Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

• SAP is a set of academic standards required by the Department of Education for Financial Aid Eligibility
• It ensures students are making progress toward earning their degree
• All students receiving FAFSA funds (Loans and Pell Grants) must meet these requirements to continue to receive federal aid
• SAP is checked each semester after grades have posted

Important: Check your BYU-Idaho email and financial aid portal each semester for updates!

To keep receiving federal aid, you must meet ALL THREE of these requirements:

1. Completion Rate (Pace) 
   
   
   1. Maintain at least 67% cumulative completion rate
   2. Only Program Applicable (PA) credits count
   3. Calculation: PA credits earned ÷ PA credits attempted
   4. Includes PA transfer credits
   Note: Your transcript may not show an accurate pace as it includes non-PA credits.
   
   
2. Grade Point Average (GPA) 
   
   
   1. Maintain at least 2.0 cumulative GPA
   2. Only PA credits count
   3. Does NOT include non-PA credits or transfer GPAs
   Note: Your transcript GPA may differ as it includes non-PA credits
   
   
3. Maximum Time Frame (MTF) 
   
   
   1. Complete your program within 150% of required credits for your program
   2. Example: If your degree needs 120 credits, you have up to 180 credits to complete it
   3. Changing majors can significantly impact your MTF
   Remember: These requirements are cumulative and based on your entire academic history at BYU-Idaho.

Important Note: Academic Renewal and SAP



Be cautious about Academic Renewal! It may not help your SAP status and could hurt it.



Here's why:

• Academic Renewal removes completed classes from your academic record
• But for SAP, these classes still count as "attempted" credits
• This can lower your completion rate (Pace)

Remember:

• SAP looks at all attempted credits, even those removed by Academic Renewal
• A lower completion rate can negatively affect your SAP status

Always consult with the Financial Aid Office before pursuing Academic Renewal to understand how it might impact your financial aid eligibility.



Need help understanding your SAP status? Use the chat bubble on this page to speak with a financial aid specialist or email financialaid@byui.edu.

Your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status is checked at the end of every semester you attend at BYU-Idaho, starting with your first semester. You can see your current SAP status on the home screen of your financial aid portal.



Here's what each status means:

Detailed Explanations:

1. Satisfactory
   
   
   1. You're on track academically
   2. Keep up the good work!
2. Warning
   
   
   1. This is your chance to improve
   2. You are still eligible for federal aid
   3. You have one semester to improve your academic performance and reach the SAP requirements
   4. Use campus resources to get back on track
   5. If you don’t meet SAP requirements by next semester, you’ll be suspended
3. Suspended
   
   
   1. You're no longer eligible for federal aid
   2. To regain eligibility, you must either:
      
      
      1. Improve your academic performance to SAP requirements
      2. Successfully appeal (see SAP Appeal Process)
   If you do not appeal or your appeal is denied, you’ll need to find other funding.
   
   
4. Probation
   
   
   1. Your appeal was approved now or for past semesters
   2. You remain eligible for federal aid as long as you meet specific requirements set by the Financial Aid Office
      
      
      1. usually at least a 2.5 GPA and 100% completion each semester
   3. Your status is reviewed each semester to see if you met probation requirements
   4. You will not receive a notification if you meet your probation requirements

Remember: Your SAP status can change each semester based on your academic performance. Stay informed and act quickly if your status changes!



Need help understanding your SAP status? Contact the Financial Aid Office for guidance by using the chat bubble on this page or emailing financialaid@byui.edu.

I need help with my Academic Progress. What resources are available to help me?

1. Academic Advisor: Schedule a meeting immediately to create an improvement plan.
2. Tutoring Center: Get help with difficult classes to improve your grades.
3. Counseling Center: If you're dealing with mental health challenges, start getting support now.
4. Peer Mentors: Connect with a mentor for help with time management and study skills.
5. Student Success: Take advantage of workshops on academic skills.
6. Accessibility Services: If you have a disability that affects your studies, Accessibility Services can help you get accommodations for your classes.
7. The Dean of Students Office can help if you are experiencing unusual hardships like the loss of a loved one, physical assault, mental illness, or anything that affects you negatively.

When you are on SAP WARNING, you can still receive federal financial aid for ONE MORE semester, but you need to improve your academic performance to continue receiving federal financial aid after that.



What Happens Next?



You have two options:



Option 1: Improve Your Academic Performance



During your next enrolled semester, work to:

• Raise your cumulative GPA in Program Applicable courses to at least 2.0
• Don’t drop any courses during the semester!
• Complete enough courses to reach 67% cumulative completion rate

Option 2: If you don’t reach the SAP standards in your next enrolled semester:

• Your financial aid will be SUSPENDED
• You will become INELIGIBLE for federal financial aid

Act Now

• This warning semester is critical - use it to resolve issues and improve your academic standing

Start today - If personal circumstances (severe medical issues, mental health, personal crisis) are affecting your academic performance, start addressing them now. To appeal, you will need to show that you are actively managing your circumstances.



How do I show I am actively managing my unexpected circumstances?



Documentation is important to SAP Appeals. You could provide documentation of:

• Regular attendance at counseling sessions
• Following through with medical treatment plans
• Use of academic support services
• Consistent meetings with advisors or mentors

Starting these support services now will allow you to demonstrate successful management if you need to appeal in the future. Appeals without evidence of ongoing management efforts are typically denied.

1. You can appeal if you experienced extreme circumstances:

• Beyond your control
• That came suddenly or unexpectedly after the semester started
• That significantly disrupted your ability to complete your classes

2. You can show evidence that you’ve been actively managing your circumstances



In all cases, the outcome of any appeal depends on:

• The nature of the circumstances
• The quality of documentation provided
• How the circumstances are being resolved or managed
• How well the student has demonstrated whether good progress is being made toward earning a degree

Important notes:

• You can only appeal twice during your academic career at BYU-Idaho
• Consider timing carefully and start working on a plan now
• You cannot appeal for the same reason used in a previous appeal

An SAP appeal allows you to explain significant, unexpected circumstances that prevented you from meeting academic standards required for financial aid.



An SAP Appeal should:

• Describe the serious circumstances you faced during the semester in question
• Provide documentation proving these circumstances occurred and when they occurred
• Show evidence that these issues are now resolved or well-managed
• Explain your plan to succeed academically moving forward

Important to understand:

• To approve an appeal, the SAP committee must be confident you can meet standards next semester
• You'll need to achieve a 2.5 GPA and 100% completion rate while on probation
• Both your circumstances AND their resolution must be documented
• Only significant, unexpected situations typically qualify for approval

Can I Appeal my SAP Suspension?



You can appeal an SAP Suspension when you've faced unusual or extenuating circumstances during past semesters and those circumstances have been resolved or successfully managed.



At BYU-Idaho, you can appeal your suspension a maximum of two times*. 



**IMPORTANT DEADLINE** 



SAP Appeals and documentation must be submitted before the 23^rd day of the semester – the Financial Aid Determination Date (FADD)



Appeals and documentation received after FADD will not be considered.



Tuition payment is due on the first day of the semester. If your appeal is not approved, you will still be responsible for semester expenses so plan accordingly.



Late Fees are not waived for students completing a SAP Appeal.



What are unusual or extenuating circumstances?



Circumstances beyond your control that come on suddenly or unexpectedly after the semester has started and cause significant disruption to your ability to complete your classes.



You cannot appeal for the same circumstances more than once.



**Resolution Required**



Since you are only allowed to appeal 2 times, address the circumstances that caused you to fall short of the SAP requirements before you appeal. This may require you to:

• Reduce credits
• Take time off to manage your health or financial issues
• Create and implement a plan to effectively manage ongoing health conditions (mental or physical)
• If it is the professional opinion of your medical or mental health provider that your circumstances are not resolved enough for you to successfully meet the probation requirements, your appeal will be denied. Wait until you are ready to be successful to submit an appeal.
  
  
  • You will still be able to attend school but will not be eligible for federal financial aid.
  • Once you have reached a point in your treatment plan that you can be successful, you can appeal your Suspension the next semester.

If it is not clear that circumstances have been resolved or are being effectively managed, your appeal will be denied.



Common Reasons for SAP Petitions to be Approved include but are not limited to:

• Death of a family member
• Severe illness or medical emergency
• Mental health crisis
• Personal Crisis
• Military Activation

Circumstances not likely to qualify for an approval include but are not limited to:

• Work conflicts or assignments
• Ongoing conditions - without a plan showing how you are managing them successfully
• Having too hard of a workload, or being unprepared for coursework
• Being unaware of deadlines and requirements
• Getting married
• A normal pregnancy or birth of a healthy baby

*Students experiencing multiple unrelated extenuating circumstances who show academic improvement may meet with a Financial Aid Counselor to receive special consideration for an additional SAP Appeal to be considered.

• Extreme circumstances must be different from previous appeals
• Academic improvement consists of maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA and 100% completion rate for 2 consecutive semesters while enrolled in at least 6 PA credits.

To Submit a SAP Appeal :

1. Login to your BYUI Financial Aid Portal 
2. Go to the “Documents” section
3. Complete the SAP Appeal form
4. Your appeal must be hand-signed and dated
5. Include documentation
6. DEADLINE: Submit by the 23^rd day of the semester

*** IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN APPEAL FORM IN YOUR PORTAL, and you have not already appealed 2 times, email financialaid@byui.edu ASAP to get one added***



Important things to include in your SAP Appeal

1. Clearly Explain Your Situation
   
   What specific circumstances beyond your control disrupted your ability to complete classes? Include:
   
   
   1. When these circumstances occurred (include a timeline)
   2. How you have resolved or are managing these issues now
   3. Your plan to meet the probation requirements (2.5 GPA and 100% completion)
2. A SAP Appeal will not be considered and will be denied if documentation is not submitted beforeFADD.
3. If it is not clear that the circumstance(s) have been resolved or managed, your appeal will be denied.
   
   Documentation that your issue occurred during the semester(s) in question may include:
   
   
   1. Death of an immediate family member – an obituary or death certificate
   2. Accident – medical billing or doctor’s notes with dates of service
   3. Medical conditions – documentation from your provider clearly stating:
      
      
      1. Diagnosis
      2. Dates of service
      3. Confirmation that a treatment plan is working effectively
      4. Analysis of whether you can handle the academic demands necessary to meet the probation standards or not
   4. Mental health conditions – a letter from your provider clearly stating:
      
      
      1. Diagnosis
      2. Confirmation that a treatment plan is working effectively
      3. Analysis of whether you can handle the academic demands necessary to meet the probation standards or not
   5. Personal Crisis – a letter from a trusted authority who is aware of your situation first-hand (Bishop, counselor, apartment manager, Dean of Students)
      
      
      1. describing the situation
      2. confirms the crisis has been resolved and
      3. explains why you will now be able to meet academic requirements
   6. Military service – official military documentation
4. If it is the professional opinion of your medical or mental health provider that your circumstances are not resolved enough for you to successfully meet the probation requirements, your appeal will be denied. We encourage you to wait until you are ready to be successful to submit an appeal.
   
   
   1. You will still be able to attend school, but will not be eligible for federal financial aid
   2. Once you have reached a point in your treatment plan that you can be successful, you can appeal your Suspension the next semester

After submitting your appeal



Processing can take 2-3 weeks, and late fees will not be waived, so pay your tuition by the tution deadline to avoid late fees.



Final appeal decisions will be emailed to your BYU-Idaho Email address



Possible outcomes



Appeal Approved 

• Status changes to "Probation".
• Your Financial Aid eligibility is restored.

Probation plans require you to meet these standards each semester until you return to Satisfactory:

• GPA - at least a 2.5 semester GPA
• Completion - a 100% completion of your classes with no W’s or F’s.
• Maximum Time Frame – complete all classes exactly as listed on your approved grad plan

Appeal Denied 

• You remain ineligible for federal aid.
• You will be responsible for tuition and fees.
• You'll need to find alternative funding to pay for your schooling, possibilities include:
  
  
  • Payment plans through student financial services (accounting office)
  • Scholarships
  • Private Bank loans(add under questions to ask – do they require SAP)
  • Campus job opportunities can be found here
  • Reduced course load to lower costs

Contact the Financial Aid Office using the chat bubble on this page to speak with a financial aid specialist or email financialaid@byui.edu.

What is Maximum Time Frame?

Federal regulations require you to finish your degree within 150% of the credits required for your major. Students on MTF Suspension will exceed this limit. There is no warning semester given for MTF Suspended students.



MTF APPEALS have three parts.

1. The SAP Appeal form
2. The MTF SAP Appeal form explaining why you need extra time to graduate
3. A Grad Plan prepared by your academic advisor
   
   
   • Meet with an Academic Advisor – tell them you are there for an MTF SAP Appeal
     
     
     • Create a grad plan together
     • Include only the remaining classes required for graduation and the semester you will take them
     • Your advisor will email your new grad plan with only the remaining requirements to the financial aid office

DEADLINE: the 23^rd Day of the semester (Financial Aid Determination Date - FADD). Appeals submitted without an approved Grad Plan by FADD will not be considered.



After submitting your appeal

• Processing can take 2-3 weeks, and late fees will not be waived, so pay your tuition by the tution deadline to avoid late fees.
• Final appeal decisions will be emailed to your BYU-Idaho Email address

Possible Outcomes



Appeal Approved 

• Status changes to "Probation".
• Your Financial Aid eligibility is restored.

Probation plans require you to meet these standards each semester until you return to Satisfactory:

• GPA - at least a 2.5 semester GPA
• Completion - a 100% completion of your classes with no W’s or F’s.
• Maximum Time Frame – complete all classes exactly as listed on your approved grad plan

Appeal Denied 

• You remain ineligible for federal aid.
• You will be responsible for tuition and fees.
• You'll need to find alternative funding to pay for your schooling, possibilities include:
  
  
  • Payment plans through student financial services (accounting office)
  • Scholarships
  • Private Bank loans (add under questions to ask – do they require SAP)
  • Campus job opportunities can be found here
  • Reduced course load to lower costs

Contact the Financial Aid Office using the chat bubble on this page to speak with a financial aid specialist or email financialaid@byui.edu.