Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a federal requirement that states you must meet and maintain good academic standards in order to be eligible for Federal and State aid.
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Criteria
There are three components of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):
Grade Point Average (GPA) - Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
Completion Rate - 66.66% cumulative completion rate between hours attempted and hours completed
Maximum Hours - No more than 99 attempted hours of college-level coursework for an Associate Degree (excluding 30 hours of remedial courses)
- No more than 180 attempted hours of college-level coursework for Bachelor Degrees (BSN) - (excluding 30 hours of remedial courses)
To view Alamo Colleges District detailed SAP Policy, click HERE. To view your own Satisfactory Academic Progress, log in to your ACES portal below.
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Determining SAP Status
The Alamo Colleges District will run a review of SAP status once a year after spring grades are posted, typically the last week of May.
Once the process is run, students not meeting SAP will be placed on "financial aid suspension" and will no longer qualify for financial aid. Any offers of future semester awards will be removed from your account. If you are placed on financial aid suspension, you have the option to submit an appeal to regain eligibility.
Awards
All summer and future fall and spring awards are tentative based upon final evaluation of SAP. Additionally, summer awards will not disburse until SAP has been reviewed.
Financial Aid Appeals
Federal regulations provide the opportunity to appeal the loss of your financial aid eligibility once you are placed on "financial aid suspension", recognizing that there may be circumstances that prevented you from meeting the minimum SAP standards.
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Appeal
Financial Aid Appeals are submitted via your ACES portal after you have met with your Certified Academic Advisor.
Appeal Process - ACES Tutorial
Supporting Documents
After submitting your appeal via ACES, it is highly recommended that you submit any documentation that will support and prove the cirmcumstances that occured which caused you to not maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
You will have 7 days to submit any documentation to the financial aid office through ACES or in person at your Financial Aid office.
Submit Documents - ACES Tutorial
Financial Aid Appeal Submission Dates Summer 2024: No Appeal Process
Fall 2024: May 1 – Jun 27, 2024*
Spring 2025: Sep 9 - Nov 4, 2024
Summer 2025: No Appeal Process
*Submissions will remain open until Jun 28th, however that last day to meet with an academic advisor will be the 27th.
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Processing
The review time of a SAP appeal can take up to 7 weeks during peak processing periods. Appeals are reviewed according to the date they are received and cannot be expedited.
Decisions
There is no guarantee your appeal will be approved and all decisions made are final. A message will be sent to your ACES financial aid portal once an approval or denial has been made.
If approved, SAP appeals allow financial aid eligibility to be renewed. Please be aware it is still possible to be returned to "suspension" status under a few of the following circumstances:
- If you do not attend the Alamo Colleges District during the term for which the appeal was submitted and approved, the approval will be voided and your SAP status will be returned to suspension.
- If you do complete attendance at the Alamo Colleges District during the term for which the appeal was submitted and approved, your renewed financial aid eligibility may only be extended for up to one (1) academic year of non-enrollment. At the end of this non-enrollment period, your financial aid eligibility will be returned to suspension.
- If you do not meet SAP at the end of the term for which the appeal was submitted and approved, your financial aid eligibility will be returned to suspension.
Students who are resuspended, or who's appeal is denied, may submit a new appeal during the next scheduled appeal period.
FAQs
Avoid dropping classes or earning grades not considered to be passing according to the SAP policy, and follow your degree plan and meet with an advisor regularly.
Due to prior college credit hours earned before attending the Alamo Colleges District, new incoming dual credit students entering fall or spring will be placed on SAP probation until the regular SAP process runs at the end of spring.
Please make sure you have
1) completed the ApplyTexas application for admission,
2) completed your FAFSA and
3) that the Alamo Colleges District has successfully received your FAFSA.
Your academic history, including hours transferred into the Alamo Colleges District, is cumulative and never resets itself. Once you are in violation of SAP requirements, the suspension status remains until an appeal is approved or sufficient progress is made. Transferred hours count towards maximum attempted hours.
No. An approved petition or Academic Fresh Start does not impact your financial aid suspension. Only an appeal approved through the financial aid appeal committee can reinstate students.
No. Your suspension status impacts eligibility for all federal aid, including Direct Loans.
No. The Priority Processing Date does not apply to Financial Aid Appeals for Reinstatement.
