Students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards earning a degree as stipulated in the chart below to receive financial aid at ISU.
| Undergraduate | Degree Levels | Graduate Degree Levels | |
| Total hours attempted and recognized by Indiana State University for degree consideration from all institutions | 1-29 | 30-Up | All |
| Minimum cumulative GPA | 1.7 | 2.00 | 3.00 |
| Minimum completion rate (measured as hours earned divided by hours attempted) | 67% | 67% | 67% |
| Maximum total hours attempted allowed to complete degree requirements for current primary program of study | 180 attempted hours | 150% of the specific degree programs published length | |
- SAP is evaluated annually after the spring semester following the student's first semester of enrollment as a regular degree-seeking student or at the point of awarding aid as a degree-seeking student. Some additional non-degree students may be calculated for SAP based upon funding or program rules.
- The annual SAP evaluation will include all courses attempted and earned in prior Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters and will be based on the degree and major being pursued.
- Quantitative (hours attempted and earned) and qualitative (cumulative GPA) SAP progress is measured.
- Students must successfully complete a minimum of 67% of the courses attempted in order to complete their degree within the maximum time frame allowed.
- Changes in a student's program of study (major) may alter the SAP evaluation, putting the student at risk of exceeding the maximum time frame.
- Students who begin a subsequent degree (new undergraduate or new master's or doctoral) will be evaluated for the new degree and major being pursued.
- Students may need to self-identify as beginning a new undergraduate degree in order to meet SAP standards for the first SAP evaluation upon beginning a new program.
- Students meeting the standards listed above when calculated will be in SAP Good Standing.
- SAP Suspension will be required for students who do not meet the requirements shown above. Eligibility for aid will be suspended.
- Exception: students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements but were enrolled in high school Collee Challenge or Summer Honors or were otherwise taking classes prior to their first semester at ISU will be considered exempt.
- Students who have already registered for classes will remain enrolled but will not receive financial aid.
- Rules are applied uniformly to all students for all periods of enrollment whether or not aid has been received previously.
- Students who meet the SAP minimum requirements but are academically dismissed from ISU will be placed on SAP Suspension.
- Eligibility is reestablished:
- after the student improves their academic record to meet the minimum standards or
- after an appeal due to unusual and/or mitigating circumstances is approved
- Students are held responsible for knowing SAP eligibility criteria and their status at the end of each semester. Please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid if questions arise.
- If an appeal is approved, the student's academic progress will be monitored on a per-semester basis to ensure that the student is making strides toward meeting the SAP standards.
- All courses taken at ISU and those taken elsewhere, recognized by the Office of Registration and Records, are counted as hours attempted regardless of grade assigned. This includes incompletes, failures, or withdrawals after the 7th day of each semester.
- Only courses earning grades at ISU and those taken elsewhere recognized by the ISU Office of Registration and Records as acceptable for progressing toward degree completion will be counted as earned. (Example: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, S, and P)
- Courses shown as failed, incomplete, withdrawn, dropped or concluded with no grade submitted count as hours attempted and not earned. Additional courses with non-passing results are counted similarly.
- If a grade, other than incomplete, is changed after the SAP evaluation, a new SAP evaluation will be performed.
- All courses designated as repeated for grade improvement count as hours attempted, but only count once if passed as hours earned.
- Courses attempted more than once, that are not designated as repeated for grade improvement, will be counted as both hours attempted and if passed as hours earned.
- Audit and non-credit classes are ineligible for financial aid and do not count in SAP calculations.
- The official institutional GPA determined by the ISU Office of Registration and Records is used for all qualitative measures, except for Academic Renewal calculations, as discussed below.
- Credit hours earned by testing or other non-standard means are counted in the SAP calculations as both hours attempted and earned. This includes hours earned from Credit by Exam, CLEP and CEEB tests, AP Courses, Foreign Language Placement, Work Experience Credit, and Military Experience Credit.
- All credit hours attempted through International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), Study Abroad, the Indiana College Core (ICC) and through Consortium Agreements with other institutions count in both attempted and earned calculations.
- Remedial classes count in both attempted and earned hours calculations even though credits may not apply toward completion of degree requirements. They may also impact GPA calculations.
- Completion rate for transfer students will be determined based on hours earned at the time of packaging.
- Complete academic transcripts must be submitted to the Office of Admissions for any academic work attempted at other institutions. A standard SAP calculation including this work and ISU hours will be run at the next scheduled increment.
- Students failing SAP will be placed on SAP Suspension and lose eligibility for further aid. (See Appeals below.)
- Students can request to have their transfer hours evaluated early in their first semester, but will be held accountable for the SAP calculation results immediately.
- Returning students whose academic history would have justified SAP suspension or who were on appeal when they last attended will re-enter on SAP Suspension. (See Appeals below.)
- Complete academic transcripts must be submitted to the Admission Office for any academic work attempted since the last ISU enrollment before the end of their first semester back. A standard SAP calculation including this work will be run at the next scheduled increment.
- Federal regulations forbid eliminating hours included in an Academic Renewal from SAP calculations. Thus, quantitative and qualitative SAP calculations for these students will include their full academic history.
- Courses shown in both academic history and also as Academic Renewal Transfer Hours will only be counted once.
- Repeated courses in this category will all be treated as hours attempted and if passed as hours earned.
- SAP Suspension may be appealed if unusual and/or mitigating circumstances affected academic progress. Such circumstances may include a severe illness or injury to the student or an immediate family member, the death of a student's relative, student activation into military service, or other circumstances as deemed appropriate for consideration by the SAP Appeals Committee.
- The student must submit a completed SAP Appeal Form, which includes a written statement, to the Office of Student Financial Aid explaining in detail why they failed to meet the minimum academic standards, what unusual and/or mitigating circumstances caused the failure and how they plan to improve academic performance. Need help with your appeal? Visit SAP Tips.
- The student will receive an e-mail of the decision made by the Appeals Committee and they can also view the decision within the MyISU portal.
- Any appeal approvals will give the student's Academic Plan, the conditions and timeframe for maintaining aid eligibility.
- When an appeal is approved, aid is reinstated for one term only. A disbursement hold will be placed on all remaining terms in the academic year, pending Appeal Reevaluation results.
- All decisions of the SAP Appeals Committee are final. However, the student has the option to submit a subsequent appeal if they have additional details or documentation to be reviewed.
- Students who raise their cumulative standards to equal or exceeding the minimum requirements will be reinstated to SAP Good Standing from that point forward.
- SAP appeals must be submitted 14 days prior to the end of the current semester.
- Students with an approved SAP appeal will be reevaluated at the end of the semester to ensure they meet their individual Academic Plans.
- Students who meet their Academic Plans will be approved for continued eligibility.
- Students who do not meet the terms of their individual Academic Plans will be suspended for future aid.
- Students who are suspended for not meeting their Academic Plans will be allowed to file a SAP Appeal.