that the student will meet these requirements in the future. Circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the death of a student's relative or a student's personal illness or injury.  A change of major or severe adjustment issues are not acceptable circumstances for a TAP waiver.

• Students who have lost TAP eligibility will be notified by the TAP Certifying Officer.  As part of the notification, students will be given information regarding the One-Time TAP waiver appeal process.
• Students wishing to go forward with an appeal must complete and submit an Appeal for a TAP Waiver  with supporting documentation to the Dean of Students Office.
• Students must authorize the release of pertinent information as part of an investigation of the facts concerning the failure to meet academic progress regulations.
• Appeals will be investigated and reviewed by the Dean of Students in conjunction with faculty members from the student's program of study as well as other University personnel as necessary.
• The Dean will make a recommendation to approve or deny the appeal for a TAP waiver and will notify the Office of Financial Aid of the decision. The Director of Financial Aid will make the final decision to approve or deny the appeal.
• The Office of Financial Aid will notify the student by e-mail of the final decision.
• Other Scholarships awarded by HESC may have higher minimum GPA requirements.

B-4. Part-Time TAP

NY State Education Law has been amended to create Part-time TAP for students. To be eligible for this program, students must be freshman in the 2006-07 academic year or thereafter, have earned 12 credits or more in each of two-consecutive semesters, and maintain a "C" average.