Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
The Lakewood University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy applies to all students regardless of whether or not they are receiving Title IV funds. Students receiving Title IV financial aid must maintain SAP to remain eligible for financial aid funds as defined by the U.S Department of Education. The SAP policy is distinct from the institution’s Satisfactory Academic Standing policy which is published separately.
Minimum Standards:
Qualitative:
To remain eligible for federal financial aid you must meet the standards indicated below at the end of each semester or payment period. At the end of each semester, you must earn the minimum number of credits and the minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). If you do not meet the minimum standards, your financial aid eligibility may be in jeopardy.
- Vocational/Certificate program (Program that does not lead to a degree) – Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Undergraduate Degree program (Program that leads to an Associate or Bachelor Degree)- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Graduate Program (Master’s Degree) – Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Pace – The quantitative requirement has two parts, (a) Required Completion Rate and (b) Maximum Timeframe.
- Required Completion Rate – All students, regardless of degree, must earn 67% of all credits attempted. This is a cumulative calculation and includes credits attempted at all schools and programs before and while Lakewood University. Students who do not earn 67% of all credit hours attempted will be placed on financial aid warning, probation, or suspension depending on your history.
- Maximum Timeframe (Credit Hour Programs)– Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum time frame for an undergraduate student cannot exceed 150% of the published required credit hours. The maximum length of study depends on the degree you are currently pursuing. For example, an Associate degree program that requires 60 credits to complete, the student may attempt a maximum of 90 credits. Once you reach the maximum time frame, you are no longer eligible for financial aid. Credits are counted starting with the semester you entered school, including transfer credits, even those semesters in which you did not receive financial aid.
- Maximum Timeframe (Clock Hour Programs)– For programs measured in clock hours, undergraduate student cannot exceed 150% of the published required clock hours. The maximum length of study depends on the clock hour program that you are currently pursuing. For example, a certificate program that requires 900 clock hours to complete, the student may attempt a maximum of 1350 clock hours. Once you reach the maximum time frame, you are no longer eligible for financial aid. Clock are counted starting with the date you entered school, including transfer hours, even those courses in which you did not receive financial aid.
- Students who have reached their maximum timeframe and have mitigating circumstances may appeal to the Financial Aid Office for a brief extension of their aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Statuses:
The school evaluates Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each semester / payment period.
Financial Aid Warning –You will be placed on “Financial Aid Warning” status for one term or payment period if you fail to meet the required GPA and/or overall credit/clock hour completion standards. You will be required to complete an academic plan with your advisor. Note: Students on ‘Financial Aid Warning ’ are eligible for financial aid.
Financial Aid Suspension – If the student is not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of the Financial Aid Warning Period, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension, with a loss of Title IV funding and will be required to meet specific criteria of an improvement plan to assist them in regaining SAP and Title IV eligibility. During this period the students will not be eligible to receive Title IV funds, but he/she may continue on a cash pay basis with an approved payment plan. Arrangements for payment must be approved within 10 school days of notification of Financial Aid Suspension status.
To be removed from ‘Financial Aid Warning’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of your ‘Financial Aid Warning” period.
Appeals –Students have the right to appeal their suspension status based on non‐academic, mitigating circumstances. The student must provide information as to why they did not make SAP and what has changed that will allow them to make SAP by the next evaluation point.
The student must describe any unusual circumstance(s) that the student believes deserve special consideration. The basis on which a student may file an appeal: death of a relative, an injury, hospitalization or illness of the student or other special circumstance. The student must provide supporting documents and describe in writing any unusual circumstance(s) that the student believes deserve special consideration.
The student has five (5) days to institution an appeal. The appeal must be given to Academic Appeals Committee to make a decision on the appeal.
Once the Academic Appeals Committee receives the appeal, they will evaluate the appeal and provide a decision within ten (10) business days. The Dean will notify the student in writing of the decision and that decision is final.
Students may appeal Financial Aid Suspension only once.
Suspension due to not meeting GPA, Maximum Timeframe, or Completion standards: To appeal a financial aid suspension, students must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. The student will also be required to follow an approved Academic Plan that will be set up by your Advisor. The appeal form is available at this link: https://fs11.formsite.com/laborrelations/nn5ehjdbja/index
Financial Aid Probation – Students who are placed on “Financial Aid Probation” are those who have failed their ‘Financial Aid Warning’ period and had their appeal of Financial Aid Suspension approved. Note: Students on ‘Financial Aid Probation’ are eligible for financial aid.
If Financial Aid Probation Status is granted, the student will regain Title IV eligibility for the next eligible payment period only. The student must be making SAP at the end of the payment period to regain Title IV funding for the next payment period.
- To be removed from ‘Financial Aid Probation’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of the ‘Financial Aid Probation’ period.
Program Changes:
Change in Program: Students in compliance with Lakewood University Satisfactory Academic Progress policy may change their program of study and remain eligible for financial aid. The maximum timeframe for financial aid will include all credits the student has attempted including those not applicable to the new program.
Additional Program of Study: A student that has completed a degree or diploma program may be eligible for additional financial aid to complete another program of study. The maximum timeframe will still apply.
Credits Attempted:
Credits attempted include all credits enrolled in for a given semester.
Repeated courses count against your maximum timeframe (total attempted credits) and reduce your completion rate because they count as earned credits only once. The higher grade will only be counted in the GPA.
Transfer credits count toward your maximum timeframe and your completion rate.
Treatment of Grades
Attempted‐Not Earned Credits: I (incomplete) and W (withdrawn) are counted as credits attempted but not successfully completed.
Attempted‐Earned Credits: Letter grades of A, B, C, D, F count as completed credits.
Grade Point Average: Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using a grade point value for grades A, B, C, D, F. An Incomplete Grade is equal to zero quality points when calculating a student’s GPA.
Incomplete Grade: A grade of I (incomplete) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of I is a temporary grade and will automatically become an F grade after 30 days.
A grade of I (Incomplete) will not be considered when measuring qualitative or quantitative standards of satisfactory academic progress. Once the I (Incomplete) grade is replaced by a final grade, it will be used in calculating the student’s satisfactory academic progress.
Audited Courses: Audited credits are not financial aid eligible and are excluded from academic progress calculations.
Repeated Credits: Students may repeat a class once to review course material or improve a grade. Repeated credits are included in the completion rate and maximum timeframe calculations. All grades remain on the transcript. Only the highest grade recorded is included in the GPA calculation.
Transfer Credits: Transfer credits (earned at another University and accepted by Lakewood University) are excluded from the GPA calculation but included in the completion rate and maximum timeframe calculations.
Transfer Clock hours: All transfer clock hours will be counted as both clock hours attempted and clock hours completed. All transfer credits will be counted as both credits attempted and credits completed.
Withdrawals: A W is assigned when a student withdraws from a class after the drop period (five calendar days) for the semester has ended. W grades are considered attempted but not successfully completed credits. Grades of W do not impact the GPA calculation but do negatively impact the completion rate and the maximum timeframe calculations.
Academic Persistence Policy:
To maintain satisfactory Academic Persistence all students are required to:
- Regularly participate in their specified academic program by logging on to the student portal.
- Turn in assignments on a weekly basis.
If a student fails to meet the academic persistence requirements on a weekly basis, their academic status will change to Unsatisfactory academic persistence. Unsatisfactory academic persistence results in increased support from the student’s success coach via email and phone calls. The success coach will attempt to work with the student to determine the best method to return the student to satisfactory academic persistence.
If a student continues to make poor academic progress, that student may be placed on Unacceptable academic persistence. Unacceptable academic persistence is a severe level of academic standing and is the last level of academic persistence before disciplinary measures up to dismissal are implemented. Students on unacceptable academic persistence will receive regular support from their student success coach and the faculty at Lakewood University to bring them back to satisfactory persistence.
Expected Weekly Academic Persistence Policy
To ensure that students adequately progress academically through their program and complete it in a timely manner, all students are required to complete assignments as outlined below:
Students in 6-month vocational programs are required to complete 3 full lessons per month to remain in satisfactory academic persistence.
Students in 9-month vocational programs are required to complete 2 full lessons per month to remain in satisfactory academic persistence.
Students in 16-week courses (vocational) are required to complete 1 full lesson per week to remain in satisfactory academic persistence.
Students in a degree program course are required to complete 2 full lessons per week to remain in satisfactory academic persistence.
Number of Lessons Behind in Program | Academic Persistence |
0 Lessons | Satisfactory |
1-5 Lessons | Unsatisfactory |
6+ Lessons | Unacceptable |
Failure To Meet Academic Persistence Requirements
Academic Dismissal
Lakewood University reserves the right to dismiss students whose academic persistence is substandard. Factors considered will include, but are not limited to, the number of failing grades, past academic performance, the number of withdrawn courses, and the probability of achieving good persistence classification within a reasonable time frame. Students are subject to academic dismissal (without a review period) from the program for a full calendar year if their GPA falls below 1.0 or if they withdraw from the majority of courses (3) attempted in the last term.
Appeal or reinstatement from academic dismissal shall be made to the Academic Appeals Committee as directed by the Dean.
Student Dismissal
Students who: (1) fail to adhere to Lakewood University’s academic persistence policy; (2) fail to pay their tuition; (3) or fail to follow Lakewood University’s policies, procedures, or bylaws; or do not follow the required course persistence policy, will be dismissed from Lakewood University.
Any student who is inactive (has not logged in or submitted work for 21 days or more), and is one lesson behind or more, will be academically dismissed. The student may appeal the dismissal. The dismissed student has three days to submit the dismissal to the Academic Dean. During these three days, the student will also be given an opportunity to complete additional work.
Multiple Dismissal Policy
If a student is marked for dismissal more than two times within six months, the student will be dismissed immediately. There will be no opportunity for petition or appeal. If a student is dismissed because of violating this policy, the student may be eligible for re-enrollment, per the re-enrollment policy. Keep in mind that this re-enrollment does not reset or erase the previous dismissals. Therefore, if dismissal is begun again, it will be added to the previous count.
Referral/Assistance Policy
Student persistence is monitored weekly. Incases where a student falls behind, the success coach will suggest helpful resources or specific assistance. When a student displays repeated examples of deficient performance (failing test grades or assignments in multiple lessons), the student is expected to use the suggested resources and make improvements.
**Note to Veteran Students Receiving Veteran Education Benefits: Veteran students that receive educational veteran benefits are required to remain full-time through the duration of their program. If a student receiving VA benefits should fail to remain in full-time status, Lakewood University will submit VA Form 22-1999b to the VA notifying them of the reduction in hours/termination of their enrollment during and/or after the initial certification period. A veteran is considered full-time when completing at least 25 clock hours per week of academic activities for vocational programs or enrolled in at least 12 credit hours in the degree programs. Veterans must adhere to the above expected weekly persistence policy.
