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Washington State University
Keeping yourself eligible for aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

When you accept financial aid, you accept responsibility for making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This progress is based on the number of credits you complete, your cumulative GPA, and the total number of credits you have attempted at WSU or at another institution.

  • Please read all of this information carefully. You are responsible for understanding all of these requirements.
  • Federal regulations stipulate that your academic progress be monitored even if you are not receiving federal student aid. 
    • Please note: Academic Reinstatement to the university is not the same as Reinstatement of Financial Aid. If you have been reinstated after academic dismissal due to Rule 39, may need to file a SAP Appeal in order to receive financial aid.

This summary is given as a convenience to you. We strongly suggest that you read the SAP Handbook to clearly understand the requirements mandated by state and federal regulations. Please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns not addressed in this summary or the handbook.

What is SAP?

Federal and state financial aid regulations require that recipients of federal and state aid make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of their degree.

Therefore, as a WSU student aid recipient, in addition to meeting other financial aid eligibility criteria, you must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress in your degree program.

The SAP policy must be as strict as, or stricter, than the university’s academic progress policy. The SAP policy is reviewed on an annual basis and if policy changes are made, will then be updated and reflected on this page, the SAP Handbook, and any printed information our office distributes.

You will be notified via email if you have not made satisfactory academic progress. If you receive financial aid and are subsequently determined to be SAP Disqualified, your aid will be withdrawn; you will also be responsible for repaying the funds, unless a SAP Appeal is filed and approved.

Please review our SAP Handbook as our policy has been updated to include the COVID-19 impacts!
SAP Handbook

Regulatory Requirements

State Requirements Federal Requirements
2.0 Cumulative GPA for Undergrads
3.0 Cumulative GPA for Graduates
2.0 Cumulative GPA for Undergrads
3.0 Cumulative GPA for Graduates
If enrolled in 12 or less credits, the credits attempted
at the financial aid census date must match the credits
completed at the semester review
(See credit chart below)
67% Pace to Degree (PTD)
Reviewed every termReviewed at least once per year
Students receiving state aid are monitoredAll students are monitored
150% of published length of program (AY 2025 going forward)150% of published length of program
Pending the funding received, students are upheld to the above requirements

SAP Credit Requirements — State Standards (Undergrads)

 Credits Completed
Credits AttemptedGood StandingWarningDisqualification
12 or moreAt least 126-110-5
11116-100-5
10105-90-4
995-80-4
884-70-3
774-60-3
663-50-2
553-40-2
442-30-1
3320-1
2210
11N/A0

General Information

  1. If you are applying for state and/or federal financial assistance, you must be in compliance with the appropriate SAP policy as a condition of initial or continuing eligibility.
  2. If you fail to maintain progress under any of the SAP criteria (GPA, Pace to Degree [PTD], both term and cumulative, or Maximum Time Frame [MTF]), you will not be eligible to receive financial aid.
  3. If you are a first-time or returning aid applicant who has previously attended WSU, you must also be in compliance with the policy, even if aid was not received during periods of prior attendance.

Evaluation Period

For state aid recipients … at the end of each term, (fall, spring and summer), a review will be made to ensure you’re compliant.

For federal aid recipients, this compliance review will only be conducted in Spring.

For those on an Academic Plan, a review will be conducted during the time stated within the contract.

Non-degree Seeking Students

If you are working towards an endorsement or a certificate (any certification that puts you into a “Non-degree Seeking” status), you ARE NOT eligible for funding.

Notification

  1. At the end of each term if you have failed to meet the SAP standards, you will have a notice of deficiency emailed to your WSU email.
  2. If the severity of the deficiency puts you in a disqualification status, your financial aid will be withheld.
  3. Deficiency notifications are based on information that is subject to change or correction. Therefore, it is your responsibility to document any corrections to the information (i.e. grade changes, consortium credits, etc.) that was used to determine your status.
  4. Because of the limited amount of time between terms, a complete review of your status may not be possible before the beginning of the next term.
  5. Any aid released to you, and if you are still ineligible under the rules for SAP, will be returned and you will owe WSU this amount. If you receive financial aid and are subsequently determined to be Disqualified, your aid will be withdrawn; you will also be responsible for repaying the funds, unless a SAP Appeal is filed and approved.

Tips for advisors, faculty, & staff

In order to best assist your students, SFS highly encourages WSU advisors, faculty, and staff to review and reference the SAP Handbook whenever issues regarding SAP eligibility arise. We encourage you to review this prior to advising students in situations where they may run into a SAP complication(s). We recommend advisers using advising notes (within myWSU) for quicker processing time. When in doubt, please have the student contact our SAP team and they will ensure compliance.
Students in a federal or state disqualification status need their advisor to submit a graduation plan to Student Financial Services. For efficiency, we ask that advisors submit this information in myWSU advising notes. Feel free to use this graduation plan worksheet.

Grade Chart for SAP Processing

Contact SAP

If at any point you have trouble, get stuck, or questions with the process arise feel free to contact our SAP team experts.
sapappeal@wsu.edu