Federal financial aid regulations require you to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA and progress at a pace to ensure that you achieve your degree within the maximum timeframe permitted, as measured in credit hours. Temple University's SAP policy is intended to assist you in reaching graduation within the timeframe.
You must maintain SAP to remain eligible for financial aid. To ensure financial aid recipients are making Satisfactory Academic Progress, Student Financial Services will review GPA, Pace, and Program Length at the end of each academic term (Fall, Spring, Summer I, Summer II). We review all terms for all students, even if you did not receive financial aid in that semester. You will be assigned a SAP Status based on your progress that you can view on Self-Service Banner within TUPortal, under the Financial Aid tab. You must meet both the GPA and Pace requirements to retain your financial aid eligibility.
GPA
Undergraduate studnets must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Grades of A, B, C, D, and F (including +/- variations) affect your GPA. Grades of W, WE, I, NC, and MG do not affect GPA. Please note that your eligibility is based on the overall GPA, not the semester GPAs.
Pace
You must successfully earn at least 67% of your attempted credits to maintain Pace. 'Attempted credits' are defined as credits you registered for, and remain registered for beyond the add/drop period for your academic term. Course outcomes of F, W, WE, I, NC, and MG all affect your pace. This also includes credits transferred into Temple, regardless of whether they are applicable to your degree program.
Maximum Time Frame
You must complete your program within 150% of the allotted credits, including all transfer credits and credits not associated with your degree but earned. This also includes transfer credits accepted by the university, regardless of whether they are applicable to your degree program.
Appeals
If you are are deemed ineligible for aid due to Satisfactory Academic Progress, you are able to appeal through the SFS Dashboard, temple.studentforms.com as long as you have a valid FAFSA on file for the current year and you have experienced an extenuating circumstance that impacted your progress. Further details are below. A full explanation of the policy, including the statuses, is linked below. Appeals are opened for FAFSA-filers in the Dashboard; non-FAFSA filers need to contact SFS to request a SAP or MAX Time Appeal.
You need to provide an appeal statement, supporting documentation, and a signed copy of your Financial Aid Plan (FAPLAN) as part of your SAP appeal. The statement needs to thoroughly explain what prevented you from making progress, the changes you have made or steps taken to overcome those challenges, and your plan for academic success moving forward. Your documentation should support both what happened and what has changed. It should be third-party documentation, such as statements from medical professionals, clergy, teachers, mentors, counselors, etc. The appropriate documentation will vary based on your circumstances.
If you are taking a leave of absence, your SAP status will roll forward to the semester you return. If you need to appeal your eligibility, please do so upon your return (Fall or Spring).
SAP-Related Forms
Financial Aid Plan (FAPLAN)
Financial Aid Graduation Form (FAMAX)
Full SAP Policy