Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is defined as proceeding toward successful completion of degree requirements. The LHU Student Financial Services Office is required by federal regulation to determine whether a student is satisfactorily progressing toward degree completion. Your official LHU academic record (i.e. transcript) as maintained by the LHU Registrar’s Office is reviewed to determine student compliance with the SAP policy. This review is completed each year at the end of the spring semester.
General requirements are listed below. To view specific requirements, click
here.
Students must:
Probation means that you are not currently meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for financial aid. Once you are placed on probation, you must complete the required number of new credit hours and achieve a 2.0 semester GPA. At the end of the probated semester, if you do not meet these requirements, you will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. If you meet the probationary semester requirements, your probation will be extended through the next semester. Some students, such as those who’s cumulative GPAs are less than 1.0, do not qualify for Financial Aid Probation. For more information, click here.
Yes, if you are otherwise eligible, you may receive federal aid for the semester(s) you are on probation.
Financial Aid Suspension means that you have not met the requirements for satisfactory academic progress and are ineligible for federal financial aid until you can demonstrate to the Student Financial Services Office that you are meeting the requirements.
No. Academic suspension from the University is monitored by the Registrar’s Office. If you are uncertain whether or not you are on academic suspension, you should contact that office. Financial aid suspension applies only to your federal financial aid.
Federal regulations require that the SAP review include all credit hours a student has attempted, including dropped, repeated, remedial, or withdrawn courses as reflected on your academic record. Although dropping a class may help your GPA, a “W” is still considered a course that was attempted, but not completed, for determination of Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Students on financial aid suspension are ineligible for all federal aid, including the Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, ACG and SMART Grants, Federal Work Study, Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Parent and Graduate PLUS Loans.
Student Financial Services will notify you by mail if you are placed on financial aid probation or suspension.
Students who have extraordinary, personal circumstances have the right to appeal their financial aid suspension. Acceptable circumstances are defined as:
· the death of an immediate relative
· a serious illness or accident requiring medical intervention
· significant, unexpected family obligations
· catastrophic loss (e.g. flood, fire, etc.)
· extreme personal crisis
Students who wish to appeal must do so in writing. Letters of appeal should be submitted to Student Financial Services and must include:
· a signed, personal statement that completely and explicitly explains the basis of the appeal
· documentation from an objective, non-relative, adult professional that verifies the extraordinary personal circumstances on which the appeal is based
· an explanation as to how those circumstances affected the student's academic performance
· a description of the steps that have been or will be taken to prevent the problem from happening again
You are required to submit authoritative documentation from an objective, non-relative, adult professional that supports the details of your appeal. For example, if you withdrew from classes due to a medical condition, physician or hospital statements would be advised. A death in the family might be documented with a copy of an obituary or death certificate. Traffic accidents might be documented with specific police reports. These are only examples; not an exhaustive list.
No, you do not have to be currently enrolled to appeal your financial aid suspension. However, you cannot appeal if you are on academic suspension.
No. If you are academically suspended, you cannot appeal your federal aid suspension. Once you have been academically readmitted by the dean of your college, you may submit an appeal of your federal aid suspension.
If I successfully appeal my academic suspension to the college dean, does that mean my federal financial aid eligibility will be reinstated?
No. A successful appeal of academic suspension does not result in reinstatement of a student’s financial aid eligibility. Appealing one’s financial aid suspension is a separate process. Students should also note that a successful appeal of academic suspension does not guarantee that a student may register for classes. Students who have past due account balances are placed on hold by the Student Financial Services (SFS) Office and are not permitted to register. Any student who wishes to appeal his or her financial aid suspension or whose student account is on registration hold must contact Student Financial Services for assistance.
Your appeal will be reviewed by a Student Financial Services staff member who will render a decision. All decisions are final.
Notification may come in the form of a financial aid award letter or via a letter to your home or LHUP email address.
No. To be considered, all supporting documentation must be submitted with the original appeal. Once SFS has acted on your appeal, the decision is final. If you do not submit supporting documentation, your appeal will be denied for lack of documentation.
No, the decision is final. Therefore it is very important to include any documentation with your original appeal.
Yes, if you are otherwise eligible to enroll, you may enroll at your own expense to make up your credit or GPA deficiencies. If you complete credit hours at another, accredited institution, they can only be considered for SAP review purposes after they have been added to your official LHU academic record as maintained by the Registrar’s Office. Students who take classes to make up deficiencies should contact Student Financial Services upon completion of those courses to request a SAP review.
No. If you begin a new level of study, you are in good standing as far as the satisfactory academic progress requirements for the new program are concerned.
Student Financial Services must wait until all your grades are complete and recorded by the Registrar’s Office in order to determine your SAP status. You cannot receive federal aid for the following semester until all grades are complete and SFS has determined that you have made satisfactory academic progress. It is important to complete your incomplete coursework as soon as possible. You must contact Student Financial Services upon completion of all incomplete courses to request a SAP review.
If you complete a semester abroad or have a consortium agreement with LHU and another university, Student Financial Services must wait until your grades have been recorded by the Registrar’s Office in order to determine your SAP status. You cannot receive federal aid for the following semester until SFS has reviewed your grades from the other institution and has determined that you have made satisfactory academic progress. It is important to make sure your grades are recorded by LHU as soon as possible. Once your grades are recorded, you should contact Student Financial Services to request a SAP review.
Academic progress for the PA State Grant, as defined by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), is different from federal satisfactory academic progress. PA State Grant progress is reviewed annually after the spring semester and is defined as successfully completing a minimum of 12 new credits for each full-time semester of state grant received (6 new credits for each part-time semester grant received) during the preceding academic year. Students enrolled in four-year programs may receive a maximum of 8 full-time semester grants (or the equivalent), while students in two-year programs may receive a maximum of 4 full-time semester grants (or the equivalent). Questions about PHEAA’s academic progress policy should be directed to PHEAA at 1-800-692-7392.
After PHEAA determines that a student is eligible for a PA State Grant, the Student Financial Services Office, on behalf of the University, determines whether the student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The University must cancel the student’s state grant, even after the initial award is made by PHEAA, if the student is found not to be making satisfactory academic progress. Students who believe they have grounds to request an exception to PHEAA’s academic progress policy must contact PHEAA at 1-800-692-7392 to request a State Grant Program Academic Progress Exception Form.
Notes: (1) Students should refer to the complete written progress requirements sent by PHEAA with their state grant award notice. (2 Non-Pennsylvania State Grant programs may have different Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines. Students with those awards should refer to their state grant award letters for program-specific requirements.
You may contact the Student Financial Services Office via e-mail at sfs@lhup.edu, phone at 570-484-2344, or in person at 123 Russell Hall.