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Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

University of Connecticut

Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

The University of Connecticut provides financial aid assistance to each of its professional level programs including School of Medicine (DM) and School of Dental Medicine (DMD).

General Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a standard used to measure a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a degree. All students receiving federal student financial aid must adhere to the academic policies approved by the University of Connecticut Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine in order to maintain SAP. The standards used to evaluate academic progress are cumulative and, therefore, include all periods of the student’s enrollment, including periods during which the student did not receive federal financial aid funds.

Federal regulations require schools to monitor the academic progress of financial aid recipients and certify the applicant is making satisfactory progress toward earning his/her degree. This determination must be made at least once per year. The Financial Aid SAP Policy is used for financial aid purposes only and may differ from a student’s academic standing. The financial aid SAP status will not be placed on a student’s academic transcript.

Financial aid subject to the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy includes:

  • Federal Direct Loans
  • Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
  • Health Education Assistance Loans (Additional Federal Direct Stafford Loans)
  • Health Career Opportunity Programs
  • Tuition Remission
  • University Loan
  • Alternative or Private Loans
    • Some alternative loan lenders may require students to meet SAP.
  • Primary Care Loan

Note: Private scholarships and departmental scholarship are not subject to SAP standards.

Qualitative Measure:

Professional students must pass all attempted coursework, including remedial coursework, to meet the qualitative measure for SAP. Passing grades include the following: FP, P, H, IP, S, CP, Y and *. Non-passing grades include the following: F, C, CF, NR, NI, I, U, W/C, W/F, W/P. Grades posted in PeopleSoft at the end of each term will be used to calculate whether students have successfully completed all attempted credits. Repeated courses will only have the most recent course counted in the qualitative measure.

Clinical rotation grades are not always posted at the end of each term because they are submitted from an external location. Evaluations contributing to the final grade for each practicum/rotation are required from medical facilities located at external locations.

Only grades posted at the time of evaluation will be used to determine whether a student is meeting the qualitative measure for SAP. Grades changed after the time of evaluation may be taken into consideration and students re-evaluated for adherence to the SAP policy.

Quantitative Measure (Pace):

Students must successfully complete 67% of attempted courses to meet the quantitative measure for SAP, for MD and DMD programs.

Successful completion is determined by receiving grades of: FP, S, P, H, CP, Y, * and IP. Credits attempted but not earned include grades of: F, C, CF, NR, NI, I, U, W/C, W/F, W/P. Other course grades (blank grades) that are not posted at the time of evaluation are considered attempted but not completed. Remedial coursework is not included in the quantitative measure for SAP. Completed hours in courses that are repeated are only counted once toward pace.

Maximum Timeframe:

The maximum time allowed by each program to earn a degree is 150% of the established timeframe to complete each program. The timeframe starts with the 1st term of enrollment after initial acceptance in an academic program, even if financial aid was not utilized during an enrolled term. Periods of Leave of Absence (LOA) will be included as part of the maximum timeframe in accordance with academic policies and procedures. Transfer credits accepted toward a student’s academic program will NOT be included in the qualitative measure for SAP, but will be included in maximum allowable timeframe.

Evaluation:

University of Connecticut Office of Student Financial Aid Services (OSFAS) will perform the annual evaluation at the end of the spring term for M1/D1 and M4/D4  and at the end of the summer term for M2/D2 and M3/D3. In addition to this evaluation, any student whose SAP status is reviewed during the mid-point of the academic year and who is not meeting the qualitative or quantitative standards for SAP, will be issued a financial aid warning notification for the subsequent term. Students are eligible for financial aid during this term. This issuance serves to inform students as to their respective shortcomings with regard to the published SAP parameters and encourages them to seek academic support and guidance.

Students failing to meet the SAP criteria at the annual evaluation will be designated as “Not Meets”. In general, students designated as “Not Meets” are not eligible to receive most forms of financial aid during the immediately following term(s). Students who are deemed ineligible upon an evaluation are designated with the status of “Not Meets” and are notified immediately via their UConn Health email.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who have been designated as “Not Meets” may become eligible to receive financial aid by achieving the required SAP standards over time.  Students may request an evaluation of their academic progress at the end of any subsequent payment period (i.e., term/semester).

A student may also appeal their “Not Meets” status no more than three times by submitting the following: a completed Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form and required documentation. Incomplete or late appeals will not be reviewed.

The financial aid office will review all first and second appeals for a decision. Appeals planned for denial will be presented before the SAP Appeals committee for review and finalization of denial. The SAP Appeals committee will consist of representatives from the Financial Aid Office, the Dean of the School of Medicine or their designee for medical students and the Dean of the School of Dental Medicine or their designee for dental students. Decisions will be based on a majority ruling.

If a student fails to meet the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress for a third time and appeals the status, the appeal will be presented to the SAP Appeals committee for review. Decisions will be based on a majority ruling.

A student whose appeal has been approved will be given the status of “Academic Plan” and will need to meet the requirements of the plan, as defined by the Academic Advancement Committee (AAC) for medical students or Academic Performance Committee (APC) for dental students. The “Academic Plan” status will allow students to be considered for financial aid eligibility for the payment period. The purpose of the “Academic Plan” is to ensure that a student is able to restore financial aid eligibility as defined by the SAP policy, prior to the student exceeding their maximum timeframe. Details regarding the “Academic Plan” status are as follows:

  • SAP evaluations for students assigned this status will occur upon the completion of each payment period (i.e., fall, spring, or summer semester) for which the student is enrolled and has applied for financial aid. In order to maintain eligibility for financial aid while on this status, students must meet the requirements detailed in the academic plan, as defined by the AAC or APC. An AAC or APC representative must certify the initial appeal form to indicate whether the student met the steps detailed in the Academic Plan for Success in subsequent payment periods. This is not considered a second or third appeal.
  • Students who meet the criteria set forth by this SAP status will remain in this status during subsequent payment periods until such time that they meet the parameters set forth by the SAP policy or they exceed the limits of the maximum timeframe for their respective educational program.
  • Students who fail to meet the criteria in the academic plan upon subsequent evaluations (and who also fail to meet the parameters set forth by the university SAP policy) will immediately be designated as ineligible to receive all forms of financial aid for which SAP compliance is required, and be assigned a “Not Meets”
  • Students are subject to disbursement of their financial aid being delayed in instances where information relative to their SAP status (i.e., official grades from a prior term) is not available for a full SAP evaluation.

Loss of Financial Aid

A student who is not maintaining the minimum requirements of SAP and does not appeal by the deadline, or whose appeal has been denied, will lose eligibility for financial aid in the immediate subsequent term following SAP evaluation and will be required to provide their own financial assistance to continue their education. A student cannot appeal a term that has already ended.

The School of Medicine Academic Advancement Committee (AAC) maintains limited forms of financial assistance, which are not subject to this SAP policy. School of Medicine students should inquire with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in the School of Medicine for additional information.

Dismissal

In the event a student is dismissed from their program due to academic reasons, the student is no longer eligible for financial aid.

 

 

 

Updated October 26, 2022