SAP Policy

Purpose 

Federal Title IV financial aid regulations require that students receiving federal aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain eligible. SAP standards are also required for certain state and institutional financial aid programs. At the UTRGV’s School of Podiatic Medicine (SOPM), SAP is evaluated annually at the conclusion of the academic year, once all final grades have been submitted.

Persons Affected 

The policy will cover the students participating in the UTRGV SOPM curriculum. 

Policy 

Federal Title IV financial aid regulations require students receiving federal student aid to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards to maintain eligibility for the aid. Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are also required for some state and institutional financial aid programs.

Satisfactory academic progress at UTRGV SOPM is determined once a year at the end of each academic year and once all final grades are posted. Students must meet the three SAP components described below. Students repeating a year of medical school are eligible for Title IV aid if the student satisfies the required three components of SAP as follows: Qualitative Assessment, Pace of Progression (Quantitative Standard), and Maximum Time Frame.

Qualitative Assessment: 

To determine a student’s academic progress, the SOPM Financial Aid Office adheres to the School of Podiatric Medicine’s Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (PMSEPC) academic policy. Such a policy is instituted for all students and requires the student to fulfill Federal Title IV academic policy requirements.

Pace of Progression (Pace):  

• This is determined by dividing the cumulative hours the student has successfully completed by the cumulative hours the student has attempted.  

• Attempted hours are all course credit hours for which a student is enrolled as of the census date. For medical students, attempted hours include grades of H (honors), HP (high pass), P (pass), NP (failed-no pass), DR (dropped), or I (incomplete).  Grades of DR (dropped) are counted as hours attempted if the student is enrolled in the class as of the census date.  

• Students must successfully complete at least 67% of the hours attempted. (For example, a medical student who attempted 40 credit hours and successfully completed 32 of those credit hours with a “P” (pass) would have completed 80% of attempted credits).  

• At the end of an academic year, students failing to meet this standard will be placed in financial aid probation and will be required to submit a Financial Aid SAP appeal.

Maximum Time Frame (MTF):  

• This is the maximum time period in which SOPM students must complete their podiatric medical degree according to federal regulations.  

• The Maximum Time Frame will be measured by the number of years allowed to complete the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Program.  

• Medical students enrolled in the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Program have a maximum of 6 years (150% of program length) to complete their degree from the day of matriculation. Appeals to PMSEPC can be made on a case-by-case basis.  

Evaluation of Eligibility  

Podiatric medical students are evaluated for SAP at the end of each academic year once all grades are posted (usually occur in June). Students not meeting SAP after the process is completed will automatically go on financial aid suspension, and there will be no warning period, as per federal regulations. Students placed on suspension are not eligible for any Title IV aid, such as Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS Loans, unless a Financial Aid SAP appeal is approved.  

Appeals Information  

A podiatric medical student denied Title IV aid (financial aid) because of a failure to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards can appeal this determination by completing a Financial Aid SAP Appeal and submitting the appeal form along with any supporting documentation to the SOPM Financial Aid Appeals Committee. An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances that seriously affect academic performance. Examples of possible mitigating circumstances are the death of an immediate family member, serious illness or injury, automobile accident, separation/divorce, and other similar events and/or other extenuating circumstances in which the student had no control. 

The SOPM Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee will be convened as needed by the  Assistant Director of Financial Aid Medical Education. Committee members, consisting of the SOPM administration, along with representatives from the UTRGV Financial Aid Office, will review submitted financial aid appeal forms. These committee members function in a student advisory administrative capacity, and/or  know federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies. Approved decisions are determined after careful evaluation of the student’s unique circumstances, Federal Title IV regulations, and UTRGV SOPM guidelines. Students with an approved appeal are notified of the decision via e-mail and the student portal. During this time, the student is responsible for any tuition and fees (including late fees) incurred in their account.  

Appeal Procedures  

• An appeal must include a letter of explanation detailing why the student failed to meet SAP standards and what specific measures they will take to resolve the situation and ensure SAP requirements are met. Students will be given a period of two weeks to complete and submit their appeal.  

• The appeal committee may approve an appeal based on their professional judgment that a student has sufficiently proven that an extenuating circumstance has caused the suspension due to not meeting SAP.  

• Students with a denied appeal remain in financial aid suspension without the benefit of financial aid funds until SAP policy standards are regained.  

• All appeal decisions are final.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid (Title IV) Eligibility  

• Students with an approved appeal are placed on financial aid probation for one year. During this probationary year, they remain eligible to receive Title IV aid, including Federal Direct Loans.  

• Students meeting all SAP requirements at the end of a probationary year will regain eligibility for Title IV aid and are not required to file another appeal for the next academic year.

Please note:  Students with an approved appeal, but who are repeating a year of podiatric medical school, are not eligible to receive any type of tuition scholarship as per SOPM Scholarship Policy.  

Procedures 

A podiatric medical student denied Title IV aid (financial aid) because of a failure to meet satisfactory academic progress standards can appeal this determination by completing a Financial Aid SAP Appeal and submitting the appeal form along with any supporting documentation to the SOPM Financial Aid Appeals Committee. An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances that seriously affected academic performance. Examples of possible mitigating circumstances are the death of an immediate family member, serious illness or injury, automobile accident, separation/divorce, and other similar events and/or other extenuating circumstances in which the student had no control.  

• An appeal must include a letter of explanation detailing why the student failed to meet SAP standards and what specific measures they will take to resolve the situation and ensure SAP requirements are met. Students will be given a period of two weeks to complete and submit their appeal.  

• The appeal committee may approve an appeal based on their professional judgment that a student has sufficiently proven that an extenuating circumstance has caused the suspension due to not meeting SAP.  

• Students with a denied appeal remain in financial aid suspension without the benefit of financial aid funds until SAP policy standards are regained.  

• All appeal decisions are final.  

• Students with an approved appeal are placed on financial aid probation for one year. During this probationary year, they remain eligible to receive Title IV aid, including Federal Direct Loans.  

• Students meeting all SAP requirements at the end of a probationary year regain eligibility for Title IV aid and are not required to file another appeal for the next academic year.

Final Level of Appeal (if applicable) 

The SOPM Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee will be convened as needed by the Assistant Director of Financial Aid. Committee members consisting of the SOPM administration, along with representatives from the UTRGV Financial Aid Office, will review submitted financial aid appeal forms. These committee members function in a student advisory administrative capacity, and/or have knowledge of federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies. Approved decisions are determined after careful evaluation of the student’s unique circumstances, Federal Title IV regulations, and UTRGV SOPM guidelines. Students with an approved appeal are notified of the decision via e-mail and the student portal. During this time, the student is responsible for any tuition and fees (including late fees) incurred in their account.  

Relevant Federal and/or State Statute(s), Board of Regents’ Rule(s), UTS Policy(ies), and/or Coordinating Board Rule(s) 

668.34 Satisfactory Academic Progress 

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-C/section-668.34  

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) Financial Aid Eligibility  

https://aacpm.org/becoming-a-podiatric-physician/financial-aid/  
Dates Reviewed or Amended  
Last Updated on September 27, 2022