Satisfactory Academic Progress

To maintain eligibility for any financial aid administered by the university, including federal, state and institutional funds, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) must be made. Financial Aid Probation is not the same as Academic Probation. Also review all information here: http://udallas.edu/finaid/ugsap.

  • Cumulative GPA, pace and credit hours earned are reviewed at the end of each semester (fall, spring and summer).
  • A student must be able to complete his or her degree within the 150% point of required credits. For example, if he or she is enrolled in a program requiring 120 credits to earn the degree, eligibility may be lost once more than 180 credits have been attempted.
  • As a full-time student, 12 credits hours must be earned each semester (Fall and Spring only) and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher must be earned in order to maintain SAP. As a part-time student, 6 credits must be earned each semester with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. A less than half time student must earn 1 credit per semester.
  • The university also reviews a student’s pace towards graduation. Pace, or completion rate, is a measurement of the number of hours a student has earned divided by the number of hours attempted. This is a cumulative calculation that is completed at the end of each semester and includes both institutional and transfer hours. Undergraduate students must have a pace (completion rate) of at least 67% (.67).
  • Transfer credits count as earned credits but do not affect the GPA. However, transfer credits do count towards the limit of credits attempted (as described in #2) and the pace calculation.
  • Withdrawal from a course can affect a student's financial aid eligibility since it is counted as a attempted credit that is not earned. This will affect a student’s pace. An Incomplete or a Temporary grade does not count as earned credit and will affect eligibility until credit is earned. SAP cannot be assessed until all incomplete grades have been posted. If a student has a grade of incomplete, he/she will not be reviewed for SAP and will not be eligible for financial aid until SAP can be reviewed. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid once a grade has been posted so that SAP can be reviewed. If a course is repeated and cancelled, eligibility may be affected if total credits earned fall below the minimum required. A previous Financial Aid Warning may not be removed by raising a prior semester’s GPA through the Repeat and Cancel policy, but financial aid eligibility may be reinstated or continued by raising the cumulative GPA to the minimum required using the policy.
  • If the student is not making SAP, he or she will be notified of a Financial Aid Warning for one semester. During the warning semester, the student may receive financial aid. The student must earn 12 credits as a full-time student (or 6 credits as a part-time student), 67% pace and complete the semester with a cumulative GPA of 2.0. If these requirements are not met at the end of the semester, the student will lose his or her financial aid for the next semester, known as Financial Aid Suspension. A student can regain his or her Financial Aid eligibility if all SAP (credits earned, pace, and a 2.0 cumulative GPA) are met at the end of a subsequent semester.
  • A student who does not meet SAP at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period and is thus notified of a Financial Aid Suspension can make a formal written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid for the reinstatement of financial aid for one semester. An appeal can be made in the event of the death of a student’s relative, injury or illness of the students, or other special circumstances. The deadlines for an appeal are as follows:

    Fall term: July 31

    Spring term: January 15

    Summer term: June 7

  • If an appeal is granted, a student is put on Financial Aid Probation and receives financial aid for one semester. A student on Financial Aid Probation must earn 12 credits and a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of the probationary semester or meet other academic standards set by the Director of Financial Aid (called an Academic Plan) in order to have his or her financial aid reinstated. A Financial Aid Suspension can be lifted once a student is again meeting all SAP requirements.
  • If you have been awarded a Texas Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG), please note the requirements for a subsequent (renewal) award in the following academic year. A student must:
    1. Submit a completed FAFSA with demonstrated need, AND
    2. have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.500, AND
    3. have earned 24 hours (undergraduate) or 18 hours (graduate) between September and August of the previous academic year, as well as complete 75% of the hours attempted in the last academic year.

Retaking or Repeating Coursework

An otherwise eligible student may attempt and receive federal financial aid for each attempt of classes which are part of their primary program of study until they have successfully completed the class. A student then may retake and receive federal financial aid once after successfully completing the same class.  This would include any classes which were transferred into the University of Dallas as well as those taken at the University of Dallas.  Successful completion is defined as those in which a grade of ‘D-’ or better is earned in the class.