Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirement

It is important that a student makes progress toward completing their degrees in a timely fashion. A student should work with their advisor to make sure they are taking the correct coursework and meeting prerequisites so that you will graduate successfully in the shortest period possible. This will save money, reduce student loan debt, and help a student move forward in their career and educational goals.

Federal and state law requires that a recipient of financial aid make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards a degree, diploma, or certificate to remain eligible for financial aid. These laws also require that the standards used must be based on cumulative measure and must include all periods of a student's enrollment, regardless of whether the student received financial aid. Standards are based on these three considerations:

GPA Requirement

To meet satisfactory academic standards, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. Grades of A, B, C, D and F shall be included in the GPA calculation.

Completion Percentage Requirement

To meet satisfactory academic standards, students must complete 66.67% of all credits attempted. For more information about what types of college courses are included when determining whether this criterion is met, How Credits Are Reviewed in Determining SAP.

Maximum Time Frame Requirement

Financial aid will fund up to 150% of the maximum credits needed for attainment of your chosen degree or certificate (including transfer credits). For example, if the program is 60 credits in length, a student would be eligible to receive financial aid for up to 90 attempted credits (60 x 1.5 = 90). A student may still register and attend Minnesota State College Southeast after they have reached or exceeded 150% without receiving Financial Aid.

If at any point it is determined that a student will not be able to finish the required courses to graduate from their program within the 150% timeframe, financial aid eligibility will be suspended immediately. A letter will be sent to the student notifying them of their financial aid suspension along with an appeal form. A student appealing the decision will need to work with their academic advisor to complete the form.