Federal regulations require all schools participating in the Federal Student Aid program to have a written Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.  Cameron University's SAP policy, effective August 1, 2011, is comprised of three components:

1. Progress to degree completion within maximum time frame
2. Grade Point Average Requirement
3. Progress to degree completion - hours attempted versus hours earned

Students must meet all 3 requirements to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid.

1.  Students receiving federal financial aid must complete their degree or certificate program at Cameron University within a total number of attempted credit hours that is no longer than 150 percent of the published length of the program.  (This is the maximum provided by federal financial aid regulations.)  This total includes all attempted credit coursework at Cameron and all transfer work from other schools, regardless of any change in program, and whether or not the student received federal financial aid during part or all of his/her coursework.  For example, students enrolled in a 128 credit hour undergraduate degree program are granted financial aid consideration through 192 credit hours of attempted study.  Students enrolled in a 33 credit hour Masters Degree program are granted financial aid consideration through 50 credit hours of attempted study.  This time may be reduced for students working on their 2 ^nd Bachelors or 2 ^nd Masters Degree.  Students who reach these maximums without completing the degree program will have an excessive hours status and will be denied further financial aid consideration, until the degree requirements have been satisfied.  Students denied federal aid due to excessive hours may submit a Financial Assistance Appeal Form with the required documentation explaining the circumstances for the excessive hours.

2.  For undergraduate students, Financial Assistance requires a 1.7 cumulative grade point average for the first 30 credit hours and a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for all hours beyond 30.  For graduate students, Financial Assistance requires a 3.00 cumulative grade point average.  These are the minimum GPA requirements as set by federal financial aid regulations.  Any student falling below these required GPAs will be denied federal financial aid.  Students denied federal aid due to a low GPA may submit a Financial Assistance Appeal Form with the required documentation explaining the reasons for not meeting the minimum GPA requirement.  In addition, if a student is academically suspended and federal aid is suspended for falling below the minimum GPA, but is re-admitted through the Readmissions Appeals Committee, federal aid will be reinstated as long as all other components of the SAP policy are met.

3.  Federal aid recipients are considered to be making SAP if they have completed at least 67% of all hours attempted.  Transfer hours will also count in the percentage of courses completed.  Courses a student repeats or obtains forgiveness for must still be counted in the percentage of courses attempted versus completed even though not all grades will count towards the GPA.  (This is a federal regulation.)  Grades of A, B, C, D, S, and P will count as completed courses in the percentage and grades of F, AW, U, NP, NR, I, W, and X will count as uncompleted courses and will count against the percentage of completion.  Audit classes are not eligible for financial assistance and are not counted as hours attempted.  Students denied federal aid because their percentage of courses completed drops below 67% may submit a Financial Assistance Appeal Form with the required documentation explaining the circumstances for not meeting the minimum percentage of completed courses.

The Office of Financial Assistance will review a student’s progress after every spring semester.