Academic Progress & Recovery
What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Understanding Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Your cumulative GPA must be at least 2.0 after 4 semesters of enrollment.
- You must earn at least 66.67% of the credits you attempt. Each semester, the total number of credits you have attempted will be compared to the total number of credits you have earned. Grades that will be considered attempted credits, but not successfully completed, include Incomplete (I), Failed (F), Withdrawn (W) and No Grade Received (X).
- You are eligible to receive financial aid for 150% of the published degree credits required to complete your program. For example, if your undergraduate degree program requires 120 degree credits, you are eligible to receive financial aid for up to 180 attempted credits.
- If a student is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress, they will be granted one financial aid warning semester. The student will be notified via email concerning this status and will have one semester during which they can continue to receive federal financial aid, to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Students found to be ineligible for financial aid, will be advised of their right to appeal and given clear instructions concerning the criteria and documentation for an appeal.
- If an appeal is approved, one semester of financial aid probation will be granted. Probationary Students are eligible to receive federal financial aid for one semester.
- Please contact the Student Financial Services Center at sfscenter@loyno.edu or 504-865-3333 if/when you receive a SAP notification.
Understanding the Completion Percentage Requirement of SAP
| Example | Cumulative Units Completed | Completion Percentage | Cumulative Units Attempted | Meets SAP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student A | 67 | 100 | 67% | Yes |
| Student B | 60 | 100 | 60% |
What are some strategies to improve my grades?
- Visit the Student Success Center for free individual tutoring and supplemental instruction sessions.
- Sign up for Academic Success, a 0-credit course designed to help students improve their GPA.
- Meet with a Success Coach to track goals, set action plans, and maintain motivation.
- Meet with a Career Coach to explore major or career options through personality or interest assessments, learn more about internships, and begin planning for life after graduation.
- Check our Student Success or Anxiety Management workshops.
- Make a realistic class schedule with your academic advisor; factor in outside of school demands. Meet with your advisor at least three times in the semester.
- Attend every class.
- Read all course syllabus for requirements, key dates, instructor’s office hours, grading scale, assignment deadlines, and attendance policy.
- Get to know your professors during office hours.
What about financial aid and scholarships?
Academic actions and federal financial aid eligibility follow similar but not precisely the same guidelines, especially when it comes to credits attempted and completed. Students may have over a 2.0 GPA but can be on financial aid warning or ineligible.
Students who have not maintained a 2.0 GPA, the required GPA for good academic standing, are not alone on their journey back to good academic standing and graduation. We partner with students to develop an individual plan for success, a plan that can be part of a financial aid or academic standing appeal. Visit here if you need to appeal for your financial aid.
We also support students who have over a 2.0 but want to improve their GPA.
What is academic probation?
Academic probation applies to students if their cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0.
Note that there is a separate evaluation process for financial aid:
Federal Guidelines for Financial Aid
What happens next?
Students on probation are sent a letter or email from their Dean's Office alerting them to their academic standing. In this letter, students are referred to our many resources designed to support a student to raise their GPA.
How do I get off probation?
Mathematically, you need to raise your cumulative GPA over a 2.0 to be off academic probation, or at least show improved progress in your GPA.
Guidelines for regaining
federal financial aid eligibility