How to Keep Your Aid: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid Recipients 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Financial Aid
Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy that conforms to specific grade-based and time-based requirements. These requirements apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid and include three components:

• GPA
• Pace
• Maximum Time

Students pursuing the PharmD program must meet these requirements in order to maintain financial aid eligibility. SAP status will be determined at the end of each Academic Year. Being allowed to continue and or resume academic progression by the academic department does not automatically correspond/correlate with financial aid eligibility. Students not meeting SAP at the end of the academic year will be immediately ineligible for financial aid, there will be NO semester of warning.

Standard I – GPA:

A PharmD student must achieve and maintain a 2.75 cumulative grade-point average. The cumulative GPA is based on course work at USF COP. If a student fails to meet this requirement at the end of an academic year the student is considered to be not making satisfactory academic progress standards and is ineligible for financial aid. The student may file a petition if extenuating circumstance existed or notify the financial aid office if there is a change to GPA after grades were calculated.

Standard II - Pace

A PharmD student must complete 67% of all courses attempted, this sets an expectation towards your degree progress. Failure to complete the required percentage would result in the student not making satisfactory academic progress and is therefore ineligible for financial aid. The student may file a petition if extenuating circumstance existed or notify the financial aid office when all courses have been completed with a passing grade.

Standard III – Maximum Time Frame

A Pharm D student is not eligible for further financial aid when the cumulative number of pharmacy school credit hours attempted is greater than 150% of the minimum credits required for graduation. No aid will be awarded if a student doesn’t complete the program within 6 years of matriculation (whether or not they received aid for all semesters). There will be NO semester of warning if a student fails to meet this standard. A student failing to meet this standard is immediately ineligible.

The Review:
The SAP review must include the student’s total academic history—meaning all attempted hours at current degree level.

Appeals
Students who have extenuating circumstances that have contributed to their failure to maintain SAP may petition their status by completing a SAP petition. The written appeal should be submitted to the USF Health Financial Aid Office. The written appeal must be submitted within 10 business days, from receipt of the deficit SAP status notification.

A response by the financial aid office will be provided to the student within 10 business days of appeal receipt.

As required by the US Department of Education, submitted appeals should include:

• Narrative and supportive documentation (as appropriate) noting the reasons for failure to meet academic progression standards for financial aid eligibility.
• Narrative and supportive documentation (as appropriate) explaining how student circumstances have changed, with a description of steps undertaken to attain satisfactory academic progress.
• Narrative and signed copy of the required academic plan (as provided by the ARPSAC). The narrative should include language describing the changes to be implemented to avoid future academic difficulties.

An approved appeal will permit the student to receive financial aid for one payment period. At the end of this payment period academic progression will be re-evaluated, and the student must be demonstrating satisfactory academic progress. Any student who is unable to demonstrate satisfactory academic progression will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be ineligible to receive financial aid.