Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the federally mandated requirement to fulfill a specified educational objective within a specific time frame to be eligible for federal financial aid. All students are evaluated twice a year to determine if they have met these requirements, even if they have not previously received financial aid.

In accordance with federal regulations, Nova Southeastern University has established the following SAP standards that must be met annually to maintain eligibility for federal and state financial aid.

1. Qualitative Measure (Grade Point Average)

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA).

2. Maximum Timeframe Measurement (Total Allowable Credits)

Students must complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the published length of their program.

The published length of the program is the number of credits needed to complete degree requirements. For example, a program requiring 120 credits to graduate will be limited to 180 credits of financial aid eligibility.

3. Pace (Overall Credits Completed)

Students must successfully complete a minimum of two-thirds of all courses attempted overall, which rounds to approximately 66.7 percent.

Pace formula:

Cumulative successfully completed credits

Cumulative attempted credits

Transfer Credit
NSU will count transfer credits and advanced placement hours accepted toward a student's educational program as both attempted and successfully completed hours. These credits will be included in pace and maximum timeframe calculations, but excluded from the annual qualitative measurement calculation.
Attempted Credits
All credits are included in the calculation, including, but not limited to, repeat and incomplete coursework, transfer credits, and coursework completed for a prior degree, certificate or major for which a degree or certificate was not conferred, regardless of receiving financial aid.
Incompletes and Withdrawals
Courses with incomplete and withdrawal grades at the time of the SAP review count as attempted hours that are not successfully completed. An incomplete grade that is converted after the SAP evaluation will be considered during the next annual SAP review.
Repeat Courses
Courses that are repeated will count in attempted hours. Repeated courses that are excluded from the academic record will not count as successfully completed hours or in the GPA calculation.
Drop Courses
Credits for courses that are dropped without attendance are not counted as attempted credits. All other credits for dropped courses will count as attempted credits. Dropped courses do not count as successfully completed credits.

Program Requirements by Level

Qualitative Measure: Min. GPA 2.00
Maximum Timeframe: 150 percent of the published length of your program. For most undergraduate students, this is 180 credit hours attempted.
Pace: successful completion of at least two thirds, approximately 66.7 percent of all attempted credits

Qualitative Measure Min. GPA 3.00 or 80 percent (for programs with a numeric grading system)
Exceptions:

Program	Min. Cumulative GPA/Percent
Anesthesiologist Assistant	2.00 or 75 percent
Occupational Therapy	2.00 or 75 percent
Pharmaceutical Affairs	2.00 or 75 percent
Physician Assistant Minimum	2.00 or 75 percent
Dental Minimum	70 percent or passing grades in all Pass/Fail coursework. Students with a combination of grade types must meet both criteria.

Exception: Programs that grade using a Pass/Fail system, such as the Doctor of Health Science, Dual Health Science-MHS/DHS, and Doctor of Allopathic Medicine programs, require successful completion of 100 percent of all credits attempted annually.
Maximum Timeframe: financial aid limited to 150 percent of the published length of your program
Pace: successful completion of at least two-thirds, approximately 66.7 percent of all attempted credits

Qualitative Measure: Min. GPA 3.00 for most programs. Please check with your program office to determine the GPA graduation requirements for your program.
Maximum Timeframe: 150 percent of the published length of your program
Pace: successful completion of at least two-thirds, approximately 66.7 percent of all attempted credits

Qualitative Measure (GPA)

Program	Min. Cumulative GPA/Percent
Dental Predoctoral, Optometry, Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy	2.00 or 70 percent
Occupational Therapy - Hybrid in Tampa, Physical Therapy—Hybrid Entry Level and Entry Level	2.00 or 75 percent
Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nursing	3.00 or 80 percent
Allopathic Medicine, Health Science	Passing grade in all coursework
Dental Postdoctoral	70 percent or passing grade in all pass/fail coursework Students with a combination of grade types must meet both criteria.

Maximum Timeframe: 150 percent of the published length of your program
Pace: successful completion of at least two-thirds, approximately 66.7 percent of all attempted credits

Qualitative Measure: Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25
Maximum Timeframe: 150 percent of the published length of your program
Pace: successful completion of at least two-thirds, approximately 66.7 percent of all attempted credits

State Aid Standards

Students interested in receiving state aid (such as the Effective Access to Student Education [EASE] Grant, Florida Student Assistance Grant, or Florida Bright Futures Scholarship) must also meet the state SAP standards established for each aid program.

State Aid Program	Cumulative Qualitative (GPA)	Quantitative (Credits)	Maximum Timeframe
Florida Bright Futures (Undergraduate/Graduate)
Academic Scholars	Min. cumulative GPA of 3.0	Earn all paid credits	High School graduates prior to 2010: up to 132 credits High School graduates after 2010: up to 120 credits
Medallion	Min. cumulative GPA of 2.75
Vocational Gold Seal	Min. cumulative GPA of 2.75		Up to 90 credits
Other
EASE Grant and FSAG	Min. cumulative GPA of 2.0	Earn 12 credits (9 credits) for each term an award was received during the academic year	Up to 9 semesters

A special note about summer enrollment:

Summer credits and grades earned are always counted toward the future academic year in the state SAP calculation. In other words, credits taken during the previous summer are counted toward the calculation, but if a student has failed SAP for state aid during the fall and winter semesters, the student will not be able to impact those deficiencies with attendance during the following summer semester.

Financial Aid

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Information for:

Important

When SAP is evaluated, all coursework is counted as attempted credits including, but not limited to, repeat and incomplete coursework, transfer credits, and coursework completed for a prior degree or major for which a degree or certificate was not conferred. The only time a student may start over is after a degree is conferred.

SAP Evaluation

SAP is evaluated for all students at the end of the final semester of their current academic year to determine financial aid eligibility for the next academic year. Additionally, academic progress is reviewed mid-year to alert students who may be in danger of failing SAP. The mid-year review is for informational purposes only and does not impact a student's eligibility for the remainder of the current year.

Academic Year	Mid-Year Review	SAP Evaluation
three semester programs (Fall/Winter/Summer)	December/January	end of the final semester of a student’s enrollment in the academic year
three-semester programs (Summer/Fall/Winter)	August/September	end of the final semester of a student’s enrollment in the academic year
four-term programs (Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring)	December/January	end of the final semester of a student’s enrollment in the academic year
two-semester programs	December/January	end of the final semester of a student’s enrollment in the academic year

SAP Notification

Students who are not meeting SAP at the mid-year evaluation will receive an email to their NSU email addresses to alert them of their lack of progress so that they may work with their academic adviser toward meeting SAP before the end of the semester. Students who have failed to meet SAP at the end-of-year evaluation will be notified by NSU email address and can view their SAP status at anytime in SharkLink/Self-Service Banner (SSB) as follows:

Login to SharkLink using your user name and password.
Locate the Financial Aid widget on your dashboard and click on the More Details button (Requirements tab).
On your Self-Service Banner Financial Aid dashboard, select Satisfactory Academic Progress from the ribbon on the top.

SAP Appeal

A student with extenuating circumstances may appeal the denial of student financial assistance by submitting a SAP Appeal Form within 60 days from the date the failure notice was sent.

SAP Academic Plan

If a student is unable to feasibly meet all SAP requirements within one semester, an academic plan must be developed with the student's academic adviser. The academic plan will outline grade and credit requirements that will allow the student to successfully meet SAP. If necessary, the academic plan may extend beyond the current academic year.

Learn More About SAP Appeals and Academic Plans