Federal regulations mandate institutions of higher education to establish policies to monitor the academic progress of all students who apply for and/or receive federal financial aid. Midwestern State University (MSU) makes its minimum standards applicable to all federal, state and institutional financial aid programs for the purpose of maintaining a consistent policy for all financial aid applicants.

The MSU Financial Aid Office monitors Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each semester after grades are posted of every enrolled student, regardless of whether they receive financial aid. Summer grades are reviewed after the Summer combined period which is at the end of Summer Two.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Components

There are three components to SAP. Failure to comply with any component may result in a loss of aid eligibility. The three components are as follows:

1. Cumulative grade point average (GPA)
  • Undergraduate Students: 2.00 GPA
  • Graduate / Doctoral Students: 3.00 GPA
2. Completion Rate (SCH)

Students are required to complete a percentage of all credits hours attempted for all periods or enrollment, including transfer credit hours, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received. To determine if you are meeting this requirement, total cumulative earned hours are compared to total cumulative attempted hours. Courses that are dropped or withdrawn from are considered as attempted hours regardless of the time of drop/withdrawal or the grade received. Grades of F, NC, W, WF, and I are considered credit hours attempted, but no successfully completed and/or earned

  • Undergraduate Students: 67%
  • Graduate Students: 67%
3. Maximum Hours (MAX)

Students are expected to complete their degree program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the published length of the program of study. This also includes transfer hours earned as well as institutional attempted hours. Credit hours are cumulative; thus, students working towards obtaining more than one degree in the same category (e.g., double major) may reach this maximum time frame before completing their course of study and may need to appeal eligibility.

  • Undergraduate Program of Study: 180 hours
  • Graduate Program of Study:
    • All Other Graduate Programs: 54 hours

Failure to Meet a SAP Condition

Students who fail to meet one or more of the SAP components at the end of the semester will first be place on Financial Aid Warning but they remain eligible for financial aid.  At the end of the next semester SAP evaluation, if the student is still failing one or more of the SAP components, the student will be place on Financial Aid Suspension and will lose their federal, state and institutional aid eligibility immediately. 

  • Financial Aid Suspension: will occur if a student fails to meet any of the SAP requirements during two consecutive semesters. Suspension also occurs if a student fails to meet the terms of his or her Financial Aid Probation and/or academic plan. Students cannot receive financial aid while suspended.
  • Financial Aid Probation: Any student that is approved through the SAP appeal process shall be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible to receive financial aid during this semester.  While on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet the institution’s SAP standards during the current semester.

SAP Notifications and Student Responsibilities

Students failing to meet minimum requirements will be notified through their MSU email address. Students may also view their current SAP status in WebWorld.  Students are responsible for reading and understanding the Satisfactory Academic Progress eligibility requirements and knowing their status at the end of each semester.

Students are responsible for submitting documentation and accurate information requested by the MSU Financial Aid Office a timely manner and keeping copies for their own records. Students are responsible for checking their WebWorld account regularly.

If questions arise, contact the Financial Aid Office 940-397-4214 or financial-aid@msutexas.edu.

Financial Aid SAP Appeal Policy

If you feel that you had an extenuating circumstance that prevented you from making SAP, you can file an appeal. Some examples of extenuating circumstances include:

  • The death of an immediate family member
  • Hospitalization or serious illness
  • Legal issues or other events of that magnitude over which you had no control.

You will also need to provide backup documentation (e.g., obituaries, hospital bills, court orders) to substantiate your circumstance.

Helpful Information to consider when you are notified that you are not making SAP:
  • Before submitting an extenuating circumstance appeal, review the entire SAP policy to ensure you have met the necessary requirements to file an appeal.
  • Lack of knowledge of the SAP standards will not be grounds for the approval of an appeal.
  • Be specific when explaining your circumstances. Lack of information will result in a delay of an appeal review, or may result in a denial of your appeal. If there were problems with your physical or mental health that played a role in your circumstances, please attach supporting documentation from a doctor, counselor or hospital (if no documentation is available, be sure to explain in the appeal).
  • Do not discuss your need for financial aid in your appeal. Needing financial aid is not a valid reason for approval of an appeal.
  • Complete all items on the appeal form. Incomplete appeals will delay decisions.

 

Financial Aid for Repeated Coursework

Recent federal regulations change the way enrollment status is determined for students who are repeating coursework in which they previously received a letter grade of D- or higher. An institution may pay a student one time for retaking previously-passed coursework. To determine a student’s enrollment status (full time vs. part time), the school may not include more than one retake of a previously passed course.