Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

For Satisfactory Academic Progress as it relates to scholarship eligibility, please click here.

As required by the Higher Education Act of 1965, the University of Dallas has established minimum standards for eligibility for students who receive financial aid. The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is a set of standards that a student must achieve in order for them to receive federal financial aid. Evaluation of a student's academic standing and progress for financial aid eligibility will be made at the end of each semester.

To maintain eligibility for any financial aid administered by the University, including federal, state, and institutional funds, Satisfactory Academic Progress must be made. Financial Aid Probation is not the same as Academic Probation. 

1. Qualitative and Quantitative measurements (Cumulative GPA, pace and maximum credit hours earned) are reviewed at the end of each term (fall, spring, and summer).

2. A student must meet and be able to complete his/her degree within the Maximum Time-Frame or 150% of the minimum required credits to complete the student’s course of study. For example, if a student is enrolled in a program requiring 120 credits to earn the degree, the student may lose eligibility once more than 180 credits have been attempted.

3. With the exception of Summer enrollments, as a full-time student, 12 credits hours must be earned each semester (Fall and Spring only) and a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 GPA scale must be earned in order to maintain SAP. As a part-time student, 6 credits must be earned each semester with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher of a 4.00 GPA scale. A less than half time student must earn 3 credits per semester and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 GPA scale.  For those students enrolled in the Summer term, a student must satisfactorily complete, 2.00 or higher GPA on a 4.00 GPA scale, 50% of all credit hours attempted for the Summer term only while also maintaining a Quantitative (Pace or Completion rate) measurement of 67% of all credit hours attempted.

4. The University will also review a student's Quantitative pace towards graduation. Pace, or completion rate, is a measurement of the number of hours a student has earned divided by the number of hours attempted. This is a cumulative calculation that is completed at the end of each semester and includes both institutional and transfer hours. Undergraduate students must have a pace (completion rate) of at least 67% (.67).

5. Transfer credits count as earned credits but do not affect the GPA. However, transfer credits do count towards the limit of credits attempted (as described in #2) and the pace calculation. All transfer credit accepted by the University of Dallas will be calculated as both attempted and completed.

6. Withdrawal from a course can affect a student's financial aid since it is counted as an attempted course that is not earned. This will affect a student's pace calculation. An Incomplete or a Temporary grade does not count as earned credit and will affect eligibility until credit is earned. SAP cannot be assessed until all incomplete grades have been posted. If a student has a grade of incomplete, the student will not be reviewed for SAP and will not be eligible for financial aid until SAP can be reviewed. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid once a grade has been posted so that SAP can be reviewed. If a course is repeated and cancelled, eligibility may be affected if total credits earned fall below the minimum required. A previous Financial Aid Warning may not be removed by raising a prior semester's GPA through the Repeat and Cancel policy, but financial aid eligibility may be reinstated or continued upon raising the cumulative GPA to the minimum required under this policy.

7. If the student is not making SAP, the student will be notified of a Financial Aid Warning for one semester. During the warning semester, the student must earn 12 credits as a full-time student (6 credits as a half-time student; 1 credit as a less than half-time student), 67% pace, and complete the semester with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. If these requirements are not met at the end of the semester the student will lose their financial aid for the next semester (this is known as Financial Aid Suspension). A student can regain their Financial Aid eligibility if all SAP requirements are met at the end of a subsequent semester.

8. A student who does not meet SAP at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period and is thus notified of a Financial Aid Suspension may submit a formal appeal for the reinstatement of financial aid for one semester. An appeal can be made in the event of the death of a student's relative, injury or illness of the students, or other special circumstances. The deadlines for an appeal are as follows:

• Fall term: July 15, additionally those enrolled at UD in the Summer term may Appeal for the Fall term once grades have been posted and within the first week of school

• Spring term: January 10

• Summer term: June 15

If an appeal is granted a student will be put on Financial Aid Probation and will receive financial aid for one semester. A student on Financial Aid Probation must earn 12 credits, 67% pace, and a 2.00 cumulative GPA by the end of the probationary semester or meet other academic standards set by the Director of Financial Aid (called an Academic Plan) in order to have his or her financial aid reinstated. A Financial Aid Suspension can be lifted once a student is again meeting all SAP requirements.

If you have been awarded a  Texas Tuition Equalization Grant  (TEG), please note these requirements for a subsequent (renewal) award in the following academic year. A student must:

1. Submit a completed FAFSA with demonstrated need, AND

2. have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50, AND

3. have earned 24 hours (undergraduate) or 18 hours (graduate) between September and August of the previous academic year, AND
4. have completed 75% of the courses attempted in the academic year in which the funds have been disbursed.

Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Funds: Federal regulations require that any student who withdraws from the University must comply with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. Students who withdraw from UD must notify the Office of Financial Aid for completion of Title IV withdrawal. If a student receiving financial aid withdraws after the semester begins, an official withdrawal must be completed. Any student who plans to withdraw must contact the Financial Aid Office. Once a student has notified the Office of Financial Aid of an intent to withdraw, he or she has 48 hours to seek all required signatures to complete the withdrawal process. The date used for the withdrawal will be the date the student initiates (starts) the process. The official withdrawal must be completed in all offices. Federal, state and institutional Aid (including academic scholarships) may be returned and the student may owe a balance to the University. Prior to returning, the student must pay that balance in full.
Once a student attends beyond the 60% point of the term, he or she has earned 100% of all aid. The percentage is calculated by taking days attended versus total days in the student's enrollment. A complete withdrawal prior to this date, however, will result in aid that must be returned to its program(s). The percentage of aid that must be returned for federal funds will also be applied to state and institutional funding.

Updated January 15, 2022