Financial aid regulations dictate that a student must demonstrate academic progress in order to continue to receive financial aid. Aid agencies are not aware of your academic progress when they determine your eligibility for grants. An award letter from them only means that you are financially eligible; Pitt-Greensburg is required to determine if you are also academically eligible. If you do not meet the standards for academic progress stated below, you are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Please note that there are differences in the standards and procedures used for federal, Pennsylvania, and University aid programs. It is possible that you could be eligible to receive aid from one source and not eligible for aid from another source.
Academic Progress Standard for Federal Aid
The standards and procedures described in this section apply to all of the following types of financial aid:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Direct Loan
- Federal SEOG Grant
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan
- Some private student loans - ask your lender for academic progress requirements
In compliance with federal student financial aid regulations, the academic performance of students enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh will be reviewed annually to determine whether or not they are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This review will occur at the end of the spring term each year. All students who might be eligible to apply for federal financial aid will be reviewed and evaluated. This requirement applies to all continuing undergraduate, degree-seeking Pitt-Greensburg students. Components of the SAP requirement include a measure of cumulative GPA, Total Attempted Credits and Pace of Completion:
- Cumulative GPA: Undergraduate students must achieve a 1.50 minimum cumulative GPA at the end of their first academic year to be considered to be meeting SAP standards. Undergraduate students must achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of their second and subsequent academic years to be considered to be meeting SAP standards. Transfer credits will not be considered in the calculation of cumulative GPA.
- Total Attempted Credits: Credits attempted by a student cannot exceed 150% of the credits required as defined by the University's published length of the specific academic program. All courses with a passing or failing grade will be counted as credits attempted. All courses with a grade designated as G, I, or W will be counted as credits attempted. Credits on all repeated courses will be counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits from another school will be counted both in terms of hours attempted and hours completed in SAP evaluation.
- Pace of Completion Pace of completion will be based on cumulative credits attempted and cumulative credits completed. The pace of completion will be measured annually, at the end of the evaluation period. Cumulative student course completion rate cannot be less than 67%. All courses with a passing or failing grade will be counted as credits attempted. All courses with a grade designated as G, I, or W will be counted as credits attempted. Credits on all repeated courses will be counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits from another school will be counted both in terms of hours attempted and hours completed in SAP evaluation.
All students who meet the GPA, pace of completion and maximum program length requirements will be assigned a Satisfactory Academic Progress indicator for the upcoming school year. The Financial Aid Office will assign a No Progress status to students who do not meet these standards. Students are not eligible for federal financial aid and other financial aid sources if their SAP status is equal to No Progress.
Academic Progress Standard for Pennsylvania State Aid (PHEAA)
In addition to the general Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines, undergraduate students receiving a PHEAA Grant are subject to a separate satisfactory academic progress review. Full-time students are required to complete a minimum of 24 credits for each full-time PHEAA grant received or a minimum of 12 credits for each part-time PHEAA grant received in the most recent completed academic year.
For more specific information, please contact the PHEAA State Grant Program at www.pheaa.org.
Academic Progress Standard for University Scholarships
Pitt-Greensburg merit scholarships are awarded to students based on academic criteria only. The Pitt-Greensburg Scholarship Committee evaluates every application when it is submitted for admission.
University scholarships are renewable provided the student maintains a 3.0 GPA during the fall and spring terms. The GPA is reviewed at the end of the spring term to determine renewal eligibility. A student who falls below this level for fall has the opportunity to make up the deficiency during the spring semester. Housing scholarships are only valid if the student continues to receive the Pitt-Greensburg University scholarship and lives in university housing.
Once a scholarship has been forfeited, the student cannot have it reinstated for future terms.
Pitt-Greensburg Financial Aid Appeal
When your Financial Aid eligibility is in jeopardy because you have not achieved satisfactory academic progress you have the opportunity to appeal your case and have your eligibility for Federal Student Aid reviewed. This appeal does not determine your eligibility for Pennsylvania State Aid (PHEAA).
Appeals will be limited to students who experienced personal illness or personal accident, death of a member of the student's immediate family or other extraordinary circumstances that prevented the student from attending classes and successfully completing the coursework. Requests for an appeal must be initiated in the Office of Financial Aid and be supported by appropriate documentation as requested. The appeal will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. Access the Academic Progress Appeal Form here.
If an appeal is approved by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee, the student will regain eligibility for one payment period, provided that the student clearly demonstrates that he or she will be able to meet SAP standards at the end of the next payment period. In cases where an appeal is approved, but it is not possible for the student to meet the minimum requirements in one term, the student may choose to agree to the terms and conditions of a defined academic plan, which is designed to provide a pathway to regaining eligibility on a term-by-term basis. The Office of Financial Aid will review student records at the end of each term to determine if the terms and conditions of the plan are being met. An academic plan will remain valid, on a term-by-term basis, unless the student fails to meet the terms and conditions of the plan or regains eligibility under the established standards. Failure to meet the terms and conditions of the approved plan during a semester will result in the loss of future federal financial aid.