Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Petition
Students must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to receive federal financial aid. Click here for more information on SAP requirements.
SAP petition
When a student fails to meet SAP standards, federal regulations allow a student to petition to receive federal financial aid while not meeting SAP if the student has extenuating reasons why he/she was not able to meet SAP. Extenuating circumstances generally include something outside the student’s control.
Common reasons for SAP petitions
- Serious illness
- Accident or injury
- Medical or family emergency
- Personal crisis
- Federally declared disaster
- Death of a family member or other relative
Circumstances less likely to qualify for approval of a petition
- Work conflicts
- Chronic conditions without documentation showing how the situation has changed to allow you to successfully meet SAP again
- Having too hard of a workload, or being unprepared for the coursework
- Being unaware of deadlines and requirements
Note: Because federal regulations prohibit SAP overrides for a previous enrollment period, petitions must be submitted and approved prior to or during the semester/term for which you are requesting the override but no later than two weeks before the end of the semester/term.
Instructions
To petition for an override of any of the SAP conditions (GPA, Completion Rate, Maximum Timeframe), please follow the instructions below.
1. Attach a signed letter to your petition and include the following:
- a detailed description of the reason(s) you failed to meet SAP, and
- an explanation of what has changed that will allow you to successfully meet SAP in the future.
2. Provide documentation in support of your letter, as follows:
- Illness, accident, or injury: medical documentation
- Family emergency: letter from a family member (if medical, provide documentation)
- Death of family member: death certificate, obituary notice or funeral program
- Personal crisis: third-party documentation such as a letter from your bishop, therapist/counselor, or another who is aware of your situation first-hand
3. If requested, complete an Academic Plan with your academic advisor or Enrollment Services Counselor.
Contact us
If you have questions about petitioning to receive financial aid and overriding your Satisfactory Academic Progress standing, we invite you to contact Enrollment Services to discuss your situation. Counselors are happy to assist you.