Satisfactory Academic Progress

We review every student’s academic performance during their enrollment or upon a student's re-enrollment at UMD.

This is done to determine if the student can receive financial aid by making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The review is based on qualitative (grade point average) and quantitative measures (credits completed vs. credits attempted). It is also cumulative for all academic work attempted at the University of Maryland and transferred credits.

Academic Progress Requirements

Qualitative - Review of Your Grade Point Average

Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above. Graduate students must maintain the minimum cumulative GPA required by their program. Visit the University of Maryland Catalog website, select Academic Policies and Procedures, then Academic Records and Regulations for more information about the policy and other details. 

Quantitative - Review of Your Pace to Complete Your Degree

Undergraduate students with more than 30 UMD and transfer credits must complete at least 75% of the total number of credits attempted (including credits attempted during summer sessions, winter sessions, non-degree semesters and transfer credits). Freshmen with less than 30 UMD and transfer credits must complete at least 50% of the total attempted credits.

Cumulative - Completing Your Degree Within the Maximum Time Frame Allowed

The maximum number of cumulative credits undergraduate students can attempt is 180, including transfer credits, even if they have never received financial aid. 

Our office reviews each student's academic progress. Students who have not met all three requirements (for all semesters enrolled, not just those semesters that the student received aid) will be notified in writing that they have lost eligibility for financial aid.

  • An attempted credit includes graded credits (A, B, C, D, F, S, or P), withdrawn credits (W), incomplete credits (I) and failure (XF).

    • Any repeated course will be counted as credits attempted but not as credits earned for SAP calculations to determine the rate of completion and maximum time frame calculations.
  • Completed credits are credits with passing grades (A, B, C, D, S or P). To calculate the completion percentage, total all completed credits (including your transfer credits) and then divide the number by the total number of attempted credits (including your transfer credits).
  • A student may receive financial assistance for a repeated course in which the student received a non-passing grade. A student may not receive financial aid to repeat a class for which a grade of "I" was received that was not completed within the maximum time frame stipulated by the course instructor.
     

Students who fail to meet the minimum quantitative standards for the first time will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students will continue to receive financial aid during the warning period. Students who fail to meet the minimum quantitative standards after the warning period will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not qualify for financial aid. Students on SAP suspension may re-establish eligibility by submitting an SAP appeal form for reconsideration.
 

Our office will review your academic progress and grades. If you have not met the SAP requirements, we will send you a letter informing you of your lost eligibility for financial aid. This letter will include instructions on how to submit a SAP appeal. We encourage you to appeal so we can understand what happened and if possible, reconsider your financial aid. 

The SAP appeal should describe the unusual circumstances that caused you not to meet the SAP requirements and must detail what has changed that will allow you to meet these requirements in the future. The appeal should also include third-party documentation verifying the situation described in your letter and the SAP Degree Plan. The SAP degree plan outlines your academic plan for graduation and should be signed by your academic advisor. Please review the SAP Appeal Form for details. 

If you believe you should have received the SAP appeal letter from our office but did not, please review the SAP Appeal Form, which must be submitted along with the SAP Academic Plan and a letter from a third party. Once completed, you can submit these documents via email (umdfinaid@umd.edu), in-person, or by mail:

0115 Mitchell Building
Attn: Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee
7999 Regents Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

SAP Appeals may be approved, approved with conditions or denied. If your SAP Appeal is approved, you are placed on SAP probation status. If your appeal is denied, it may be based on insufficient detail, documentation, or evidence of academic or personal difficulties being addressed or resolved.

Students whose SAP Appeal was approved are placed on financial aid probation and their eligibility for financial aid is reinstated. Conditions may be established that the student must meet by the end of the probationary period. The probation period lasts one term, in which the student may continue receiving financial aid. Students will be re-evaluated for financial eligibility at the end of the term. Students who fail to meet SAP or the established conditions at the end of the probation period may lose their financial aid eligibility.  

The University of Maryland follows the following financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines for graduate students:

  • Graduate students must maintain minimum qualitative and quantitative requirements for academic progress. These are defined based on the program of study for which the student is enrolled.
  • Visit the Graduate School Catalog to view your complete graduate program policy.
  • If a graduate student has been notified that they are no longer eligible for financial aid, they may appeal this decision to the Financial Aid SAP Committee. A written letter of appeal and documents supporting their request must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid within thirty (30) days of the financial aid suspension letter. The Committee may waive these guidelines and consider cases of unusual hardship, personal injury, death of a relative, or other special circumstances.