Academic records are reviewed by the Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) once the Office of the University Registrar completes the end of semester processing review and grades are transcripted. This review typically begins 1-2 weeks after the final grading dates for each term.

All SAP benchmarks are reviewed on a cumulative basis - GPA, Pace, and Program Length. You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA (cGPA) of 2.0 or higher. Pace is determined by calculating the number of earned credits divided by the number of attempted credits. You must meet both. Program Length is determined by 150% of the your required credits for degree completion. You can consult the Temple University Bulletin for your individual program length. 

Students whose PACE exceeds 67%, who meet the 2.0 cGPA, and who have not reached the 150% of the credits required for their program are considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress and are eligible for financial aid.

Students who are not meeting the 67% threshold and/or the 2.0 cGPA for the first time are placed on Financial Aid Warning. If a student does not meet the 67% and/or 2.0 cGPA threshold for a second semester (consecutive or not), then the student is placed on Financial Aid Ineligibility beginning with the next immediate term.

Students who are readmitted to the University under Academic Forgiveness will retain their former academic progress standing. Students who enter Academic Forgiveness as ineligible have the option to appeal for financial aid. Please consult the Academic Forgiveness section of the University Bulletin.

Although a student's cumulative GPA may have been reset to 0.00 due to Academic Forgiveness, all of their attempted credits (including those no longer being used for credit by the University) must be factored into the calculation of their completion percentage. Students who are admitted under Academic Forgiveness but who do not meet the 67% threshold or the maximum time frame limit may submit an appeal.

Students that have lost eligibility for financial aid may submit an appeal in order to regain financial aid eligibility. The SAP and MAX Appeals for the Fall and Spring are automatically opened for FAFSA-filers following the first notification of their ineligibility. Students may also open their own appeal via the SFS Dashboard. Appeals received after a published final deadline may not be considered, and incomplete appeals will be automatically closed and denied. All appeals will be considered by a committee and their decision is final. Please do not submit any documentation to the Office of Student Financial Services. All appeal documents should be uploaded to the SFS Dashboard under the appropriate task listed. 

Appeals submitted prior to the priority deadline are reviewed and responded to by the end of the add/drop period. We cannot guarantee an approval, just that SFS will review the appeal and provide a response to the student. A response may be a request for more information, for a revision of provided information, a conditional approval, a denial, etc.

• The priority deadline to appeal for the Fall semester is September 1.
  • The final deadline to appeal for the Fall semester is November 1.
• The priority deadline to appeal for the Spring semester is January 15.
  • ​​​​​​​The final deadline to appeal for the Spring semester is March 15.

Steps for Initiating an Appeal:

1. The student should log into temple.studentforms.com.
2. Click on the red 'Manage Requests' button in the upper right hand corner
3. Click on the plus button for a 2023-2024 SAP or MAX Appeal - refer to your emailed notification to determine which is appropriate.
4. Provide a brief description of the issue
5. Complete and sign the embedded webform and submit all requested documentation.

Because of the short time period between the end of the spring semester and the start of the summer session(s), appeals for summer are not considered.

Failure to finalize your submission by clicking the 'Submit' button, incomplete appeal forms, failure to submit required supporting documentation, and failure to e-sign your appeal will result in an automatic denial for the current term and your appeal will be closed. 

The SFS office will make every effort possible to process appeals received by the deadline as quickly as possible so that our office can notify students of the decision before the end of the semester drop/add period (see Office of the University Registrar Academic Calendar for deadline date). However, please be aware that students may not receive a decision before the drop/add period concludes, so early submission is encouraged. All students are financially responsible for semester charges regardless of financial aid eligibility. 

Depending on the type of appeal you submit, you may be required to submit the following documents:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress Medical Documentation Form (may be used based on appeal circumstance(s) and student's discretion).
• Maximum Time Frame Appeal Graduation Plan Worksheet (Max Time Appeals).
• FA Plan calculation (SAP appeals - created in consultation with the student's academic advisor). 

Students placed on a Financial Aid Plan as a result of their appeal must adhere to that plan each term. This means you must attempt and earn the number of credits outlined on the plan, as well as meet the target GPA, for each term. 

If, for any reason, you cannot fulfill the terms of the plan, then you may submit an updated plan to Student Financial Services no later than the last day of classes in that term - not the last day of exams, the last day classes meet. Please review the university's Academic Calendar to determine the appropriate date for the term in question.

Students who previously attended Temple and are re-enrolling are subject to the current SAP and MAX Time requirements. Prior credits attempted, earned, and/or transferred into Temple will be considered in the student's overall PACE and Program Length evaluations, even if it has been several years since your last semester at Temple. Re-enrolling students who are ineligible for aid are encouraged to submit an appeal via the guidelines above.