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Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

To remain eligible for federal and state financial aid, all ECU students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward a degree, as required by federal regulations. This policy applies to all students—whether they receive financial aid or not—and affects eligibility for the following programs:

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal SEOG Grant
  • Federal Work Study
  • Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)
  • Oklahoma’s Promise (OHLAP)
  • Direct Subsidized & Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
  • Direct Parent PLUS Loan

SAP Requirements

Students must meet three standards to maintain financial aid eligibility:
1. Minimum Cumulative GPA

  • 1–30 credit hours attempted: Minimum GPA of 1.70
  • 31 or more credit hours attempted: Minimum GPA of 2.00

2. Course Completion Rate

  • Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all courses attempted across all institutions.
  • All grades—including withdrawals (W)—count as attempted hours.
  • Only grades of A, B, C, D, S, and P count as successfully completed.
  • Audit courses are not eligible for financial aid and do not count toward attempted hours.

3. Maximum Timeframe
Students must complete their degree within 150% of the published program length, including hours from all institutions attended.

  • Bachelor’s Degree: 186 attempted hours
  • Second Bachelor’s Degree: 240 total hours (includes first degree)
  • Master’s Degrees:
  • Most programs: 48 hours
  • Human Resources: 54 hours
  • HR Counseling, Rehab Counseling, Psych Services: 90 hours
  • Criminal Justice: 54 hours
  • Second Master’s Degree: 80 hours (includes first degree)

Additional SAP Policies

Repeated Coursework

  • Title IV funds will cover one repeat of a previously passed course.
  • Additional repeats will not be included in enrollment status for aid eligibility.

SAP Review Timeline

  • SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester.
  • Students are responsible for knowing their own SAP standing.

SAP Status Catagories

1. Warning

  • Assigned after first failure to meet GPA or completion standards.
  • Students may receive aid during the warning semester without an appeal.
  • Failure to meet SAP again during the warning term results in suspension.

2. Suspension

  • Assigned after failing SAP during a warning period or exceeding maximum hours.
  • Student is no longer eligible for financial aid unless an appeal is approved.
  • Students may:
  • Appeal for reinstatement, or
  • Continue coursework without aid to reestablish eligibility.

3. Probation

  • Students with an approved appeal are placed on probation with an academic plan.
  • Aid eligibility continues as long as academic plan requirements are met.
  • Failure to meet the plan results in return to suspension status