Satisfactory Academic
Progress Notice

Dear Student,

The U.S. Department of Education has recently published final regulations with an effective date of July 1st, 2011. 

Among other things,  these regulations make significant changes to how institutions measure satisfactory progress toward degree completion for students who receive federal aid.  Federal aid includes Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant and Federal Work Study.  Based on these final regulations, the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office of Student Financial Services has made several changes to how satisfactory progress will be monitored.

Currently, students who receive federal aid have their progress checked on a yearly cycle in May.  Beginning with the fall term of 2011, satisfactory academic progress (SAP) will be monitored at the end of each term.  Students will need to be completing classes at a pace of 67% .  This means that the cumulative hours earned divided by the cumulative hours attempted must be a least 67%.  Students must maintain a 1.70 GPA for the first 30 hours of course work and 2.0 for hours attempted of 31 or more.  The SWOSU  Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Policy lists all requirements in more detail and is available at the SWOSU website in the financial aid area.

Students who do not meet these cumulative requirements will receive a “warning” notice for the next term and maintain their financial aid eligibility in the “warning” term.  Students who do not meet the cumulative requirements at the end of the warning term will be suspended from financial aid but may appeal their eligibility if it is possible to meet the cumulative requirements in one more term.  If the appeal is approved,  students would be on “probation” for one more term.  At the end of the probation term, students would not be eligible for aid unless they are meeting the cumulative requirements.

The new regulations also give the appeal committee the option to develop an academic plan for students who would not be able to meet cumulative requirements in one semester.  Students who are given an academic plan are required to meet SAP cumulative requirements by a certain point in time.  The plan will be set up so that students will meet graduation requirements within certain time frames.   When the student is on the academic plan,  he/she must meet the requirements of the plan each term to maintain aid eligibility.

The fall of 2011 will be a transition period from the old SAP policy to the new.  Students who would be on probation with the old policy will be on warning for the fall.  If they are still not making progress at the end of the fall term, they would need to appeal to maintain eligibility.  The new Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Appeal Request is available on the financial aid web page and the Dean of Students web page.  If the appeal is approved, students will remain eligible for aid in the spring of 2012.  Students who have appealed for the fall due to not making progress will be on probation and will need to be meeting the minimum cumulative requirements at the end of the fall term to remain eligible for aid.

If you have questions please stop by our office or call us at 580-774-3786.

Office of Student Financial Services

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