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Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid Warning

All students will be reviewed at the end of each academic term of enrollment to ensure they are meeting the SAP standards. If a student does not meet all of the SAP criteria, the student will be placed on “Warning” status for the next term of enrollment. The student will be notified in writing of the financial aid warning status. While on Financial Aid Warning, the student will continue to receive financial aid for one additional term.

The criteria for Financial Aid Warning are:

  • The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) falls below 2.0 CGPA undergraduate/3.0 CGPA graduate

and/or

  • The student’s overall Pace (completion ratio) falls below 67%

Financial Aid Suspension

If, after the term of Financial Aid Warning, a student fails to achieve a 2.0 CGPA undergraduate/3.0 CGPA graduate and/or the student’s overall completion ratio is below 67%, the student will be placed on “Suspension” status. The student will no longer qualify for financial aid and will be notified in writing.

Student Appeal and Academic Plan

If a student is placed on financial aid suspension she or he has the right to appeal. Students may be considered for an appeal based on mitigating circumstances that seriously impaired academic performance. Examples of possible extenuating circumstances include an injury or illness of the student or the death of a student's relative. The appeal letter must include an explanation of why the student failed to meet SAP standards and what has changed that will now enable the student to successfully meet SAP standards. The appeal letter, along with the supporting documentation, should be sent to the student’s Success Coach or Academic Advisor and will be submitted to the National Louis University SAP committee for review. The student will be notified in writing as to whether the appeal was approved. Only one appeal is allowed during the student’s entire time at NLU (including program changes and degree completions). 

If the appeal is approved the student must agree to an academic plan that ensures he or she will be able to meet the SAP standards in a defined period of time. If the student agrees, he or she will be on Financial Aid “Probation” status. While on Financial Aid Probation, the student will continue to receive financial aid as long as she or he is meeting the conditions of the academic plan. Any changes to the academic plan need to be approved before the corresponding term begins, and it is the responsibility of the student to monitor their schedule and work with their Coach/Academic Advisor in the event the SAP academic plan needs to be updated accordingly.

Good Standing

A student on Financial Aid Warning, Suspension or Probation will return to Good Standing by fulfilling the following conditions:

  • The student must have a CGPA of at least 2.0 undergraduate/3.0 graduate

and

  • The student must have a 67% overall pace

The student may be paid Pell and campus-based funds for the term during which he or she regains satisfactory progress, but cannot be paid for any term during which the standards were not met. For Stafford Loans, a student who regains eligibility during a loan period is eligible for the entire loan period (usually an academic year) in which she or he met the satisfactory academic progress standards.

The U.S. Department of Education houses a Federal Student Aid Ombudsman group as a last resource when other approaches have failed.