Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

For Financial Aid Eligibility

The United States Department of Education Federal Financial Aid regulations requires that institutions establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring students’ satisfactory academic progress in their educational programs. Students who receive Federal Title IV funds, as well as those who do not receive Federal Title IV funds, must equally meet these standards and measurements. While in residence at Voorhees University, each student is expected to demonstrate consistent progress towards meeting degree requirements. Qualitative and quantitative measurements are used to monitor academic progress at the University. This progress is measured at the end of the academic school year to determine eligibility for the upcoming school year of SAP for financial aid eligibility. Failure to meet the University’s SAP will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they:

Component 1: Qualitative Measurement

Maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average.

Component 2: Quantitative Measurement

*Each student must successfully pass a minimum of 67% of their cumulative credit hours attempted in their program of study toward a degree at the University (rounded to the next highest number). Drops, Withdrawals, Incompletes, Failures, Repeated, non-credit remedial coursework and transfer credit hours accepted by Voorhees University will be counted towards the hours attempted.

Component 3: Maximum Time Frame

A student receiving federal student aid must complete their degree program at Voorhees University within a time frame that is no longer than 150 percent of the published length of the program. The time frame includes all transfer credits accepted by Voorhees toward the degree and all of the attempted credit coursework at Voorhees University, regardless of any change in program or any prerequisite course work necessary for admission to a program. The appropriate time frame is calculated according to each student’s current degree program. For example, a degree may require a maximum of 120 credit hours. To maintain federal student aid eligibility, a student may attempt no more than 180 credit hours to complete the degree (120x150%=180).

BOTH COMPONENTS MUST BE MET (QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE) to BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS STANDARDS.

Component 4: Probationary Period

There are no automatic standard probationary periods at the University. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the academic school year when grades are reviewed, they are automatically ineligible to receive Federal Student Aid at Voorhees University.

Appeals Process

On occasion, students may fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress due to very serious circumstances that caused a major disruption to their ability to complete their course work. If students believe that they can present mitigating circumstances (I.E. An injury or illness of the student, the death of a relative of the student; and, other special circumstances as determined by the school) they must request reconsideration in writing to the Chair of the Financial Aid/Academic Review Committee within 30 days of the date of the letter of Federal Student Aid Ineligibility. The appeal must be typed. The request should include a comprehensive description of the circumstance(s) and documentation that verify the information that is discussed in the comprehensive description.

The Financial Aid/Academic Review Committee will review the appeal, make a recommendation, and send a letter of response. The decision of the Financial Aid/Academic Review Committee is final and cannot be appealed. Students not meeting the SAP requirements as defined by the Policy may re-establish eligibility to receive financial aid by enrolling at Voorhees University and increasing their SAP as defined by the policy at the expense of the student without Title IV funding). The student can appeal to the Academic/Financial Aid Committee for review after the SAP requirements have been satisfied for the re-establishment of their ability to receive financial aid. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the committee that they are meeting the SAP requirements for their degree. The financial aid office will not monitor nor will it request a student to appeal for the reinstatement of their Title IV funding once eligibility is lost. Approved appeals can only be for one semester of probation or an approved Academic Plan of Study. Should an appeal for probation be approved for an additional semester after the loss of FEDERAL STUDENT AID ELIGIBILITY and SAP is not met, the student is dismissed from the University from receiving Title IV financial aid until such time that they have met the standards of progress according to the policy.

Students attempting to be Readmitted to University and were not meeting SAP when they discontinued matriculation will not be eligible for Federal Aid unless an appeal is approved for One Semester of Probation or an approved Academic Plan of Study, and all other required SAP Standards of Progress are met including but not limited to a Plan of Study that may be required by the University for the student to matriculate toward the academic requirements and successful completion of the degree program.

All questions about academic records and all requests for changes to those records must be made to the Academic Departments, Registrar, and Academic Dean. Voorhees University’s academic regulations describe the petition process. Voorhees University Office of Student Financial Aid has no authority to alter the academic record.