Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) refers to the requirement that students receiving financial aid enroll in and complete sufficient credits each term to complete their studies within a reasonable period of time as well as maintain an acceptable cumulative GPA. The University of St. Thomas is committed to ensuring that graduate and professional students are successful in completing their degree programs. Students who are not meeting the SAP criteria may be placed on financial aid probation and eventual suspension from receiving financial aid (including all types of financial aid).

Section 1. Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Graduate and professional students must:

1. Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) that is equal to or greater than the graduation standards published by their program;
2. Successfully complete a minimum of 67% of all hours attempted at the University of St. Thomas; and
3. Complete their programs of study by attempting no more than 150% of the hours normally required for the degree.

These standards are collectively referred to as the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards.

Section 2. Definition of Terms

1. Attempted credit: An attempted credit includes all credits for which you are registered at the beginning of the semester. Any attempted credits that are subsequently canceled and removed from your transcript are still considered an attempted credit for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid under this policy.
2. Cumulative Grade Point Average: The weighted average of the grades earned for all of your earned credits.
3. Completion rate: The cumulative number of the credits you have earned toward your degree divided by the cumulative number of the credits you have attempted while enrolled in your program. (This must be equal to or greater than 67%.)
4. Extenuating Circumstances: Events or situations beyond the student's control that negatively affected the student's ability to meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress.
5. Financial Aid: All federal, state, private and institutional aid programs, including student loans, which are administered by the University of St. Thomas Graduate Financial Aid Office.
6. Good Standing: Meeting or exceeding each of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards.
7. Maximum attempted credits: The total number of credits typically required for your degree program multiplied by 150%.
8. Satisfactory Grades: Grades of "A", "B", "C", "D", "S" and all plus or minus variations on these grades.
9. Second Concentration: Returning after conferral of the degree to pursue a second major designation for the degree.
10. Second Degree: Returning after conferral of a first degree in a program to complete the requirements for a second or subsequent degree in the same program.
11. Unsatisfactory Grades: Grades of "F", "R", "I", and "W".

Section 3. Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average

Graduate and professional students must maintain a cumulative GPA that is equivalent to the graduation standards published by their program. The cumulative GPA is calculated on all courses attempted at St. Thomas and all transfer credits accepted by St. Thomas.

Section 4. Minimum Completion Rate

Students must satisfactorily complete 67% of all credits attempted. Satisfactory grades are "A", "B", "C", "D", "S" and all plus or minus variations. Unsatisfactory grades are "F", "R", "I", and "W". Failure to maintain a minimum 67% completion rate will result in a warning for the next term. Failure to bring the overall completion rate equal to or above the minimum 67% by the end of the "warning" term will result in the student being ineligible to receive financial aid, including all student loans, until the student raises his or her overall completion rate to at least 67%.

Section 5. Maximum Timeframe

Graduate and professional students must complete their programs of study by attempting no more than 150% of the credits normally required for attainment of the degree. For example, if a degree program can normally be completed with 50 credit hours, a student's financial aid eligibility will be suspended once the student has attempted 75 credit hours, whether the student has attained the degree or not.

Attempted credits include all grades of "F", "R", "W" and "I". Repeated courses are counted as attempted credits each time they are attempted. All transfer credits accepted by the University of St. Thomas count as attempted credits.

Each graduate division determines the number of credits by which the student normally completes the degree. The individual graduate program publishes this information.

Section 6. Financial Aid Programs Covered By This Policy

This policy applies to all institutional grants, work-study funds, federal loans, state loans and private loan programs. Graduate Assistantships and departmental scholarships and grants are awarded at the discretion of the awarding department, and may be withdrawn if the student does not meet this satisfactory academic progress policy.

Section 7. Monitoring Progress

Every financial aid applicant's academic progress will be monitored at the end of each term. The assessment will be based on the student's entire academic record at St. Thomas, including all transfer credit hours accepted. All of a student's academic coursework is considered in the review process, without regard as to whether or not the student received financial aid for the term(s).  All courses attempted (even if in a different academic program) will be considered.  Admission to the University of St. Thomas or maintaining good academic standing as defined by individual graduate programs does not necessarily constitute maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid purposes.

Section 8. Unsatisfactory Status

Students who are not in compliance with all aspects of the SAP policy are considered to be in an unsatisfactory status. A student whose status is determined to be unsatisfactory is not eligible to receive financial aid, including student loans, until the student:

1. Attains the required minimum standards by successful completion of additional credits without benefit of financial aid, or
2. Is granted probationary standing for a limited period of time by successfully appealing the determination of loss of financial aid eligibility, or
3. Attains the required minimum standards by the end of the probationary period.

Section 9. Right to Appeal

Students who have had eligibility for financial aid suspended due to not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy may appeal to the Graduate Financial Aid Office for reconsideration.  

To appeal, a student must submit a letter describing in detail the circumstances relating to their academic history.  A student whose academic performance was affected by circumstances beyond his or her control including, but not limited to, personal or family accident, illness or crisis; death of a close family member; loss of employment or employment transition; or divorce, should include specific information about how those circumstances affected his or her ability to meet the satisfactory progress standards detailed in the University of St. Thomas policy.  In addition, independently verifiable supporting documentation from a third party is required in most instances.  Documentation may include a letter from a medical practitioner, lawyer, priest or pastor who is familiar with the student's circumstances; copies of bills; or copies of reports from government or local authorities. The documentation must contain the name and telephone number of a contact person in the event that the appeals committee wishes to confirm the authenticity of the documentation or to request additional information.

Section 10. Appeal Decisions and Probationary Periods

If the student appeal is granted, the student will be sent a Financial Aid Probationary Status Contract.  The student will have to sign and return the contract to the Graduate Financial Aid Office before any financial aid will be reinstated.   The student will be given a probationary period during which the student may continue to receive financial aid while attempting to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. If the student does not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards after the end of the terms of probation, then the student is determined to be ineligible for current and future financial aid until the student completes additional coursework sufficient to return to good standing without benefit of financial aid.

All decisions by the Financial Aid Appeals committee are final.  

A Section 11. Reinstatement of eligibility upon meeting the standards

A student who has failed to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards will only be reinstated for financial aid eligibility when:

1. The student's University of St. Thomas Transcript demonstrates that the student now meets all of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards, and
2. The student has a Financial Aid application on file for the current award year.

Section 12. Reviews of academic progress

The Graduate Financial Aid Office conducts reviews of the academic progress of all applicants for financial aid. These reviews are conducted on dates that we expect grades to have been submitted for your program. For programs that do not operate on a normal academic schedule, we develop projections of when grades are expected to be posted and conduct reviews at that time for students in those programs.

Section 13. Effect of automated reviews on current term financial aid

Because grades may not be available before the beginning of the next scheduled term, it is possible that financial aid may be disbursed to a student before the automated review can be conducted. In the event that a student is found to be ineligible for the financial aid that has been disbursed due to a failure to meet one of the Standards, the aid that was disbursed will be canceled, and returned to the appropriate program(s). If the student successfully appeals and is granted a probationary period, the aid can be reinstated for that term, provided that the student is still enrolled on an at least half-time basis.

Section 14. Additional concentrations and financial aid eligibility

Students who have completed all of the requirements for a degree, and who have had the degree conferred by the University, and who return seeking a second concentration for the degree are not eligible for Federal, state or institutional financial aid. In order to be eligible for these types of aid a student must be seeking a degree or certificate.

Section 15. Additional degrees at same level from same academic program

If a student has completed all of the requirements for a degree, and the student has elected to pursue a second degree of similarity in the same academic program, the student may receive financial aid for pursuit of this second degree up until they have reached the maximum timeframe with respect to the number of credits allowed for a degree (i.e. MA in Education = 51 credits)   For example, a student who earned an MA in Education by attempting 34 credits may receive an additional 17 credits worth of eligibility for financial aid for pursuit of a second degree. (51-34=17.) A student may appeal this maximum timeframe by using the appeal process described above. The Financial Aid Appeals committee may, in their discretion, grant a probationary period of such length that would allow a student to receive financial aid for a certain period of time or for the entire second degree.  Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Section 16. Additional degrees at an advanced level or from a different school or college

If a student has completed all of the requirements for a degree, and elects to pursue an advanced degree from the same graduate division, or elects to pursue a different degree from a different graduate division, the student will be eligible for financial aid provided the student has met all of the Standards in pursuit of the prior degree. For purposes of this section, the calculation of the maximum timeframe standard will not consider any credits attempted in pursuit of the prior degree, unless those credits are accepted in transfer by the new school or college and apply to the additional degree. The overall GPA, however, will be used for purposes of the SAP policy.

Section 17. Program Specific Terms.

The following chart details the program specific terms for the Standards.

College/Program	Degree	Maximum Timeframe (credit hours)	GPA
Applied Science and Engineering	Certificate	15	3
Applied Science and Engineering	MME, MS	67	3
Art History	MA, MM, MS	45	3
Business - Accountancy	MBA	47	3
Business - Business Communications	MBC	63	3
Business - Executive MBA	MBA	75	3
Business Administration/Evening MBA	MBA	77	3
Business - Int'l Mgmt, Executive, Bus Admin	Certificate	36	3
Business - Medical Group Management	MBA	81	3
Business - Real Estate Appraisal	M.S.	59	3
Business - UST Full Time MBA	MBA	92	3
Business Communications	Certificate	36	2.75
Catholic Studies	MA	50	3
Divinity - Theology/Pastoral Studies	MA	54	3
Divinity - Religious Education	MA	63	3
Divinity (Seminary)	M. Div.	192	2.3
English	MA	45	3
Education	Ed. S.	54	3
Education	Certificate	35	3
Education	Ed.D.	99	3
Education	Licensure	51	3
Education	MA	51	3
Education (Off-Campus Programs)	MA	47	3
Law	JD	132	2
Music - Music Education, Piano Pedagogy	MA, MM, MS	50	2.7
Psychology	Certificate	27	3
Psychology	MA	68	3
Psychology	Psy.D.	108	3
Social Work	MSW	90	3
Software	Certificate	23	2.7
Software	MS, MSDD, MSS	63	2.7
Software Design	Certificate	23	2.7