Federal and state regulations require that students meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward completing a degree in order to receive financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities). Puget Sound applies these same standards for establishing eligibility for institutional scholarships and grants, including any additional criteria specific to a named scholarship. Requirements of satisfactory academic progress apply to the entire period of attendance at Puget Sound, even though students may not have received financial aid for some periods of enrollment. Please contact our Student Financial Services office at sfs@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3214 with any questions or concerns.
Federal Aid & Institutional Aid SAP Requirements
- Grade Point Average
Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, reviewed at the end of each semester. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, reviewed at the end of each semester. Courses taken at Credit/No Credit will not be computed in grade point average. - Required Course Completion Rate
Students must complete at least 75% of the units in which they are enrolled at the end of the drop-without-record period. Courses that earn credit will be counted toward units attempted and successfully completed. All incomplete (I), withdrawals (W or WF), failures (F), and No Credit (NC) are counted as courses attempted but not successfully completed. - Maximum Terms of Eligibility
Incoming freshmen are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of ten (10) terms of full-time study. Students who attend on a half-time basis are allowed proportionately longer.- Transfer students are eligible for financial aid in proportion to the number of accepted units at time of matriculation:
0-6 accepted units = 10 maximum terms of full time eligibility
7-14 accepted units = 8 maximum terms of full time eligibility
15-22 accepted units = 6 maximum terms of full time eligibility
23+ accepted units = 4 maximum terms of full time eligibility
- Graduate degree candidates are allowed to receive financial aid up to the following maximums listed by program:
D.P.T. – 10 academic terms
M.Ed. – Seven academic terms
D.R.O.T – Four academic terms
M.P.H. – Seven academic terms
M.A.T. – Four academic terms
M.S.O.T – 10 academic terms
M.Ed. – Seven academic terms
O.T.D. – 12 academic terms
- Transfer students are eligible for financial aid in proportion to the number of accepted units at time of matriculation:
Washington State Programs SAP Requirements
The Washington College Grant (formerly State Need Grant), College Bound Scholarship, State Work-Study, and Passport to College Scholarship programs require a review of eligibility at the end of each semester, prior to disbursing funds or paying of employment earnings for the next semester.
Recipients of the above Washington state programs must successfully complete 100% of the units in which they enroll each semester in order to receive continued funding. Students who complete less than 100% but at least 50% of their units will be placed on financial aid warning. Students who do not complete at least 50% of their units are ineligible for future disbursements unless approved through the appeal process.
GPA Calculation & Course Completion by Class Grade
| Class Grade | Grade Point Average (GPA) | Course Completion |
| Withdrawal (W) | Not computed in grade point average | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed |
| Withdrawal Failing (WF) | Equivalent to a F letter grade and computed in grade point average accordingly | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed |
| Credit (CR) | Not computed in grade point average | Calculated as courses attempted and successfully completed |
| No Credit (NC) | Not computed in grade point average | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed |
| Pass (P) | Not computed in grade point average | Calculated as courses attempted and successfully completed |
| Fail (F) | Equivalent to a F letter grade and computed in grade point average accordingly | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed |
| Incomplete (I) | Not computed in grade point average (no grade point assigned until permanent grade) | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed. SAP is recalculated once permanent grade is posted. |
| In Progress (IP) | Not computed in grade point average (no grade point assigned until permanent grade) | Calculated as courses attempted but not successfully completed. SAP is recalculated once permanent grade is posted. |
| Transfer Credits | Not computed in grade point average | Calculated as courses attempted and successfully completed |
| Repeated courses (to improve grade or to complete a course for which the student received a W or WF grade. | Computed in grade point average based on letter grade (course with the higher grade is included in the grade point average calculation) | Courses with grade D- or higher are counted as attempted and successfully completed; courses with F grades count as attempted but not successfully completed |
Consequences for not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory academic progress is reviewed at the end of each semester. While students will be notified if they have not maintained satisfactory academic progress, it is the student’s responsibility to monitor their own progress.
Step 1 - Financial Aid SAP Warning
The first time a student fails to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements they will be placed on financial aid warning. These students will receive an email from our SFS office notifying them of their financial aid warning status for the following term. Students on financial aid warning will continue to receive financial aid (example: student does not meet SAP requirements for Fall term, they are placed on financial aid warning for Spring term and will continue to receive their financial aid)
Step 2 - Financial Aid SAP Not Met
Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements again while on financial aid warning (for the Spring term in the example listed above), will become ineligible to receive further financial aid (in the following Fall term if they did not enroll in Summer classes in the example). Students who are not meeting SAP again will receive a second email from SFS to their myPugetSound email address notifying them of their SAP financial aid not met status for the following term.
Step 3 - Appeal Process
Students may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid if they believe that they had extenuating circumstances that led to their unsatisfactory academic progress. Examples of acceptable reasons for appealing may include death in the family, serious medical illness or injury, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. An appeal can be submitted by completing this web form. The due date for the completed online appeal form will be highlighted in the SAP not met email. Financial aid will be cancelled for the following term if an appeal is not received by SFS by the due date.
When submitting an appeal, students should provide a full explanation regarding why they failed to meet satisfactory academic requirements. It is important that, as part of the appeal, students demonstrate what has changed in their situation that would allow them to meet satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation.
Step 4 - Financial Aid Probation
Students with successful appeals will be placed on financial aid probation. Students on financial aid probation will continue to receive financial aid. During the probationary period, students must meet the requirements of satisfactory academic progress. Failure to meet the requirements will result in financial aid cancellation for the next semester.
Some students who have their appeal approved and are on financial aid probation will also need to complete a financial aid SAP academic plan with the SFS office. A financial aid SAP academic plan is necessary when a student cannot meet SAP requirements on their own in one semester. A personalized academic plan will be created with our financial aid office in order to avoid submitting an appeal each semester.
Step 5 - Financial Aid Cancellation
Students must comply with all terms of satisfactory academic progress in order to continue receiving financial aid. If students fail to make satisfactory academic progress while on probation their financial aid will be cancelled and they will no longer be eligible for financial aid (with the exception of private loans). Students may appeal the reinstatement of their financial aid if they can demonstrate extenuating circumstances that prevented them from meeting satisfactory academic progress requirements. Eligibility for financial aid will be reinstated upon a successful appeal or when the student meets satisfactory academic progress requirements.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Records
Financial aid satisfactory academic progress records are kept in the student’s financial aid file. These records do not appear on the student’s permanent academic record (transcript) in the registrar’s office.