Undergraduate Students
The general policy outline below is based off a single undergraduate. If a student is enrolled in multiple programs (double+ major), we will evaluate as identified on a case-by-case basis. The only criteria impacted by a double+ major would be max. A second-bachelor’s degree will reset the student’s SAP after having earned the first bachelor’s degree.
A. GPA Requirements
The required minimum cumulative institutional grade point average is 2.0.
B. Pace
Students must successfully maintain pace toward their degree by completing 67% of cumulative attempted credits. Credits attempted and completed each semester are used in the annual evaluation of pace.
All attempted credits for the summer, fall, and spring semesters will be used to calculate the pace rate of 67%. Any transfer credits from Study Abroad, National Student Exchange or other outside courses must be accepted toward a student’s degree requirements.
*(F’s, zero credits, repeats (E), audits (A), withdrawals (W/WU), Incompletes, Non-counted repeat classes, and No-passing (NP) are not included in the earned hours) Remedial courses are not included in a student’s pace calculation.
Successful completion is receiving earned credit as defined by the UI Academic Policy. For students receiving federal financial aid, attempted credits will be defined as the number of credits enrolled in as of the tenth day after the start of each term (the UI census date for financial aid evaluation purposes). For students not receiving federal financial aid, attempted credits will be defined as attempted hours recorded at the end of the semester in the Registrar’s system.
Institutional Policy on Rounding
Per Department of Education, institutional guidance takes precedence regarding rounding rules and pace (see documentation in folder S:\EnrollmentManagement\FINAID\COMMON\SAP\2122 RAP22, .pdf titled ‘ROUNDING RULES’. It is the institutional policy of UI to round up when pace equals at least 66.67%. Below this percent does not meet pace per the institutional policy.
Example of Maintaining Pace
| Semester | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Attempted credits | 12 | 12 |
| Completed credits | 0 | 12 |
| Completion rate | 0% | 100% |
| cumulative attempted | 12 | 24 |
| cumulative completed | 0 | 12 |
| Completion rate | 0% | 50% |
After the first year, this student completed only 50% of courses attempted and is placed on financial aid probation (suspension). To get back on pace to meet the 67%, this student would need an Academic Plan that followed the course load as outlined below to regain financial aid eligibility. In many cases, if a student fails pace, it can take more than a semester to get the completed credits high enough to regain good standing for the pace requirement. See Table 2 below.
| Semester | Fall |
|---|---|
| Attempted credits | 12 |
| Completed credits | 12 |
| Completion rate | 100% |
| cumulative attempted | 36 |
| cumulative completed | 24 |
| Completion rate | 67% (66.66%) |
* Student has regained Satisfactory Academic Progress by completing 67% (66.67% rounded up) of cumulative attempted courses.
As illustrated above, the minimum number of courses this student would have to attempt and pass for the next term is 12 credits. If this student failed to complete 100% of attempted courses, additional term or terms would be needed to get back on pace and regain financial aid eligibility. If it will take more than one semester the student would be required to submit an Academic Plan, detailing the number of courses needed each term to get back on pace for her/his degree.
C. Maximum Attempted Credits without a Degree
A student is allowed to attempt up to 150% of the required credits for a degree. Attempted credit hours are defined as the greater of attempted credits in the Registrar’s system or earned credits. For purposes of the annual evaluation, we will use 120 credits, allowing a maximum attempted credit hour limit of 180 (120*1.5=180). The total number of credit hours required to obtain a bachelor’s degree can vary for certain programs; students in the Bachelor of Architecture program will be allowed 150% of the 169 credits required for the degree for a maximum attempted credit hour limit of 254 credit hours. Most students working on a second bachelor’s degree will be allowed a maximum attempted credit hour limit of 254 undergraduate credits. Hours may vary depending on program of study and whether UI or non-UI credits were earned.