University of Illinois at Chicago
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal and state regulations require financial aid recipients to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards a
recognized degree or certificate. SAP applies to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who receive most
types of federal, state, and institutional financial aid administered by the university. At the conclusion of the spring term
each academic year, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFAS) reviews all enrolled UIC undergraduate
and graduate students to verify they meet the SAP requirements. SAP status will be reviewed each semester for students
in undergraduate or graduate degree/certificate (financial aid eligibles) programs less than two years OR those who must
follow an academic plan. Professional students from the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Pharmacy will have
their status reviewed at least annually by their college’s promotion or academic review committees.
The university’s SAP policy includes qualitative and quantitative measures. Failure to meet any one of the criteria will
result in cancellation of the student's financial aid award for current and/or future semesters, depending upon the time of
review. For example, the time frame between when spring term grades are available and the start of summer term is only
a few days. However, if students are not meeting SAP at the end of the spring term, they will be ineligible for financial aid
for summer even if they have a financial aid award and are enrolled in classes. Once enrolled for a term, students accept
responsibility for any bill assessed regardless of their financial aid status. Students not meeting the SAP requirements
will be notified by email to their UIC address.
All periods of a student's enrollment, whether or not they received aid, are included in the SAP review. Additionally, all
credit hours transferred to UIC for the current enrollment level are reflected in the student's cumulative grade point
average (GPA) if a GPA was determined based upon the transcript(s) provided to the Office of Admissions and Records
(OAR). Earned transfer hours are included in a student's maximum time frame and ratio.
Qualitative Measure (cumulative grade point average):
Undergraduate - Students will have their status reviewed at least annually by their respective college’s academic review
committees. Undergraduate students must have at least a 2.0 (or “C” average) cumulative GPA by the end of the
academic year. If the cumulative GPA is below a 2.0 (when SAP is reviewed) after the spring semester, the student’s aid
will be canceled. Some grades such as “S, SH and CR” will not be included in the cumulative GPA.
Graduate/Professional – Most programs require a student to have at least a 3.0 (or “B” average) cumulative GPA. The
SAP policy requirement for GPA will be the same as that required to remain in good academic standing in the student’s
respective program. If the cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (or “C” average) when SAP is reviewed, the student's aid will be
canceled. Some grades such as “S, CR and DFR” will not be included in the cumulative GPA.
Quantitative Measures (maximum time frame and course completion ratio):
Undergraduate - Regulations state that undergraduate students must complete their program within 150% of the published
length of their program. The minimum number of credit hours required for an undergraduate degree at UIC is 120.
Therefore, undergraduate students may attempt a maximum of 180 credit hours while pursuing their degree at UIC. If a
student exceeds the maximum number of attempted credit hours based upon their degree, their aid will be canceled after
the Spring semester closes. The 180 credit hour maximum time frame does apply to students who change majors and/or
pursue multiple majors or degrees. Students pursuing multiple majors or degrees must appeal their status if their aid is
canceled for exceeding 180 credit hours.
Graduate/Professional – Graduate and professional students’ financial aid eligibility is contingent upon completing their
degree requirements within 150% of the program’s published length in accordance with the standards established by their
academic college. Students should consult their college regarding the published length of their specific program. Students
seeking a second graduate or professional degree who have exhausted their financial aid eligibility will need to file a SAP
appeal to regain eligibility.
In addition to the maximum number of credits students may attempt while pursuing their degree, they must also
successfully complete 67% of the cumulative attempted institutional and transferable credits. Credits attempted
are hours a student is registered for at the conclusion of the add/drop period each semester as defined by the OAR. All
classes for which a student is registered after that date will be included. Successfully completed course work is defined as
the total number of hours which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, AH, BH, SH, S, or CR. If a student falls below the
67% cumulative standard, their aid will be canceled.
Treatment of course withdrawals, incomplete(s)/not reported, repeated courses and remedial courses:
Withdrawals (W): Courses dropped before the conclusion of the add/drop period that no longer appear on the student’s
enrollment record or transcript will not count as a course attempted. Courses dropped after the add/drop period for which
the student receives a “W” grade, will count as a course attempted.
Incompletes (I) or Not Reported (NR): Courses in which a student has an incomplete grade, or the faculty has not
reported a grade at the time in which SAP is reviewed will be included in the attempted hours. However, as there is no
current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time.
Repeated courses: For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the student’s cumulative GPA. When
determining if a student is meeting the quantitative SAP standards, all courses will be included in the attempted hours.
Remedial courses: Non-credit (NC) remedial courses are not included in either the attempted hours or the student’s
cumulative GPA. There are a limited number of remedial courses for credit otherwise known as academic preparation
courses which are included in the attempted hours, but not in the cumulative GPA.
Reinstatement
Paying for one’s classes or sitting out a term does not impact SAP standing or reestablish financial aid eligibility. If a
student’s aid is canceled due to not maintaining SAP, they can have their eligibility reinstated once they are back in good
standing with all requirements. Students may reestablish eligibility for financial aid at any point during the academic year
and be given the same consideration for aid as students maintaining SAP. Students may become eligible for financial aid
for the payment period in which it is determined they have met the SAP requirements OR it may become effective the
following payment period. SAP reinstatement is not retroactive and will never apply to prior terms. SAP is only
reviewed at the conclusion of the spring term, so students must notify SFAS if they have regained eligibility during the
summer and/or fall terms.
Appeal
If a student is not meeting the SAP requirements (including those seeking a second degree) and financial aid is canceled,
they may appeal their cancellation. Students must submit documentation of an extenuating circumstance (i.e. doctor’s
notice, letter from an academic advisor, etc.) with their SAP Appeal Form. Circumstances related to the typical adjustment
to college life are not considered for appealing suspension of financial aid. Appeals for undergraduate and graduate
students will be reviewed by the SAP Appeal Committee, which consists of members from various colleges and
departments at UIC. The committee determines if a student’s financial aid will be reinstated or remain in cancellation.
Once the committee reviews the appeal and makes a determination, the student will be notified by email to their UIC
address. The committee’s decision is final. Students may submit multiple appeals, but the reason or rationale must be
different than their previous appeals. If the committee approves the appeal, the student will be eligible to receive financial
aid for at least one additional term. Students with approved appeals will be subject to an academic plan, depending
on their circumstances. If they do not maintain the standards of the academic plan, the student’s aid will be canceled.
We recommend students submit COMPLETED appeals to SFAS at least 30 days prior to the start of the semester in
which they are seeking financial assistance. If appeals are not submitted in their entirety by the semester deadline
(please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form), the appeal will not be reviewed until the following
semester. Professional students from the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Pharmacy will have to appeal their
status to the respective college’s promotion or academic review committees following their specific appeal procedures.
Note: Co-Op Program AHS
The Co-Op Program adheres to the same SAP policy as the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD)
applies to all its degree and certificate programs. The SAP applies to all Title IV and non-Title IV recipients, including
undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who receive most types of federal, state, and institutional financial aid
administered by the university. The SAP applies to students with full and partial course loads. The full course load for a Co-
Op student is 9 credit hours per semester. Courses in which a student has an incomplete grade, or the faculty has not
reported a grade at the time in which SAP is reviewed will be included in the attempted hours. However, as there is no
current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time. A
traditional A to F grading system is used for all courses, except for a new course, DHD 390, which is a field
experience/career training course and will follow the standard S/U grading system. Students’ performance is evaluated as
satisfactory or unsatisfactory in DHD 390 based on weekly memo assignments (see Appendix B) as well as a final reflection
project. Work site supervisors will also provide evaluation reports to the Co-Op career coach. To receive the certificate,
students must have completed all coursework and have earned a final cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. With
permission from the program coordinator, the student may take an academic leave or reduce the standard course load if
requested. If a student fails a class in a given semester, they will have an opportunity to retake the class one time.
Throughout the semester the academic coach will work closely to provide additional assistance for students who are having
difficulty. The SAP dictates that students in undergraduate or graduate degree/certificate (eligible to receive financial aid)
programs less than two years in length or who need to follow an academic plan, will have their academic progress reviewed
at the conclusion of each term. This is reviewed by AHS’s academic review committee. Students not meeting the SAP
requirements will be notified by email to their UIC address as soon as possible. If a student falls below the SAP’s 67%
cumulative standard, the student’s aid will be canceled unless they are satisfactorily meeting the requirements of their
academic plan. Co-Op students meet with a Co-Op specific academic advisor once a month and will review their SAP at
each meeting. Students at risk of not meeting SAP will be informed verbally and in writing (to UIC email address) at the time
of these meetings. If a student is not meeting the SAP requirements and financial aid is canceled, the student may appeal
their cancellation. Students must submit documentation of an extenuating circumstance (i.e. doctor’s notice, letter from an
academic advisor, etc.) with their Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. The appeal form is submitted to the AHS
academic review committee, and the committee will determine if the student’s financial aid should be reinstated or remain in
cancellation. Transfer credit is not accepted. All courses must be taken at UIC. Credits earned through the Co-Op Certificate
program can be applied toward UIC degree programs, should the individual apply and be accepted.
