If you receive federal financial aid, you are expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward your degree. Miami University's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy applies to the following federal financial aid programs:

• Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

• Federal Pell Grant

• Federal Perkins Loan

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

• Federal Work Study

• National SMART Grant

• Federal TEACH Grant

• William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS)

Basic Requirements

1. Grades and Credit Hours Attempted/Earned (SAP)

You must meet the academic requirements necessary to remain at Miami University as a student as outlined in The Miami Bulletin, General Edition in the sections titled "Other Requirements," "Registering for Courses," and "Grades."

You must pass at least 67% of the cumulative credit hours you attempted.

2. Maximum Time Frame for Completion of Degree Program (SAP12)

We measure your progress toward your degree by calculating the number of full-time equivalent semesters you attend. Federal regulations require us to establish a maximum time frame by which you must complete your degree program as a federal financial aid recipient. The maximum time frame includes all prior terms of attendance at Miami and any other college or university whether or not you received federal financial aid. If you repeat courses, those hours will be included as additional attempted hours.

We base our calculation of the maximum time frame on full-time attendance each semester (12 credit hours). Enrollment levels for students attending less than full time will be pro-rated according to the following ratios:

Enrollment Level	Credit Hours	Ratio
3/4 time	9 - 11 hours	.75
1/2 time	6 - 8 hours	.50
Less than 1/2 time	1 - 5 hours	.25

Maximum Time Frame Requirements for Undergraduate Students
You must complete your degree program within the following maximum time frame:

Degree Program	Maximum Time Frame
Certificate	3 semesters (48 credit hours)
Associate	6 semesters (96 credit hours)
Bachelor	12 semesters (192 credit hours)

Note: Multiple degree students (i.e., pursuing an Associate's Degree simultaneously with a Bachelor's Degree) and students with transfer hours must provide the Office of Student Financial Assistance a copy of their Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). In addition, a supporting letter must be submitted from the Academic Advisor stating how many of their hours (transfer or from a previous degree) apply to the degree they are currently working towards.

Maximum Time Frame Requirements for Graduate Students
You must complete your degree program within the following maximum time frame:

Degree Program	Maximum Time Frame
Masters	10 semesters (120 credit hours)
Doctoral	14 semesters (168 credit hours)

Annual Academic Progress Review

We review academic progress each academic year by dividing the total number of credit hours you passed by the total number you attempted. The review process begins at the end of spring semester for those students who have submitted a FAFSA. If you submit a FAFSA at a later date, your academic progress review will be done at the time your FAFSA is received. This review is based on your entire enrollment history at Miami. Transfer courses will also impact your maximum time frame. If you passed at least 67% of the cumulative credit hours you attempted, your progress is satisfactory. If you passed less than 67% of the cumulative credit hours you attempted, your progress is unsatisfactory. We also check to make sure you have not exceeded the maximum term limit described above.

Please note: For the purposes of satisfactory academic progress, credit hours attempted are those hours for which you have received a grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, IG, N, P, S, U, W, X, and Y. If you received the academic fresh start, all hours attempted prior to the fresh start are considered in the SAP calculation.

If you repeat courses, those hours will be included as additional attempted hours. If you have a grade changed, your eligibility for aid could be recalculated based on an increase in earned hours. This would include having an "I" or "IG" changed to a passing grade.

Federal Financial Aid Suspension - If your progress is unsatisfactory, your federal financial aid eligibility will be suspended. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will send you written notification of the suspension of your federal financial aid eligibility.

Federal Financial Aid Termination - If you fail to complete your degree program within the maximum time frame, your federal financial aid will be terminated. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will send you written notification of the termination of your federal financial aid eligibility.

Appeal Process - You may request a reevaluation of your federal financial aid suspension or termination if extenuating circumstances prevented you from making satisfactory progress. Examples of extenuating circumstances include:

• Serious illness or injury that required extended recovery time;

• Death or serious illness of an immediate family member;

• Significant trauma that impaired your emotional and/or physical health;

• Other documented circumstances.

You should file your appeal within three weeks of the date we notify you that your aid is suspended or terminated. You must submit your appeal by the published deadline for the term for which you appeal. We will notify you of our decision within approximately three weeks after we receive your appeal.

Students on financial aid suspension: If you do not submit an appeal or if your appeal is denied, you must complete coursework at your own expense until you are once again maintaining a 67% completion rate.

You may complete coursework at Miami or at another institution, provided the credits can be transferred to Miami and you did not receive federal financial aid at the other institution while taking those courses. Any credits earned and transferred to Miami must have been earned after the Miami term(s) in which your federal financial aid was denied. If you pay for and successfully complete courses at another institution, please be prepared to provide appropriate documentation (i.e., paid receipts, transcripts, and evidence that you did not receive federal financial aid at the other institution).

When completing coursework to regain eligibility, you may not repeat a course you previously passed and you may not test out of requirements in order to improve your completion percentage. However, any prior incomplete that you make up will count toward improving your completion percentage.

Students on federal financial aid termination: If you do not submit an appeal or if your appeal is denied, you must complete your degree program without the benefit of federal financial aid.

Non-Federal Financial Aid: In order to be eligible for the maximum amount of non-federal aid (state and/or university), continue to file the FAFSA by the priority deadline. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) does not affect your eligibility for a private loan.

Withdrawal from the University
If you receive financial aid from federal programs but withdraw during a semester, some of your aid may be used to pay the bill for the portion of the semester you attended. Since you did not complete the semester, you may not have earned 100% of your federal aid. A federal calculation will be done to see if any of your aid will be returned to the U.S. Department of Education. If that happens, you may owe the University for unpaid charges. In addition, you may fail to make satisfactory academic progress and jeopardize future federal financial aid. To make sure you understand the possible impact on your federal financial aid, please consult with a financial aid counselor prior to withdrawing from the University.

Academic Suspension/Dismissal
If you are suspended or dismissed for academic reasons, you may not receive federal financial aid until you are readmitted. When you apply for readmission, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for information about applying for aid.

Additional Requirements for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
If you have borrowed the maximum Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or PLUS loan at the same class level for two academic years in a row, you may be prohibited from borrowing additional funds until you advance to the next class level as defined below.

Due to the variability in degree programs for graduate students, you should check with the Office of Student Financial Assistance for information on graduate borrowing levels.