Academic Progress

Academic AfairsChicago State University’s Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy measures whether students are progressing at a reasonable rate toward the completion of their educational objectives. Students must be in compliance with the SAP Policy in order to maintain continuing financial aid eligibility. You may view and/or download the CSU Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy. The SAP Policy may also be viewed in the Undergraduate Academic Catalog or Graduate and Professional Academic Catalog. The SAP Policy contains both qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (course completion rate and maximum time-frame for completion of educational objective) measurements.

At the end of every semester of enrollment the Office of Student Financial Aid will run a process that will identify students who became non-compliant with the SAP Policy, or continue to be in non-compliance, as a result of their academic performance during that semester. Non-compliant students will be notified by e-mail of their non-compliance status. Their status will also be posted to CSU X-press.

A student who is not in compliance should make arrangements to meet with their Academic Advisor who will counsel them as to what is needed to bring them back into compliance with the SAP Policy, assuming students qualify for the opportunity to be brought back into compliance. The Academic Advisor will complete the following forms:

  

Additionally, a student needs to complete an: 

including any required documentation of mitigating
circumstances, as addressed in the Appeal form.

 

All three completed forms must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Once all documentation has been reviewed and a decision made, a student’s academic progress status will be updated in CSU X-press. All decisions reached by the Office of Student Financial Aid are FINAL.

 Appeals must be submitted and reviewed no later than the last day of the semester for which the student is not in compliance. Once the semester has ended, we are unable to accept and approve appeal documents.

IMPORTANT INFORMATON RELATING TO COVID-19 and SAP

“Circumstances related to an outbreak of COVID-19, including, but not limited to, the illness of a student or family member, compliance with a quarantine period, or a general disruption from such an outbreak may form the basis of a student’s SAP appeal.” In other words, if your ability to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress is affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, such circumstances will be taken into consideration when evaluating an Appeal for Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility.