Apply for Financial Aid Reinstatement
Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a requirement to remain eligible for federal financial aid. If you have not met SAP standards, you may submit an SAP appeal to request financial aid reinstatement for the 2024–2025 aid year.
SAP Appeal Deadlines
To be considered for financial aid reinstatement, your SAP appeal must be submitted by the following deadlines:
- Summer 2025 Term: May 12, 2025
How to Submit an SAP Appeal
For detailed instructions on how to complete and submit an SAP appeal, including a step-by-step user guide, please click here.
Act promptly to ensure your appeal is submitted before the deadline for your desired term. Appeals submitted after the deadlines may not be processed, and financial aid eligibility will not be reinstated.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Students to Receive Federal Student Aid
Federal regulations require a student receiving Federal Student Aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree. Eligibility is determined based on the student’s Qualitative measure (grade point average), Quantitative measure (pace of progress toward the degree), and Maximum Timeframe (the total number of credit hours attempted). If the student does not meet all three of the SAP requirements, the student may no longer be eligible for Federal Student Aid.
Qualitative Measure (Grade Point Average GPA)
Eligibility will be determined based on the student’s overall GPA hours (transfer and The University of West Alabama) and the student’s UWA cumulative GPA.
| If a Student’s Overall GPA Hours are: | Minimum Cumulative UWA GPA Required: |
| 0-29 | 1.60 |
| 30-59 | 1.80 |
| 60-89 | 1.90 |
| 90+ | 2.00 |
GPA hours are credit hours for which a standard letter grade is received (A, B, C, D and F).
For example, a student has attempted 30 credit hours during his entire college career, 15 credit hours earned with a GPA of 2.00 from another college, and 15 credit hours earned from UWA with a 1.60 GPA for a total of 30 Overall GPA Hours. His overall GPA is 1.75.
The student is not meeting this measure since his cumulative UWA GPA is 1.60, which is less than the minimum cumulative 1.80 UWA GPA a student must earn based on 30 overall GPA hours.
Quantitative Measure (Pace of Progress toward a degree or percentage of hours earned):
Students must earn a minimum of 67 percent of all credit hours attempted, including transfer hours placed on the UWA transcript and for UWA classes for which the student received grades of W, I, IP, NC, CR and P. Earned hours include credit hours for which the student receives a passing grade (A, B, C, D, CR or P). This percentage may be rounded up to 67 percent from 66.66 percent.
For example, a student has attempted a total of 24 credit hours during her entire college career and passed 16 credit hours. The student passed 66.67% of the credit hours attempted (16 divided by 24) which is less than the 67% required. However, the student is meeting this measure since the 66.66% may be rounded up to 67%.
Maximum Timeframe (Total hours a student may attempt and receive Federal Student Aid):
Students may not receive Federal Student Aid, which includes Federal Direct or Parent Plus loans, after attempting 150% of the hours required for completion of the degree. This includes transfer hours placed on the UWA transcript and for UWA classes for which the student received grades of W, I, IP, NC, CR, P, S and U.
For example, a student must earn 120 credit hours to be eligible for a degree. Once a student attempts 180 credit hours (120 hours required for the degree X 1.50 = 180 credit hours) the student is no longer eligible for Federal Student Aid.
- Incomplete grade. Grades of I and IP are included in hours attempted but not in GPA hours or GPA calculation until the student completes the course. If the student does not complete the course in the allotted time for which they received an I grade, the grade automatically becomes an F and is considered an Unofficial Withdrawal.
- Withdrawals. Grades of W are included in hours attempted but not in GPA hours or GPA calculation.
- Repeat Courses. The credit hours for every occurrence of a repeat course are included in hours attempted and GPA hours. The credit hours for only one occurrence of a repeated, previously passed course are included in earned hours.
- Transfer Hours. All credit hours from other schools that are placed on the UWA transcript will be included in hours attempted and credit hours from other schools for which a student received a standard letter grade (A, B, C, D and F) will be included in overall GPA Hours. The credit hours for passed courses (and only one occurrence of a repeated, previously passed course) are included in overall earned hours.
- Remedial Courses. Any remedial courses will be treated the same as regular courses.
- Frequency of check. A student’s SAP will be checked at the end of each year. Transfer students’ SAP will be checked after admission. If a student’s transcript from another college is received after initial SAP review, any transfer hours will be included in the next SAP check.
- Warning Status. A student not meeting the Quantitative or Qualitative SAP measures will be assigned an SAP Status of Warning for the next semester, meaning the student will be able to receive Federal Student Aid one more semester. If the student is not meeting SAP standards at the end of the next semester the student will not be able to receive Federal Student Aid.
- Regaining Eligibility. Students who lose eligibility for Federal Student Aid by not meeting SAP measures may regain eligibility by getting back in compliance with the SAP measures explained above. Sitting out of college will not help a student regain Federal Student Aid eligibility.
- Probation Status. A student not meeting the SAP standards and has had an appeal for financial aid suspension approved will be assigned an SAP Status of Probation. The student must be meeting the SAP standards at the end of the next semester or meet the requirements of an academic plan, as determined by the Financial Aid Office, to be eligible for Federal Student Aid for the subsequent semester.
- Appeal Process. A student who does not meet the requirements for SAP may choose to appeal to the Financial Aid Office for an exception on the grounds that a special or extenuating circumstance contributed to his or her failure to meet standards and what has changed that will allow the student to regain SAP at the next semester. Such appeals must be submitted on the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form that is available in the Financial Aid Office. The appeal should contain documentation, if available, to support the claim of extenuating circumstances. In addition, the student is required to provide an academic plan from the student’s dean or dean’s designee. Changes to an academic plan may also be appealed by the student by submitting the appeal form following the same appeal procedures.
Decisions made by the Appeals Committee relative to appeals, as well as changes in SAP status to Warning or Failure, will be sent to the student through the student’s UWA email and the student may check the status on Self Service. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate any appeal for reinstatement of federal financial aid eligibility. Academic reinstatement by the Registrar or Undergraduate Admissions does not constitute reinstatement of aid eligibility.
- Second Bachelor’s Degree. SAP for students pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree will be determined using the same requirements of this policy, with the exception of the 180 credit hour maximum timeframe. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree and who are meeting measures 1 and 2 above but have attempted 180 credit hours or more must provide an academic plan prepared by their dean or dean’s designee to the Financial Aid Office showing the courses needed to complete the second bachelor’s degree after all other previous coursework has been applied toward the second bachelor’s degree. The plan will be reviewed at the end of each semester by the Financial Aid Office and if the student is following the plan, the student will be eligible for Federal Student Aid.
- Graduate Students. SAP for graduate students will generally be determined using the same requirements of this policy. In addition, students academically suspended are not considered to be meeting SAP requirements and are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. Students admitted unconditionally as regular students in a graduate degree program will be given one year to complete any undergraduate prerequisite courses. Students may earn more than one graduate degree and receive Federal Student Aid if they are in good standing with the UWA Graduate program.