SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY
Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are measured based on the student’s qualitative and quantitative performance at Georgia State University and accepted transfer courses. These measures include:
- Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): A student must maintain a certain Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) based on degree/certificate type, and the total hours attempted at Georgia State University and accepted transfer hours. CGPA calculation includes all hours attempted at Georgia State University.
- Transfer articulation performed prior to Fall 2016 will not be re-evaluated; this includes both attempted hours and transfer GPA.
- Georgia State University uses a plus-minus grading system for the 4-year and higher programs; a 4.5 GPA scale. The 2-year programs do not use a plus-minus grading system; it is a 4.0 GPA scale.
- Pace: The pace at which a student must progress within his/her program of study is 66.66 percent of the total hours attempted must be earned.
- Maximum timeframe: The maximum number of hours a student may receive financial aid is 150 percent of the total hours published in his/her program of study.
Students must meet each of the measures to continue receiving financial aid at Georgia State University. These standards apply to part-time students as well as full-time students. Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured at the end of each term of enrollment after grades have been officially published. Students are notified on his/her student account on PAWS at http://paws.gsu.edu and student Georgia State University email.
The Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are applied to all of Georgia State University’s student population. This population includes, but is not limited to:
- Students that receive or have received financial aid.
- Students that have not or do not receive financial aid.
- Students that are or were in ineligible student statuses; dual/joint enrollment, transient, some international, or undeclared major.
Federal regulations require that students maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their program of study to continue receiving Federal Title IV aid (federal student financial aid). Failure to maintain SAP results in the loss of federal student financial aid. Federal student financial aid includes Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), PLUS loans, Federal Work Study Program, TEACH Grant, and HOPE Program (HOPE is not federal aid, but is affected).
Students must meet each of the measures to continue receiving financial aid at Georgia State University. A student is provided a warning at the end of the first term that the SAP standards are not being met. This warning alerts the student of the potential loss of financial aid if, in the next consecutive term of enrollment, cumulatively all the SAP standards are not met. The second consecutive term where a student does not meet all the measures or has reached the program maximum timeframe loses financial aid eligibility.
A student must maintain a certain cumulative grade point average (GPA) at Georgia State University to continue to remain eligible for financial aid. Required CGPA for the degree type:
| Program | CGPA |
|
2.0 |
| Non-law graduates | 3.0 |
| Law graduates | 2.2 |
If the GPA is below the minimum in the table, the student is no longer meeting SAP standards and will become ineligible for financial aid.
| Total attempted hours range… | …then the CGPA should at least be: |
| 0 – 12 | 1.50 |
| 13 – 27 | 1.65 |
| 28 – 36 | 1.75 |
| 37 – 59 | 1.85 |
| 60 or more | 2.00 |
CGPA calculation includes all hours attempted at Georgia State University.
- Prior to Fall 2016: Prior to the consolidation of Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia State University, Perimeter College accepted transfer hours were not included in the actual CGPA calculation as transfer GPA was not a calculated component for the institution, but the attempted hours were included in the acceptable range as the hours may have been used toward earning a degree.
- Effective Fall 2016: The new consolidated Georgia State University transfer articulation for all coursework effective Fall 2016 will have a transfer GPA calculated. The combined transfer and institutional hours comprise the CGPA used in the SAP evaluation. All accepted transfer and institutional hours are used in the acceptable hours range when assessing the CGPA standard of SAP.
- All remedial, Intensive English Program (IEP), and English as a Second Language (ENSL) coursework attempted are excluded when determining total attempted hours and the CGPA. These hours are excluded as the hours are not used toward earning a degree.
- There are courses that may appear in the Academic Cumulative GPA, but are not included in the SAP GPA calculation as the hours cannot be used toward earning an:
- Associate Degree:
- Transfer hours that have been identified as not having an equivalent course at Georgia State University are considered non-transferable.
- Transfer and institutional courses that are considered Junior level or higher are not included in the SAP GPA calculation.
- Bachelor's Degree
- Transfer hours that have been identified as not having an equivalent course at Georgia State University are considered non-transferable.
- Graduate students
- Only graduate level course work is included in the calculation for CGPA.
- Associate Degree:
Grade Forgiveness: Federal regulations require that grades that are forgiven by the institution remain in the total attempted hours and the GPA calculation for financial aid academic progress; this includes repeat to replace courses as well.
The maximum number of hours a student may receive financial aid is 150 percent of the total hours published in his/her program of study. In general, the following timeframe applies per degree type:
- Certificate: 150 percent of published length of the program of study
- CTP Program: 150 percent of 30 collegiate credit hours = 45 maximum attempted hours
- Associate Degree: 150 percent of 60 collegiate credit hours = 90 maximum attempted hours
- Bachelor’s Degree: 150 percent of 120 collegiate credit hours = 180 maximum attempted hours
- Graduate Program: 150 percent of published length of the program of study
- Law Graduate Program: 150 percent of 90 law level credit hours = 135 maximum attempted hours
DegreeWorks: The actual program of study hours and course attempted hours for each student is obtained from DegreeWorks. 150 percent is applied to the program of study hours and compared to the total attempted hours. DegreeWorks is also used to obtain the total hours remaining to complete the degree requirements. If the total attempted hours and remaining hours exceed 150 percent of the program of study, then the student has exceeded maximum timeframe. If the student has not reached the 150 percent of the program of study, but has completed the degree requirements, then the student is considered as reaching maximum timeframe and is no longer eligible for aid.
Collegiate level courses: The maximum attempted hours are the number of hours that a student may receive financial aid on collegiate level courses. All remedial, IEP, ENSL, and non-transferrable hours are excluded from the maximum attempted hours as these hours are not used toward earning a degree.
Remedial Courses: The maximum attempted hours that financial aid will pay for remedial coursework is up to 30 hours. Remedial coursework includes Learning Support (LS), College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC), and Regent’s courses that have been attempted at Georgia State and accepted transfer hours. Financial aid will not pay for remedial course attempted hours above 30 hours. If the current term of enrollment hours causes the maximum allowed amount to be exceeded, the hours that exceed the maximum 30 hours will result in an adjustment to the student’s financial aid eligible hours and possibly the financial aid award. All attempted hours of remedial courses are excluded from the maximum attempted hours.
English as a Second Language (ENSL): Georgia State University no longer offers ESL courses and maximum timeframe is no longer measured.
Non-Law Graduate Research/Thesis hours: Research and thesis attempted hours are reported as S and IP grades. Both are satisfactory grades, but results in a student reaching and/or exceeding maximum timeframe due to the variable hours. As these hours are variable, they cannot be captured accurately in the Program of Study hours in DegreeWorks. All non-law graduate research and thesis hours are excluded from attempted hours when calculating maximum timeframe.
Additional Hours:
- Students that have changed majors or have transfer hours that do not apply to the current program of study and are causing maximum timeframe to be exceeded may petition for additional hours.
- Students that have earned a prior degree at Georgia State University or another university, maximum timeframe will be determined based on prior degree type(s), and DegreeWorks information. In general, the attempted hours maximum is increased to allow for attempts beyond Areas A – E of the program of study. Students that exceed this calculation will be assigned a maximum timeframe status but have the option to petition for additional hours. The chart below provides examples of the calculation.
| 1st Degree (hours) | 2nd Degree (hours) | Maximum Hours |
| Associate (60) | Associate (18) | 78 X 150% = 117 |
| Associate (60) | Bachelor’s (78) | 138 X 150% = 207 |
| Bachelor’s (120) | Bachelor’s (48) | 168 X 150% = 252 |
| Bachelor’s (120) | Associate (18) | 138 X 150% = 207 |
Students must earn/pass 66.66 percent of the total hours attempted. A 66.66 percent pace of completion is required separately within collegiate level and remedial courses.
- Courses earned/passed include grades of: A, B, C, or D. Depending on the program of study, a grade of “D” may not be considered as earned. Graduate level courses assigned IP grades will be considered as passed for the pace calculation.
- Courses attempted include any course with grades of: A, B, C, D, F, W, WF, I, S, U or IP%.
Students that participate in the CTP program are determined to be progressing by the CTP Program Coordinator as the courses are audit and not assigned grades.
Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College consolidated into one new institution effective the 2016-2017 academic year. The impact of the consolidation to the student’s academic record will result in a previously admitted Georgia Perimeter College student's academic record being merged to Georgia State University as a single record, like a transfer student record history. A student’s most current Satisfactory Academic Progress status at Georgia Perimeter College, through the 2015-2016 academic year, will be assigned to the new consolidated Georgia State University academic record for 2016-2017.
Students that have attended both Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College will have intersecting academic history. However, at the time of the consolidation, the institution that the student is currently actively admitted/enrolled will be the presiding academic record. The presiding academic record will dictate the most current Satisfactory Academic Progress status record for this type of student.
Students that are permitted to transition to another program of study are subject to the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for that program of study. It is the student’s responsibility to review the Standards of Satisfactory Academic progress for that program of study. Students are advised to be counseled by the Financial Aid Office and Advisement on the impact of a transition.
A student enrolled in the bachelor’s degree or higher program of study that is not meeting the SAP standards for that program of study may transition to the Certificate/Associate Degree program of study. This transition will not require the student to apply for admissions to the Certificate/Associate Degree program; it will require a change of major request to be submitted and processed.
Students that have been academically impacted by COVID-19 related circumstance must submit a financial aid SAP appeal for evaluation. If a student demonstrates that she/he has an allowable COVID-19 circumstance with supporting documentation, then financial aid will be reinstated.
As part of the evaluation and in conjunction with the regulation, the SAP quantitative measure is re-evaluated to exclude failures and withdrawals from the attempted hours. This exclusion from the attempted hours directly impacts the pace of completion and maximum timeframe calculation.
This exception will be applied through the last date that the national emergency is in effect. Any exceptions that were approved prior to the end of the national emergency will continue to be considered in the quantitative measure by way of SAP appeal review.
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