Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid

Undergraduate Requirements

GPA Requirement – The GPA requirement sets a minimum USF cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for the degree level at which you are classified. Note: This is the CGPA used to determine your USF academic status, and does not include grades from courses taken at another school.

You must maintain academic standing consistent with graduation requirements until you have earned 60 credits (junior level), at which point you must maintain a minimum USF CGPA of 2.0 at all times.

Pace Requirement – The pace requirement sets an expected progression to earn your degree. All credits attempted and earned from all schools you have attended are included in determining pace.

• You must earn 67% of all attempted credit hours.
• Pace is determined by dividing the total number of credit hours you have earned by the total number of credit hours attempted. 

Maximum Time Requirement – The maximum time requirement sets a limit to the number of credit hours you may attempt before earning your degree. Your eligibility ends when you have attempted 180 credit hours, which includes credits attempted at any school prior to and while enrolled at USF regardless of whether you received financial aid at the time you attempted them. Dual high school credit and AP courses are included in the 180 credit hour limit.

• No longer eligible - Once you have attempted 180 credit hours, you are no longer eligible for financial aid (including federal student loans) as an undergraduate student.
  
  Most undergraduate degrees require 120 earned credits. Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum time frame for an undergraduate student cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the academic program. If your degree program has a published length of more than 120 credits, your undergraduate eligibility can be adjusted by petition.

• No extended eligibility for changes in major, multiple majors, or minors – No additional time is granted for a change in major, multiple majors, or minors.
• No extended eligibility for a 2nd bachelor's degree – Students classified 5B are restricted by the undergraduate limit of 180 attempted hours, and do not have additional undergraduate eligibility.

Academic circumstances that can negatively affect your eligibility

• Credits taken at another school with an outstanding transcript may cause you to be assigned an ineligible status until a transcript is received and processed into your academic history. This will happen each time you choose to take classes at another school while attending USF.
• Credits taken while enrolled in a study abroad program with an outstanding academic transcript may cause you to to be assigned an ineligible status until a transcript is received and processed into your academic history.
• Pursue degree at a lower level after earning a graduate degree – There is no additional eligibility if you earn a graduate degree and return to pursue another degree at the undergraduate level, or at a lower graduate level. If you change degree level from graduate to undergraduate, your SAP status must be reviewed to determine your eligibility.
• Incomplete grades, failing grades, course withdrawals – all lower your pace, because they are counted as attempted, but not earned credits. They also count against your maximum attempted hours.
• Missing grades – will result in a delay in determining your SAP status, which will make you ineligible for financial aid and deferments until the actual grade is posted to your academic record.
• Courses taken for pass/fail grades– count toward both your maximum attempted credits and your pace.
• Repeated courses – count as attempted credit hours each time you register for them, but reduce your pace because they count as earned credits only once.
• Academic renewal credits – count against your maximum attempted credits, and also lower your pace because the credits count as attempted but not earned. These credits can only be reviewed and adjusted by petition.
• Remedial courses – do not count as either attempted or earned credits.
• Late posted grades or grade changes – will not change your status. You may request that your SAP status be recalculated after you have confirmed with the Registrar that the grade change has been posted to your academic record.