Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
The KU Academic Progress Policy conforms to federal regulations (Sections 668.16(e), 668.32(f) and 668.34) and state regulations that govern financial aid programs and require all financial aid recipients to (1) be in good academic standing and to (2) be making academic progression (pace) toward a degree in a reasonable amount of time before the Office of Financial Aid disburses any federal funds for the subsequent semester. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be monitored at the end of Spring semester. Students MUST meet both components of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as follows:
Good Academic Standing (Qualitative Component)
The student must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average that meets the requirements for continuing enrollment and graduation as defined by the college.
Undergraduate Students: 2.0 GPA
Graduate Students: 3.0 GPA
Academic Progression (Quantitative Component)
Pace of Completion
Students are evaluated on pace of completion, meaning students must complete 66.67% of the credit hours in which they are enrolled beyond the last day of add/drop. The formula used to determine the pace of completion consists of taking the credit hours completed and dividing that number by the credit hours attempted. This number must be equal to or exceed 66.67%. Advance standing hours (e.g., transfer and AP) that are accepted for credit are counted in both the hours attempted and hours completed. Incompletes and withdrawals are counted as attempted, but not completed, credit hours and will decrease a student’s pace of completion. Redemption and duplicate credits are counted as completed credit hours only once and will also decrease a student’s pace of completion.
Maximum Time Frame
Students must complete their degree in 150 percent of the time frame published in the University Catalog if it is an undergraduate program, or within the maximum time frame established by the university if it is a graduate program. The maximum time frame for an undergraduate degree is measured by the average number of credit hours required to complete a degree multiplied by 150 percent. This is the maximum number of credit hours a student can attempt and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Advance standing hours applied toward the student’s degree program (e.g., transfer and AP) count in the maximum time frame.
Example: credits needed to fulfill degree requirements = 120
120 x 150% = 180
Maximum credit hours attempted for satisfactory progress = 180
Students may continue to receive financial aid if their total attempted credit hours do not exceed 150 percent of the credits needed to complete their program of study. In the example provided above, the program of study requires 120 credits for completion; a student may attempt 180 credits.
Students who are aware of learning or other disabilities should immediately contact the Office of Accessibility Services so that appropriate accommodations can be made. Students with documented disabilities and functional limitations are still held to the same academic expectations as other students. If the student has self-identified with the Office of Accessibility Services and is receiving appropriate accommodations, the student should be able to maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes.
Treatment of Specific Courses
Developmental and supplemental university instruction courses are used to establish eligibility for financial aid based on full-time or part-time enrollment only. Credits are assigned to developmental and supplemental courses, but these credits do not count toward degree requirements or Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester hours of developmental and supplemental courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and SAP requirements continue to be met.
When counting developmental credits for SAP, if a student received a “U” (unsatisfactory) grade, the credits count as attempted, but not earned. However, in the Registrar’s system, the “U” grade is not counted as attempted or earned.
English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are not counted toward a student's qualitative (GPA) and pace progression standards for SAP. ESL credits are unlimited in number as long as they are taken as part of an eligible program and SAP requirements continue to be met.
Incomplete courses will count toward the calculation of credit hours attempted. Once incomplete courses are completed and a passing grade is received, the credits will then be applied to the student’s completion rate.
Pass/Fail courses will count toward the calculation of credit hours attempted. However, they are not counted toward a student's qualitative (GPA) calculation.
Repeated courses are taken to improve a student’s grade point average and the course counts only once toward degree requirements. Consequently, when a student repeats a course(s), this will count toward time enrolled without a corresponding incremental increase in credit accumulation. SAP counts initial and repeated credits as completed (passing grades only) and attempted, but the Registrar’s system does not count repeated grades as attempted or earned.
Transfer credits are counted as attempted credits and are used to determine credits earned in the program of study.
Withdrawal grades (W) are counted as attempted credit(s), but not earned, in determining SAP.
Procedures
Each aid recipient’s record will be evaluated annually at the end of the Spring semester to determine if the student is meeting the standards described above. If the student has reached the maximum number of credits without earning a degree, the student must be excluded from further participation in federal financial aid programs. In addition, if an undergraduate student has reached or exceeded 150 percent in total attempted credit hours for his or her degree program without earning a degree, the student must be excluded from further participation in federal financial aid programs. Graduate student calculations do not utilize 150%; rather, they are calculated by each individual academic program requirements.
Federal regulations require that these standards apply to all students, even to first-time aid applicants who have previously enrolled at Kean, or to those who have not been formally placed on academic probation.
Students deemed not to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress will be notified by Kean email and may file an appeal with the Office of Financial Aid. A standing University committee will review the appeal and make a decision. The decision is final. Students will be notified by Kean email as to the outcome of their SAP appeal. Students who have questions about Satisfactory Academic Progress may send an email to sapquest@kean.edu.
Appeal Process
Students have the right to appeal a decision of ineligibility to continue receiving financial assistance. Appeals must be based on an extenuating or unforeseen circumstance, e.g., illness, injury, or family emergency, that affected your academic performance in the most recently completed school year. The appeal may NOT be based upon need for the assistance or lack of knowledge that the assistance was in jeopardy.
To file the online SAP Appeal Application, go to https://kean.studentforms.com/school/dashboard. You must also upload all documents that are related to your appeal. Please note that incomplete appeals or those filed without sufficient documentation of extenuating circumstances will be denied.
The appeal process is now open for the 2025-2026 academic year. Important Update: The SAP appeal deadline date has been extended. Appeals must be filed prior to Thursday, July 24, 2025, in order to be considered for 2025-2026 financial aid eligibility.
Appeals for exceeding maximum program credits and/or the maximum time frame requirement must also include a statement explaining his or her program circumstances (i.e., program of studies he or she has pursued/completed, change in major, prerequisite courses, or pursuing second degree), as well as include the courses needed to complete the program via the degree audit/program evaluation. Undergraduate students can obtain a degree audit/program evaluation via KeanWise. Graduate students should contact their Dean's office for assistance in obtaining a degree audit/program evaluation.
The Financial Aid Office will notify students of appeal decisions. Students whose appeals are approved will remain eligible for financial aid; however, some restrictions may apply.
Status Definitions
Appeal Approved with Academic Plan Conditions
Appeals can be approved if the SAP Committee determines that the student can benefit from an academic plan that, if followed, will ensure the student can eventually meet the University’s Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.
If an appeal is approved with an academic plan, the student will receive aid on a conditional basis for the academic year. The student will be required to agree to the terms of the Academic Plan for the academic year enrolled until reaching a satisfactory status. Students who fail to meet the conditions outlined in their individual academic plan(s) during their conditional semester(s) will not be able to submit a subsequent appeal and will be ineligible for additional federal and state aid. Students are encouraged to utilize academic support services available on campus (Student Success & Retention Center information) as a valuable resource to assist in maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
Appeal Denied
The denied decision is rendered when the SAP Committee has deemed that it is mathematically impossible for the student to meet the quantitative/qualitative component(s) in a reasonable amount of time, the student failed to follow his or her academic plan, or the student's appeal is undocumented. The student is ineligible to receive federal and state funding in subsequent semesters and the student must seek alternative means to pay his or her bill.
Regaining Eligibility
A student who has lost eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs for reasons of academic progress can regain that eligibility by meeting the general guidelines of satisfactory academic progress through the completion of additional courses. The mere passage of time will not restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory academic progress.
Students who have been academically dismissed from the University, but who are subsequently given permission to re-enroll, are not automatically eligible to continue to participate in federal and state financial aid programs. Admissions/academic decisions are independent of funding decisions.