Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV Federal Financial Aid Programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. The requirements of this policy apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid. Federal regulations require the university to establish the SAP policy in both qualitative (Cumulative GPA) and quantitative (Completion Ratio) measures. In addition, to remain eligible for financial aid a student is required to complete their degree requirements within a certain period of time (Maximum Time Limit).

Financial aid recipients must maintain satisfactory progress in all three areas whether or not aid was received in the past. This requirement applies to all applicants for any federal or state scholarship, grants, federal work-study, parent federal loans (PLUS) and student federal loans (Stafford, Direct and Perkins).

It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed of the University’s SAP standards and to monitor their own progress. For SAP purposes, student academic records are evaluated by the Office of Student Financial Aid at the end of each semester.

The Office of Student Financial Aid will send notification of ineligibility to students through their official UNC Asheville e-mail account.

In rare cases, exceptions are granted through a formal appeal (see Regaining Eligibility and Appeals sections). Students who have withdrawn more than two semesters while receiving financial aid will not be eligible for reinstatement based on appeal. In such cases, the student will be expected to complete a full-time semester of coursework successfully (i.e., with all passing grades) before appealing for reinstatement.

Some institutional scholarships or grants may require higher academic achievement than the satisfactory progress GPA as defined below. Private aid offered by agencies outside the University is not subject to the conditions of this policy, but will be administered according to donor specifications.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, all students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. The first semester the student falls below a 2.0 cumulative GPA, their status moves from GOOD to WARNING. At the end of the next review, if the student meets the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement, they will be moved from WARNING to GOOD standing. If the student has still not earned a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA, their status will move from WARNING to CANCELLED. When CANCELLED, the student is not eligible for federal, state, or institutional aid. The student will regain their eligibility and move back to the GOOD status when their cumulative GPA improves to at least a 2.0.

If the student receives all Fs in one semester, then their status moves directly to CANCELLED without a semester of WARNING. The student is then required to earn at least 70% of the total hours from the failed semester before regaining eligibility for financial aid. Until the required hours are earned, the student is responsible for all charges due to the Cashier’s Office.

Completion Ratio

The University recommends students attempt to earn at least 30 hours per academic year in order to graduate in four years. To remain eligible for financial aid, students must earn at least 70% of the total UNC Asheville hours attempted.

To earn hours at UNC Asheville a student must receive a grade of A, B, C or D (including “+/-”).

Student academic records are evaluated at the end of each semester. The first semester the student falls below the 70% Completion Ratio, their status moves from GOOD to WARNING. At the end of the next semester review, if the student meets the requirements (70%), they will be moved from WARNING back to GOOD standing. If the student still has not earned at least 70% of the total UNC Asheville hours attempted, their status moves from WARNING to CANCELLED. When CANCELLED, the student is not eligible for federal, state, or institutional aid. The student will regain their eligibility and move back to the GOOD status when their Completion Ratio improves to 70%.

For financial aid purposes, the following definitions are not counted as the UNC Asheville hours earned but are counted toward the attempted hours:

• All grades of F, I, W, AU, IP or U do not earn hours.
• Audited courses (AU) count as attempted hours but not toward earned hours. Therefore, auditing classes negatively affects students ability to satisfy the hours earned.
• If a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Repeating courses may negatively affect student’s ability to satisfy the Completion Ratio standard.
• Incomplete grades (I) count toward the attempted hours but will not count toward the earned hours until the grade of I is replaced with a pass or fail grade.
• In progress (IP) counts toward the attempted hours but will not count toward the earned hours until the IP grade is replaced with a pass or fail grade.

If the student receives all Fs in one semester, then their status moves directly to CANCELLED without a semester of WARNING. The student is then required to earn at least 70% of the total hours from the failed semester before regaining eligibility for financial aid. Until the required hours are earned, the student is responsible for all charges due to the Cashier’s Office.

Maximum Time Limit

To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must complete their degree requirements within 150 % of the published length of their academic program. This includes those students who are seeking more than one major. The UNC Asheville program requires 120 hours for graduation. Students who enter UNC Asheville with 0- 29 earned hours (freshman) must complete their degree within 180 attempted hours to remain eligible for financial aid. Students who enter UNC Asheville with 30-59 earned hours (sophomore) must complete their degree within 135 attempted hours to remain eligible for financial aid. Students who enter UNC Asheville with 60 or more earned hours (juniors or seniors) must complete their degree with in 90 attempted hours. Students who do not graduate after reaching their Maximum Time Limit are no longer eligible for federal or state aid.

Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

To regain eligibility, a student must do the following:

• The cumulative GPA can only be brought up by hours earned at UNC Asheville
• A Satisfactory Completion Ratio will be regained by successfully completing a minimum of 70 % of the attempted coursework at UNC Asheville.

Once the Maximum Time Limit has been exceeded, aid eligibility ends, even if the student is in compliance with the other two standards. There is no regaining of eligibility for aid as long as the student is an undergraduate.

Appeal Process

Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Appeals for the waiver may be considered if a student’s failure to comply with one or more areas of Satisfactory Academic Progress is due to events beyond the student’s control, such as a student’s extended illness or serious illness or a death in the immediate family. The student must be able to provide appropriate documentation for the circumstances that are specific to the term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Also, the student must describe their plans for ensuring satisfactory academic performance in the coming academic term(s).

Acceptable documentation for the appeal process is as follows:

• UNC Asheville Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form.
• For Illness: Statement from physician explaining the type of illness and the date and length of the illness.
• For Death of Immediate Family Member: A copy of the Death Certificate or newspaper clipping that states your relationship to the deceased.
• Other personal circumstances beyond the student’s control may be considered with proper documentation.

Students with chronic conditions are responsible for properly balancing work with known chronic conditions and may not be considered.

Students seeking to re-establish financial aid eligibility remain ineligible to receive financial aid assistance or deferment of payment until the appeal process is complete and a decision has been made by the Office of Financial Aid. Students should be prepared to pay until approval has been granted.

Undergraduate Second Degree Students

A student working toward a second and subsequent baccalaureate degree is subject to the same satisfactory academic progress requirements as listed above for full-time undergraduates.
The maximum number of Cumulative Attempted Hours for the completion of the second baccalaureate degree may not exceed 230 hours.

Graduate Students SAP

Graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and is not able to withdraw from any classes to remain eligible for financial aid. Graduate students do not receive a WARNING period.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Process