Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Higher education Act of 1965, as amended, requires students to maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree in order to receive financial aid. At Lawrence Technological University, these standards are established for students who are receiving or applying for financial aid from one or more of the various federal, state, or institutional grant, scholarship, work, or loan programs.

The Lawrence Technological University Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Financial Aid applies to all students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility. This policy applies separately to each degree program the student pursues, in its entirety, including semesters in which financial aid was not applied for or disbursed.

These standards require that students complete a specific number of credit hours each academic year and maintain the minimum GPA as defined by the standards. These are minimum standards that must be completed. Specific aid programs or college or department standards may vary and/or require more than these minimum standards.

The academic progress of financial aid recipients will be monitored a minimum of once each academic year. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid for questions regarding the intent and interpretation of this policy. 

REQUIRED COURSE COMPLETION RATE

A. Full- and part-time students must progress toward completion of their degree within a specified time frame. To meet this requirement, a student must successfully complete, with a grade of D or better, at least two-thirds (67%) of their cumulative credit hours attempted, based on the following schedule, or they will be denied aid until the deficient credits are earned at their own expense. Requirements may be satisfied on a cumulative total basis with eligibility terminating upon successful completion of all degree requirements, or when a student has attempted 150% of the coursework required for the program of study.

Examples

B.Combined students (students blending terms of full- and part-time enrollment) must achieve a cumulative total that satisfies the combined full- and part-time standards.  Student financial aid eligibility is suspended when the minimum completion requirement (as outlined in the table above) is not achieved. All part-time calculations are based on a full-time equivalent therefore the number of calendar semesters attended does not factor into the analysis. In other words, if a student is on probation for one semester and only takes one (1) class for three (3) credit hours, this counts as one-quarter (25%) of a semester attended and will be allowed additional part-time attendance to regain eligibility.

DURATION OF PROGRAM AND FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY

Financial aid eligibility is suspended when credits required for a degree/program are earned or a student has attempted 150% of the course work required for degree completion in the student’s program of study.

Examples

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate students who do not have a 2.00 (University) cumulative GPA at any point following the completion of their third (3rd) semester of enrollment will be granted one (1) probationary semester in which to raise their GPA to the 2.00 level.  Failure to achieve this standard at any point following the probationary semester will result in the suspension of eligibility until the cumulative GPA is 2.00.  Please note that a college or department may require more (or less) than a 2.00 GPA to remain in satisfactory academic standing.

Graduate students who do not have a 2.75 (University) cumulative GPA at any point following the completion of their third (3rd) semester of enrollment will be granted one (1) probationary semester in which to raise their GPA to the 2.75 level.  Failure to achieve this standard at any point following the probationary semester will result in the suspension of eligibility until the cumulative GPA is 2.75.  Please note that a college or department may require more (or less) than a 2.75 GPA to remain in satisfactory academic standing.

TRANSFER CREDITS

Upon admission, transfer students will be assumed to be maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

After admission to the university, courses successfully completed in subsequent terms at another institution that fulfill degree requirements at Lawrence Technological University may be used to achieve satisfactory academic progress compliance.  Students must provide documentation to the Office of Financial Aid regarding such credit.

NON-CREDIT COURSE WORK

Incompletes, non-credit course work, audits, and withdrawals will not be counted towards meeting the minimum credit hour completion requirement but will count towards the number of attempted hours.

REPETITIONS AND GRADE RESET

Students may repeat a course in which a passing grade was previously earned to improve their grade, however, each repeat will count towards the number of credit hours attempted. Students that have their grades reset (only classes with grades less than a C- are eligible for reset) will also have their attempted hours added to the total credit hours attempted for review.

EVALUATION PROCESS

The Office of Financial Aid will evaluate the progress of each student according to these standards on an annual basis.

APPEAL PROCESS & SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS QUESTIONS

Extenuating circumstances that result in a student failing to achieve the minimum credit hours and/or GPA requirements will be evaluated by the Office of Financial Aid on a case by case basis.