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