Satisfactory Academic Progress for Law Students

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Title IV Assistance

Full-time Professional JD students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress standards on the first day of enrollment in a degree seeking program. In order to continue in SAP, the student must maintain the academic expectations as defined by the law program.  Students must complete their degree within a specified period, demonstrate they are making progress towards the completion of their degree by earning a minimum number of credits hours each semester, and achieve a GPA that is consistent with meeting graduation requirements.

Progress Review

Satisfactory academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each academic year when grades are posted. Students who fail to meet the federal requirements as detailed below, are considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress and will forfeit any subsequent eligibility for any federal assistance. Students who have lost eligibility for receiving financial assistance can reestablish eligibility by successfully completing the required number of credit hours, and by attaining the overall required grade point average by the end of the next year. Withdrawal from courses, repetition of courses, incomplete courses, and transfer courses may have an effect on the student GPA, total credits attempted, and number of terms completed. Credit and GPA evaluation will be governed by University academic regulations.

Notification and Appeal

Written notice will be provided to all students who have become ineligible for federal Title IV financial aid due to a failure to achieve the required academic progress. Students denied federal assistance may submit an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid and detail the circumstances that prevented the student from making satisfactory progress. All appeals will be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid and the Financial Aid Committee. Appeals should include an explanation of the serious mitigating circumstances that prevented satisfactory progress, and detail how factors have changed that will now allow the student to reach the SAP requirement at the next evaluation. Only very serious mitigating circumstances, such as death in the immediate family or serious illness will constitute grounds for waiver of academic progress standards.

Federal regulations prevent a student from submitting an appeal two semesters in a row. However, there is no limit to the number of appeals a student may submit if they can document new circumstances that prevented the student from making SAP.

If a student does not appeal, or if the appeal for reconsideration is denied, the student will no longer be eligible for federal title IV aid. At the end of the academic year, the student's progress will be re-evaluated and aid reinstated if academic progress falls within the requirements.

Title IV Probation

If the student appeal is accepted, the student will be placed on Title IV aid probation and remain eligible for federal Title IV aid for a period of one term . At the end of that term the student's progress will be re-evaluated and aid reinstated if progress is within the federal requirements, or if the student is successfully following an academic plan as determined by the University. If not, the student will be ineligible for further federal Title IV assistance until the requirements have been achieved.

Regaining Eligibility for Title IV Aid

Students may regain eligibility for federal assistance by achieving an academic record consistent with the table below.

SAP Requirements

Satisfactory progress for federal assistance may be established or eligibility continued by maintaining a 67% completion rate (completed credits in relation to credits attempted), and a cumulative grade point average for each term as defined below. All students must achieve the required grade point average and maintain pace towards completion of their academic degree according to the schedule indicated below. Pace and GPA are reviewed at the end of each academic year.

Year End G.P.A. and Credit Hours

Year End G.P.A.         Credit Hours

First Year                1.750                        1 - 28
Second Year           2.000                      29 - 56
Third Year               2.000                      57 - 85

Students must complete the requirements for a law degree within the 150% maximum timeframe allowed, the maximum number of hours attempted to complete the program cannot exceed 128 hours, including transfer work and pass/fail courses.