Satisfactory Academic Progress
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Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards to remain eligible for financial aid at UC Santa Cruz. These standards confirm that you are in good academic standing, completing sufficient credits, and advancing toward your degree within the required timeframe. While requirements differ for undergraduates and graduate students, resources and support are available to help you stay on track and continue making progress toward your degree.
Undergraduate Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Eligibility Components
To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must meet three components of Satisfactory Academic Progress. These include:
- GPA: Students must maintain a cumulative 2.0 UCSC GPA to meet SAP for financial aid. SAP is measured at the end of each academic year.
- Pace: Students are expected to enroll full-time, defined as 15 credits per quarter, to maintain good academic standing. You are expected to pass a minimum of 12 credits if you are full-time and 80% of credits attempted if enrolled in the Official Part-Time program.
- Time to Degree: Degree requirements must be completed within a maximum time frame. Students are expected to satisfy all requirements for a degree by completing 180 quarter credits within 4 years. All students can complete or attempt up to 225 credits while receiving financial aid to complete a degree. The attempted credit limit applies to the time you have spent at any college or post-secondary institution, including non-AP college transfer credits earned in high school, quarters during which you withdrew, and quarters in which you did not receive financial aid. It does not include quarters when you were not registered.
If the Undergraduate Satisfactory Academic Progress measures are not met, you will be required to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal. If an appeal is approved for GPA and/or Pace, you remain on your academic plan and must meet the terms of your academic plan(s) to receive aid in subsequent quarters.
Financial Aid Academic Review Process
If an appeal is approved for GPA and/or Pace, you remain on financial aid academic plan(s) and must meet the terms of your academic plan(s) to receive aid in subsequent quarters. The Financial Aid and Scholarship office reviews academic progress at the end of each quarter before aid will be released. This end-of-quarter review will determine the following:
- If deficit(s) have been made up, financial aid eligibility is regained, and you are considered to be in good standing.
- If the terms of the academic plan are met, but deficit(s) are not yet made up, the next quarter’s aid will be released. You will remain on your academic plan(s) and be subject to review again before any subsequent quarter’s aid can be released.
- Financial aid eligibility is lost if the terms of the academic plan are not met. You may submit a new appeal for aid consideration if you have a new special circumstance. If no new circumstances exist, you must regain eligibility to receive financial aid.
The limited time between quarters does not always allow for the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to notify students of the review outcome before the start of the next quarter. We will do everything possible to give students timely notification. Prior to notification, if you know that you did not meet the terms of the appeal and you are unable to finance your education without financial aid, then you may want to consider other options (including a withdrawal) as soon as possible to ensure minimal financial impact. Again we recommend you work with your Academic Adviser to assist with any such transition plan or other options.
Graduate Satisfactory Academic Progress
To remain eligible for financial aid, you must meet three measures of satisfactory academic progress.
- Cumulative GPA requirements
Rather than a specific GPA, as a Graduate student, you must maintain good academic standing to meet the GPA requirement. - The minimum pace required to complete a degree within the maximum time frame
Graduate students who have not advanced to candidacy must earn at least 25 units each year; Graduate students who advanced to candidacy must pass at least 15 units per year and complete their program within 3 years. - The maximum time frame for degree completion
The maximum time frame for graduate students varies depending on your degree program. See the Graduate Handbook for details.
To maintain financial aid eligibility, you must meet all three measures. If you receive a To-Do List item indicating that you have not met one or more of the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for financial aid, you will be given the option to complete an online appeal.
Contact Us
Have a question or need support? We’re here to help.
Location: 205 Hahn Student Services (view map)
In-Person Advising: Monday–Friday, 1 – 5 p.m.
Phone and Zoom Advising (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.):
Phone: Call (669) 900-6833
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