How your student’s grades can affect their financial aid

Did you know that grades and credit hours can affect your student’s financial aid? Melissa Heinrich, senior director of ASU’s Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, has answers on how your student can stay on top of their academic and financial affairs.

What requirements must be met to keep financial aid?

Students must meet the satisfactory academic progress or SAP requirements. Not meeting even one of these categories puts your student at risk of losing their aid.  

GPA

Students must maintain a minimum GPA based on the standards of their program. It’s usually 2.00 for undergraduates, but it can be higher based on the program.

Pace rate

Students must pass 67 percent of the classes they attempt to take.

Maximum credit hour standard

There is a maximum number of credit hours allowed for students to graduate and maintain financial aid eligibility. If your student exceeds the maximum number of credit hours, they could lose financial aid eligibility.

What happens if they don’t meet one of these categories?

Your student will be notified by the university’s financial aid office if they are not meeting the SAP requirements. Once they’re notified, they’ll be given the chance to appeal.

How to appeal?

Your student will need to complete a SAP appeal form and submit it to their financial aid office. Next, they should meet with their academic advisor to establish an academic plan to get back on track and meet the SAP requirements. They’ll also need to submit a statement to show how they’re overcoming the issues that led to them missing a SAP requirement and that they’re taking positive steps to make changes.

Then what happens?

If your student’s appeal is approved by their financial aid office, they’ll be on probation and eligible for financial aid. If they improve over the probationary period enough to meet the SAP requirements, they’ll remain eligible for financial aid. If your student is unable to meet the SAP requirements, eligibility could be lost.

Your student’s best bet for keeping their aid is to stay on top of the eligibility requirements so they don’t have to go through this process.

It’s up to your student to understand the academic requirements of their major, but their academic advisor can help. Encourage your student to work with their advisor to create a plan that will keep them on track, successful, and in control of their grades and financial aid.