Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that all recipients of federal student aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. The policy must be as stringent as our policy for non-recipients of federal student aid, therefore, this policy is applied to all students. ECU students who apply for assistance through the following programs are required to meet three separate requirements to maintain their financial aid eligibility:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal SEOG Grant
- Federal Work Study
- Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)
- Oklahoma's Promise (OHLAP)
- Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan
- Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
- Direct Parent PLUS Loan
First: students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average.
Second: students are required to complete (pass) at least 67% of all courses attempted, from all schools.
For financial aid purposes, all grades (including W’s) are counted as hours attempted. Only grades of A, B, C, D, S, and P are counted as hours successfully completed. All hours attempted at all institutions are used to calculate academic progress. Passing grades received in zero level remedial classes count as hours attempted for financial aid purposes. Audit classes are not eligible for financial aid and are not counted as hours attempted.
Third: students must complete their degree program within 150% of the required hours required for a degree. The maximum time frame at ECU this is 186 hours for a bachelor degree. Once a student has attempted the 186 hours, they are no longer eligible for federal student aid, except by appeal.
These three requirements are summarized in the following chart. Failure to meet both of these minimum academic standards will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.
Undergraduate Students
Total Hours Attempted from All Institutions
Minimum Cumulative G.P.A.
Percentage of Attempted Hours to be Completed Each Academic Year
1-30 credit hours
1.70
67%
31 or more credit hours
2.00
67%
Attempted Hours Allowed for Earning a Degree
Bachelor Degree: 186 hours
2nd Bachelor Degree: 240 hours (includes the 186 hours for 1st degree)
Graduate Students
Master's Degree: 48 hours
Education 48 hours
Human Resources 54 hours
HR Counselor 90 hours
Rehab Counselor 90 hours
Criminal Justice 54 hours
Psych Services 90 hours
2nd Master's Degree: 80 hours (includes 48 for the 1st Masters)
Repeated Coursework - Title IV funds will pay for one repeat of a course previously passed. Courses previously passed more than once will not be considered as part of enrollment status when packaging financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress is checked at the end of each semester. Students are responsible for knowing their status at the end of each semester.
Financial Aid Academic Progress Status
1. Warning Status:
The first time a student fails to meet the first (qualitative) or second (quantitative) requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, the student will be placed on financial aid warning. Students in a "warning" status may receive financial aid for one semester without requesting an appeal. Failing to meet any one of the SAP measurements during the warning period will place a student on suspension. The only exception is for exceeding the maximum hour limit, which results in immediate suspension
2. Suspension:
Students who fail to meet any of the SAP requirements during a warning period will be placed on financial aid suspension and will lose financial aid eligibility. A student is eligible to appeal a financial aid suspension with the Financial Aid Office. Students may choose not to appeal and attempt to meet SAP requirement and reestablish financial aid eligibility while paying out of pocket without the benefit of financial aid.
3. Probation:
Students who fail to make SAP and are granted an appeal due to mitigating circumstances (i.e., death in family, illness, accident) are placed on Probation status. Students on probation are eligible to receive financial aid as long as they meet the requirements of their Academic Plan. At this point, students will remain on probation status until satisfactory SAP measures have been met. Students who fail to meet the requirements of the Academic Plan will be placed on back on suspension status.