Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

To receive financial aid, a student must be enrolled in an eligible program of study that leads to a degree/credential. Federal, state, and institutional regulations and policies require all financial aid recipients meet minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to remain eligible for financial aid.

For the purpose of the SAP policy, financial aid is defined as:

• CLU/PLTS Scholarships
• CLU/PLTS Grants/Match Programs
• Tuition Remission/Exchange Scholarships
• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Federal TEACH Grant
• Cal Grants/Golden State Teach Grant
• Federal Work-Study (FWS)
• Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loans
• Parent PLUS Loans
• Alternative Loans certified by CLU

Categories of students include full-time and part-time students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, professional, teacher certification and PLTS graduate programs.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated annually by the Office of Financial Aid following the conclusion of the spring term (SP, SPA, OM4, SMS) for all students in all categories (full-time or part-time) enrolled in any approved Title-IV eligible programs. Students are notified by Cal Lutheran student email if their eligibility for aid is suspended after the spring term (SP, SPA, OM4, SMS).

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA at the time of evaluation. If the student fails to meet the minimum GPA requirement eligibility will be suspended. For more information, see section entitled Financial Aid Suspension.

Programs	Minimum Cumulative GPA
Traditional Undergraduate	2.0
Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals	2.0
Graduate/Credential	3.0
PLTS *	3.0

*PLTS Academic policy also requires satisfactory completion (P) of Contextual Education and Formation Requirements.

Students must complete a minimum percentage of attempted units in order to maintain SAP. The measurement of Pace is calculated using the total number of units successfully completed (passed) divided by the total number of units attempted:

Total units successfully completed ÷ Total units attempted = Pace (%)

A student’s Pace must be at least 67% in order to remain eligible to receive financial aid. Students with a Pace below 67% at the time of evaluation will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. For more information, see section entitled Financial Aid Suspension.

Please see Attempted Units section below for more detailed definition of attempted units, completed vs not-completed units and how they are used in the quantitative measurement.

The Maximum Timeframe in which a student must complete their educational program is 150% of the published length of the program at CLU. For example, full-time undergraduate students are expected to complete their bachelor’s degree upon reaching 124 units (the minimum number of units required to earn a degree). The maximum timeframe for an undergraduate student to complete their degree and receive financial aid would be at total of 186 attempted units. Maximum timeframe varies by education program.

Program		Units required to complete degree	150% Maximum Attempted Units Allowed for Financial Aid
Traditional Undergraduate		124	186
Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals		124	186
Graduate/credential*		36	54
		48	72
PLTS*	CATS	24	36
	MASSC	39	58.5
	MDiv	79	119

*Units required to complete graduate degrees vary by program. The units reflected here are examples.

Please refer to your program catalog for degree requirements.

Students who reach the Maximum Timeframe at the time of evaluation or who are determined at the time of evaluation to not be able to complete their studies before reaching the Maximum Timeframe will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. For more information, see section entitled Financial Aid Suspension.

Students who fail to maintain any of the three SAP requirements (Qualitative, Quantitative, and/or Maximum Timeframe) at the time of evaluation, will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. A student on Financial Aid Suspension is not eligible for any federal, state, or institutional financial aid. Following the evaluation period, any student placed on Financial Aid Suspension will be notified (via MyCLU student email) of the Suspension status, the reason(s) for the suspension, and the appeal process. For more information, see the section entitled Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Process.

A student placed on Financial Aid Suspension may submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee if there were extenuating circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP requirements. For more information on extenuating circumstances and acceptable documentation, see the section entitled Extenuating Circumstances.

Students must submit the following to the Office of Financial Aid within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of the suspension notification.

• Financial Aid SAP Appeal Form (GPA/Pace or Maximum Timeframe)
  • Personal Statement: Student must provide a concise statement explaining why they were unable to maintain SAP, what has changed, and the action to be taken to ensure they will be successful going forward; and
  • Provide acceptable documentation of extenuating circumstance(s) that prohibited them from meeting SAP; and
• Maximum Timeframe Appeals must also include a Student Educational Plan or “Program Evaluation”, developed in consultation with a CLU Faculty Advisor or Student Success Counselor that outline courses required to complete degree.

Financial Aid SAP Appeals will be processed in the order received. Incomplete documentation or late appeal submission will delay the committees review and final determination. Students are responsible to pay any charges for the term out-of- pocket or enroll in the Monthly Payment Plan while waiting for a decision on an appeal in order to meet Student Account Financial Clearance requirements.

Submission of an appeal does NOT guarantee reinstatement of a student’s financial aid eligibility. Students are responsible for all charges pending final appeal decision.

The decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final and may not be appealed. The outcome of the appeal decision will be sent to the student via MyCLU student email from the Financial Aid Counselor.

Appeal Approved - Financial Aid Probation

If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and must meet minimum overall SAP requirements after one term or meet the conditions set by the Academic Plan. The terms of the probationary period will be outlined in the email sent by the Financial Aid Counselor. 

While on Financial Aid Probation, students remain eligible for financial aid. Progress will be monitored at the end of each term after grades are posted. If a student fails to meet any of the conditions of their Academic Plan, eligibility for future financial aid will be suspended. If eligibility for financial aid is suspended, the student has the right to appeal.

Academic Plan

A plan developed by the Financial Aid Office and the student to ensure the student is able to meet CLU’s minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements by a specific point in time. Students will be informed of the academic plan via MyCLU student email when notified of Financial Aid Probation. 

Appeal Denied – No Longer Eligible

If the appeal is denied by the committee, the student is no longer eligible for financial aid. If the students want to continue enrollment at Cal Lutheran, they must pay out of pocket and work with Student Accounts. 

Students whose SAP appeal has been denied can re-appeal after one term without federal aid. These students are monitored each term and are made eligible for federal aid if they are now meeting overall SAP requirements.

If a student has reached Maximum Timeframe or it has been determined that it is not mathematically possible to complete their program within the maximum timeframe, eligibility for financial aid at Cal Lutheran will be terminated.

Students will return to good financial aid standing and their eligibility for financial aid reinstated when:

• During or after the probationary period, the student has improved academically and meets the minimum SAP requirements or
• Enrolled students who are not meeting SAP GPA or Pace requirements are checked at the end of each term and are made eligible for federal aid in the subsequent if they are now meeting SAP requirements.

Academic Services monitors academic progress after each term of enrollment. To be in good academic standing a student must maintain a term and cumulative Cal Lutheran grade point average as outlined below. Students who fall below the required GPA requirements listed below are considered unsatisfactory and may be suspended or placed on academic probation. See Unsatisfactory Progress including Academic Probation, Suspension, and Disqualification sections of catalog for details.

Programs	Minimum GPA
Traditional Undergraduate/Credential	2.0
Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals	2.0
Graduate	3.0
PLTS	3.0

Important Note:

Academic Standing – Unsatisfactory Progress is separate from the financial aid SAP requirements. Students who are academically suspended and appeal for reinstatement may be required to submit a financial aid SAP appeal for consideration of continued financial aid eligibility.

For purposes of financial aid eligibility, a student’s enrollment status is based on credits enrolled by term:

Programs	Full-Time	¾-Time	Half-time	Less than Half-Time
Traditional Undergraduate/Credential	12+	9-11	6-8	<6
Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals	6+	5	3	<3
Graduate	6+	4-5	3	<3
PLTS	12+	9-11	6	<6

Minimum enrollment requirements to be eligible for certain types of aid:

• For CLU institutional aid, students must be enrolled full-time
• For most federal and state financial aid, students must be enrolled at least half-time and the amount received will be prorated

Attempted units are used to calculate the rate of completion (Pace). Attempted units include ALL of the following:

• Completed (passing) grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and P
• Not completed grades: IN, IP, PR, NC, NR and Non-passing grades: F, W, UW, WF, NC & AU

Pace evaluates a student’s entire academic history, including:

• Incomplete, Withdraw, and Failing grades
• Transfer credits (see below)
• Remedial classes (see below)
• Repeated classes (see below)
• Consortium agreement credits
• College classes taken while in high school

Although Incomplete (IN, IP, PR, NR) and Withdrawn (W, UW, WF) grades are excluded from grade point average calculation, they are included as attempted, not completed units when determining the pace.

An incomplete or withdrawn grade may negatively affect a student's pace and aid eligibility. Incomplete grades (IN) that are changed to a passing or failing grade will be included in the next evaluation cycle in qualitative, quantitative, and maximum timeframe evaluations. If a passing grade change occurs prior to the annual SAP evaluation, a student whose aid has been suspended, may submit an SAP appeal requesting a new evaluation and reinstatement of aid. 

All units transferred from another institution (including units earned from foreign institutions, consortium agreements and credits earned while in high school) and accepted toward the student’s educational program at CLU will be included:

• in the calculation of Pace as both attempted and completed units
• in the calculation of Maximum Timeframe

Repeated Courses

Students receiving an F in a course may repeat that course and receive financial aid for it until the course is passed. Students receiving a passing grade (D- or better) and retaking the course may only receive financial aid for that course one additional time.

Any courses that are repeated (along with the original attempt) will be included:

• in the calculation of Pace as attempted units

• in the calculation of Maximum Timeframe

Remedial Courses

• Cal Lutheran does not offer remedial courses.

Students who are working on a second degree are still held to pace, GPA and maximum timeframe SAP standards. The maximum timeframe for these students will continue to be the same as students working on their first degree. 

Students can change majors or degrees without any effect on SAP. A student’s duration limit will be automatically updated if their major or degree changes and will be reviewed under those SAP standards during the next review period.

Reason	Acceptable Documentation
Personal injury or illness	Detailed letter, on letterhead, from physician explaining dates and types of illness, recommended treatment, dates of non-attendance, prognosis, etc.
Death/illness or injury of a close family member	Death certificate, obituary notice; documentation of illness or injury of close family member.
Legal Issue	Divorce decree, separation agreement, police report detailing incident, date and those involved
Job Conflict	Letter from supervisor, on letterhead, stating scheduling problems, etc.
Disability	Letter from Disability Services Office addressing problems that arose during the term in question and the resolution for future terms or medical documentation from other outside sources, letter from a doctor, etc.
Military Service	Military documentation that reflects deployment/service period aligns with enrollment period.
Other	Any other documentation that will support the appeal (letter from faculty, or third-party source)