Satisfactory Academic Progress

The first time you don’t meet the cumulative GPA or pace SAP requirement, you’ll be placed on financial aid warning for the following term. You’re still eligible to receive financial aid during this time. At the end of the warning period, you’ll be reviewed for compliance of SAP eligibility criteria once more. If found to be in compliance, you’ll continue to be eligible to receive financial aid for the following term.

If you’ve previously been given a Financial Aid Warning status or you have been placed on SAP-Warn or SAP-Denial in the past, and still don’t meet the SAP eligibility criteria at the end of the term, your financial aid eligibility will be placed in a denial status (SAP-Denied.) You have the right to appeal (see below) however until that appeal is approved or you are again making Satisfactory Academic progress, you will not be eligible to receive Federal assistance. You may continue to attend ESU at your own expense until you once again meet the SAP standards or submit an SAP Appeal that’s approved.

If you are in SAP-Denial, you are required to submit a written SAP Appeal form for each semester that you wish to be considered for financial aid until you meet the SAP requirements. Students will be notified via email of the status of the appeal within two weeks of the date of receipt. This notification will indicate if the appeal has been approved, denied, or if additional information is needed. The Student Financial Aid Administrator who has been assigned the responsibility of managing the SAP program and the Director of Financial Aid review all SAP appeals. Students may appeal the decision to the SAP Appeals Committee to the Director of Financial Aid. The decision of the Financial Aid Director is final.

Again, when an appeal is necessary, you still have the option of attending or enrolling in classes. However, financial aid eligibility won’t be calculated and released unless the appeal is approved. If the appeal is denied, you’re responsible for any balance owed to the university.

If you’re placed on Financial Aid SAP - Denial, you may file a written appeal by completing an SAP Appeal form that can be found on this page. The submission of an appeal application does not guarantee the reinstatement of eligibility for federal aid. Students are strongly encouraged to make payment arrangements with the Student Billing Office while their appeals are being considered.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All Appeals are held in strict confidence between the student and the SAP committee.

1. You must clearly explain why your SAP requirements weren’t met and provide proper documentation to support these extenuating circumstances (including if you believe you’ve regained eligibility due to submission of late grades or grade changes).

Some examples of reasons for an appeal may include:

1. The death of an immediate family member (parent, spouse, sibling, child).
2. Serious illness (physical or mental) of the student or immediate family member that may have necessitated withdrawal from all classes in order to recover or may have contributed to the student doing poorly in his/her classes.
3. Other documented unexpected circumstances beyond the student’s control.
4. Moving forward, indicate how you will improve your academic performance. Outline the changes you might have made in your personal, social, or economic situation that will allow you to improve your future academic success.
5. The SAP appeal process also requires you to meet with your college academic advisor to discuss your academic progress and to review your academic plan. Your academic advisor is required to complete a section of your SAP appeal form. The appeal and academic plan must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office as part of your SAP appeal.

Students granted an appeal will receive their federal aid for the appeal period granted only. The denial of an appeal does not prohibit students from enrolling at ESU, but students are responsible for their University balances. Students will not receive federal aid until satisfactory academic progress is met. Students are required to notify the Office of Financial Aid once they have met the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

If you’re SAP Appeal is approved, you will be placed in SAP Probation for the term for which the appeal is approved. Your progress will be reviewed again at the end of the term.

Approved Appeal for GPA or Pace (new accordion)

Based upon your progress, one of three outcomes will occur:

1. If your progress in the semester is satisfactory and you have made sufficient progress to be making SAP. You will be placed into a satisfactory status and will no longer be in denial status. You will continue to be monitored each semester. Failure to meet SAP standards in the future will result in you moving immediately to SAP-Denial status.
2. If your progress in the semester is satisfactory (GPA above a 2.0, completing more than 75% of your courses and following your academic plan) but you remain below SAP standards, your probation will be continued for an additional semester. You will be reviewed at the end of the next semester of enrollment to determine your SAP status for future enrollment.
3. If your progress for the semester was unsatisfactory or you failed to meet the terms of your financial aid SAP – Probation, you will immediately be placed in to SAP – Denial status and ineligible to receive federal and institutional aid. While you may continue to attend classes, the expense of your attendance is your responsibility.

Undergraduate students may receive federal aid for up to 180 cumulative credits attempted including transfer credits. State grant eligibility may vary (Pennsylvania allows up to 8 full-time semesters). Students who have attempted 180 credits with or without the benefit of financial assistance are no longer eligible to receive federal financial aid.

Graduate students may receive federal aid for up to 72 cumulative credits attempted.

Approved appeals for maximum time frame are rare and require you to follow the academic plan laid out by you and your academic advisor.

1. You will be placed in SAP – Probation for the remainder of your enrollment at ESU for your program.
2. You are permitted to enroll for classes not on your academic plan however you are responsible for paying for all associated tuition, fees, books and supplies.
3. Deviation from your academic plan will result in you being immediately placed in SAP – Denial status. No additional aid may be delivered to you until you have a new approved SAP Appeal with a new academic plan in place.
4. While you may be placed in SAP-Probation status, you are still limited to the amount of aid you are eligible to receive based on Federal mandates regarding maximum Pell eligibility and aggregate loan limits.

All Incompletes, withdrawals, failures, and repeats are included as attempted credits when determining SAP for financial aid. Remedial courses successfully completed will count towards satisfactory academic progress. However, remedial courses do not count towards graduation.

Credits Attempted: Credits for which a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, E, F, FN, I, L, P, S, U, W, X, Y, Z has been received.

Successfully Completed Credits: Credits for which a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, L, S, or P has been received. Grades of E, F, I, U, W, X, Y, Z and grades in repeated courses do not count as successfully completed credits.

Repeated classes will not count toward academic progress if the class was passed the first time the student was enrolled and received a passing grade. Only repeated classes that the student originally failed will be counted toward academic progress. Each time a class is repeated it will be included in the cumulative credits attempted.

If a student is deficient in credits and/or GPA at the end of the academic year, summer school classes may be used to eliminate the deficiency. No federal financial aid will be provided to help defray summer costs. Students may apply for an alternative/private loan or should discuss payment options for summer school with the staff in Enrollment Services.

If students opt to not enroll in our summer session's at ESU to help eliminate their deficiency, please note the following:

• Transient clearance must be obtained prior to taking courses elsewhere to ensure that these credits will be accepted at ESU.
• Courses taken elsewhere will not affect the GPA. If the student's deficiency is in GPA, taking courses at another institution will not make up that deficiency. The only exception is students who were approved to participate in the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Visiting Student program.
• In addition, credits received from Advanced Placement Exams, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests or any other type of prior learning will not be used to satisfy a credit deficiency.

If you were previously registered at East Stroudsburg University, and have been away for three consecutive academic terms, we want you to complete the returning student form.

A period of non-enrollment does not reinstate financial aid eligibility. Students who are readmitted to ESU will have their financial aid progress reviewed and all previous coursework will be measured according to these procedures upon reentry. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) appeal can be requested by contacting the Financial aid Office at fa@esu.edu or by contacting the office by phone at: (570) 422-2800 press option 1.

The Pennsylvania State Grant Program has its own rules about satisfactory academic progress. To keep your PA State Grant funding:

• Full-time students must earn at least 12 new,* non-remedial credits during a semester in which they receive a full-time PA State Grant.
• Part-time students must earn six new, * non-remedial credits during a semester in which they receive a part-time PA State Grant.

*New credits mean that you cannot have previously earned a grade of “D” or better in that class.

^†A non-remedial credit is any course with a section of 100 or greater.

If you do not meet this requirement during a semester, your state grant can be reinstated if you take additional credits in the following term.

For example, if you register for 12 credits in the fall semester but only pass nine credits, you could earn 15 credits during the following spring to maintain satisfactory academic progress. You can also use credits earned in the summer to attain the credits needed for academic progress.

Any appeal to this progress requirement must be made directly to the PA State Grant division at (800) 692-7392 or at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

• Private Alternative Loans: You may obtain a private alternative loan through your local bank. ESU has a list of lenders you can compare side by side via Elm to assist you in determining the best lender for your specific financial situation.
• Payment Plans: You may log onto your myESU portal under the Billing box to setup a payment plan. Note: Payment plans are not always available during the semester. Questions may be directed to the billing office at (570) 422-2800.