Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require the university to establish standards of SAP, involving both qualitative (cumulative grade point average) and quantitative (hours earned compared to hours attempted) factors, and a maximum length of study. This requirement applies to all applicants for any federal assistance, including Federal Pell Grants; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG); Federal Work-Study; Federal Perkins Loans; the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program, which includes the Federal Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for students; and Federal PLUS Loans for parents of undergraduate students. The same standards may apply to all assistance from the State of North Carolina and all other aid that is determined by the Scholarships and Student Aid Office.  To be eligible for financial aid at NCCU, whether aid was received in the past, students must be in compliance with all three of the following areas: cumulative GPA, hours earned, and the maximum length of study.

Students must maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average indicated for satisfactory progress toward graduation requirements. These standards are consistent with the academic standards required for graduation. 

Undergraduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 or greater.

We recommend that undergraduate students attempt to earn at least 30 hours per academic year in order to graduate in four years for programs that require 120 credit hours. Note:  To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must earn 67% of total attempted hours for all previous periods of enrollment.

            Full-time enrollment: 12 or more course credit hours

            Half-time enrollment:  6 course credit hours     

For financial aid purposes, the following definitions and conditions apply:

• To earn hours at NCCU, one must receive a grade of A, B, C, or D (including "+" or "-"). All other grades, including F, I, W, WC, WE, WF, AU, N, NU, or NP, do not earn hours.
• Classes from which a student withdraws after the drop/add period count as attempted but not earned hours.  Therefore, withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period will negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard. 
• Audited courses count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, auditing classes will negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard. 
• When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses may negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
• Accepted transfer credit will count as both attempted and earned hours.

To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must complete their degree requirements within 150% of the published length of their academic program. At NCCU, this means that students in programs requiring 120 hours for graduation will be eligible for financial aid during the first 180 attempted hours as an undergraduate. All attempted hours are counted, including accepted transfer hours, whether financial aid was received or whether the course work was successfully completed.  

No financial aid will be disbursed for the student during subsequent semesters unless the student has an approved Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal and Financial Aid Progression Plan on file.  Students pursuing a double major or a second degree are eligible to receive financial aid until their cumulative registered credits equal 150% of the required number of credits for their dual or second program. 

At the end of the spring semester, a year-end review is completed, and students who are out of compliance with one or more of the satisfactory academic progress standards become ineligible for further financial aid until all deficiencies are remedied.   The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid sends e-mail notifications to the student’s campus email address.  Satisfactory academic progress and eligibility for financial aid are determined each academic year after the spring semester grades become available.

After the annual review, a student will be assigned a SAP status.  Please see the definitions of the statuses below.  

Satisfactory Status: Code 1xxx

Satisfactory status is achieved when the student has met the following requirements:

• Completed 67% of attempted hours 
• Met the cumulative GPA as established by the Registrar’s Office 
• Did not exceed 150% of the required hours to earn an undergraduate degree

Ineligible: Code 4xxx

Students who are not meeting the standards are ineligible for financial assistance for the next enrollment period.  To regain eligibility for financial aid, a student may file an SAP appeal form.   

Probation: Code 2APxxxx

Students who receive this status have filed an appeal for financial aid to the Scholarships and Student Aid Office.  Students in this category must have an approved SAP appeal rendered by the committee and a Financial Aid Progression Plan. In addition to the approved SAP appeal, students must also meet the following conditions of the Financial Aid Progression Plan:

• Complete 67% of their attempted hours 
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0

Approvals are granted for one semester at a time.  All Financial Aid Progression Plans will be reviewed at the end of each semester.  To remain eligible for financial aid, students must successfully complete their Financial Aid Progression Plan.

Students who are not meeting the academic standards as well as the financial aid standards are ineligible for financial assistance for the next enrollment period.  

Denial: Code 4Dxxx

Students who receive this status have submitted an SAP appeal and progression plan, but after review by the committee, the appeal was denied.  To regain possible financial aid eligibility, the student must demonstrate successful academic progression.  

Satisfactory academic progress for Summer School will be based on the student’s eligibility after spring grades are reviewed.  If you are deemed ineligible after the spring semester, you will not qualify for financial aid for the upcoming summer or any future terms until you are meeting the satisfactory academic progress policy.  

Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Specifically, if a student's failure to be in compliance with one or more areas of satisfactory academic progress is due to events beyond the student's control, such as a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family, or other significant trauma, and if such mitigating circumstances can be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred, the student may appeal to the Scholarships and Student Aid Office. Eligibility may be regained by submitting an appeal.  SAP Appeal Forms for Financial Aid are completed electronically, and forms are available online at the following website: https://www.nccu.edu/ssa/satisfactory-academic-progress. 

Note: This SAP policy was approved in April of 2026. SAP will be measured by this policy at the end of Spring 2026, and it replaces all previous SAP policies.

Students pursuing a graduate degree must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.  Students pursuing a law degree must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better.

Note:  To remain eligible for financial aid, graduate/professional students must earn 75% of total attempted hours for all previous graduate-level periods of enrollment.

            Full-time enrollment:    9 or more course credit hours
            Half-time enrollment:   4.5 course credit hours     

To remain eligible for financial aid, graduate and law students must earn at least 75% of the total cumulative hours attempted.  For financial aid purposes, the following definitions and conditions apply:

• To earn hours at NCCU, one must receive a grade of A, B, or C (including "+" or "-"). All other grades, including F, I, W, WE, WF, WC, N, NP, NU,  or AU, do not earn hours.
• Classes from which a student withdraws after the drop/add period count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period will negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard. 
• Audited courses count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, auditing classes will negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
• When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses may negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard. 
• Accepted transfer credit will count as both attempted and earned hours.

After the annual review, a student will be assigned an SAP status.  Please see the definition of statuses below.   

Satisfactory Status

Satisfactory status is achieved when the student has met:

• Completed 75% of attempted hours 
• Met cumulative GPA as established by the Registrar’s Office 

Ineligible

Students who are not meeting the standards are ineligible for financial assistance for the next enrollment period.  To regain eligibility for financial aid, a student may file a SAP appeal form.

Probation

Students who receive this status have filed an appeal for financial aid to the Scholarships and Student Aid Office. Students in this category must have an approved SAP appeal rendered by the committee.  In addition to the approved SAP appeal, students must also meet the following Financial Aid Progression Plan:

• Complete 75% of their attempted hours 
• Graduate students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Law students must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0

Approvals are granted for one semester at a time.  All Financial Aid Progression Plans will be reviewed at the end of each semester.  To remain eligible for financial aid, students must successfully complete their Financial Aid Progression Plan.

Non-compliant

Students who fail to successfully complete their Financial Aid Progression Plan become ineligible to receive financial for the next semester.  In order to possibly receive financial aid for the next semester, ineligible students may file a new SAP appeal form with the Scholarships and Student Aid Office.

Students must have an approved SAP appeal rendered by the committee   In addition to the approved SAP appeal; students must also meet the following Financial Aid Progression Plan:

• Complete 75% of their attempted hours 
• Graduate students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Law students must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0

Approvals are granted for one semester at a time.  All Financial Aid Progression Plans will be reviewed at the end of each semester.  To remain eligible for financial aid, students must successfully complete their Financial Aid Progression Plan.

To remain eligible for financial aid, graduate and professional students must complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the published length of their academic program. See chart below. All attempted hours are counted, including accepted transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received or the course work was successfully completed.  

No financial aid will be disbursed for the student during subsequent semesters unless the student has an approved Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal and Financial Aid Progression Plan on file.  Students pursuing a double major or a second degree are eligible to receive financial aid until their cumulative registered credits equal 150% of the required number of credits for their dual or second program. 

Graduate Programs Minimum Credit Requirements by Program

Satisfactory academic progress for Summer School will be based on the student’s eligibility after Spring grades are reviewed.  If you are deemed ineligible after the Spring semester, you will not qualify for financial aid for the upcoming Summer or any future terms until you are meeting the satisfactory academic progress policy.

At the end of the Spring Semester, a year-end review is completed, and students who are out of compliance with one or more of the satisfactory academic progress standards become ineligible for further financial aid until all deficiencies are remedied. The Scholarships and Student Aid Office sends written notification of ineligibility to students at their permanent addresses as listed in official university records in the Registrar's Office. Satisfactory academic progress and eligibility for financial aid are determined each academic year after the Spring semester grades are available.

Federal regulations allow for certain special cases in which the university may waive the standards. Appeals for the waiver may be considered if a student's failure to comply with one or more areas of satisfactory academic progress is due to events beyond the student's control, such as a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family, or other significant life experience and if such mitigating circumstances can be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Eligibility may be regained by appeal for a fall or spring semester.

Contact the Scholarships and Student Aid Office to obtain an Appeal for Reinstatement of Eligibility form or visit our website at https://www.nccu.edu/ssa/satisfactory-academic-progress.