Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Marquette University is required by federal regulation to apply qualitative and quantitative standards in measuring Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid purposes. The same standards apply to all students, including students who receive institutional, state, and federal Title IV and Title VII funds administered by the university, and students not receiving any institutional, state or federal Title IV and Title VII funds administered by the university. Federal Title IV programs include Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Direct Loans and PLUS Loans, Federal Work Study, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. Title VII programs include HHS Health Professions Loans, the HHS Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students, the HHS Loan for Disadvantaged Students, the HHS Nurse Faculty Loans and Federal Nursing Student Loans.

Marquette has established the following criteria in conjunction with federal regulation published on Oct. 6, 1993, Federal Register Part 668.16 and in the Higher Education Amendments of 1986. 

For Undergraduate students, progress will be evaluated annually after the spring semester and after every semester for students who are on an academic plan based on an approved SAP appeal.

For students in all other careers, progress will be evaluated annually after the spring semester for pace and after every semester for qualitative analysis and for students who are required to withdraw for academic reasons (RWAR) or are on a SAP plan.

Termination is effective for the next term of enrollment. Notification of termination will be sent electronically to the student’s Marquette email address. Progress for students working on a 2nd degree begins at the start of the new degree.

One-time changes to the SAP policy for Qualitative and Quantitative standards and the Appeals process occurred in Spring 2020. All changes were based on Federal Guidance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on these exceptions is included below for reference only.

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I. Qualitative Standards of Academic Progress

Financial aid recipients are governed by the performance standards of the school or college in which they are enrolled.

Undergraduates
  • 1–24 attempted credits — student must maintain a cumulative 1.500 GPA
  • 24+ attempted credits — student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA

After two years of attendance (including transfer credits) or junior standing (whichever occurs first), undergraduates must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA

Law
  • After the end of the second term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 1.900 GPA (full-time students)
  • After the end of the third term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA (full-time students)
  • 27 – 45 attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 1.900 GPA (part-time students)
  • 45+ attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA (part-time students)

Graduate School
  • 1 - 9 attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 2.500 GPA
  • 9+ attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 3.000 GPA

Graduate School of Management (GSM)
  • 1 - 4.5 attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA
  • 5 - 9 attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 2.500 GPA
  • 9+ attempted credits - student must maintain a cumulative 3.000 GPA

Health Sciences Professional (HESP)
  • Physical Therapy: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.400 GPA
  • Master of Athletic Training: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA. After the end of the second term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.800 GPA
  • Physician Assistant: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA. After the end of the second term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.800 GPA
  • Occupational Therapy: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.800 GPA
  • Clinical Laboratory Science Certificate Program: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.200 GPA
  • Biomedical Sciences Pre-Dental Enhancement Program: After the end of the first term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.400 GPA

Student must meet academic standards as defined by the College of Health Sciences

Dental

After the end of the third term of attendance, a student must maintain a cumulative 2.000 GPA

Incompletes, withdrawals, and transfer of credits from other institutions (including consortium credits) are not included in the MU GPA. Course repeats are only included once in the GPA according to the MU policy for repeat coursework. ESL coursework is included in the GPA. Dual enrollment coursework is included in the GPA.

If your college has required you to withdraw for academic reasons, you will have failed Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid purposes and you will be ineligible for financial assistance for the subsequent semester. You may appeal this determination.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic during Spring 2020 students could switch graded classes to any pass/fail grading basis until May 26, 2020. Qualitative SAP standards were re-evaluated after this deadline and students with changes to their SAP status were notified. For Fall 2020, Dental students were able to switch graded classes to any pass/fail grading basis until December 22, 2020. We re-evaluated Dental students on an academic plan after the deadline to switch a graded class to any pass/fail grading basis for Fall 2020 and notified any affected students once this evaluation has been completed.

II. Quantitative Standards of Academic Progress (Pace)

Students must complete their academic programs and receive their degrees within a maximum time frame to continue receiving Title IV financial aid. Listed below is the maximum number of credits (including AP, test, non-degree, dual enrollment and transfer credits) a student may attempt toward degree completion.  At the point it is determined that students are unable to complete the program within the required maximum time frame, they will receive notification that they are no longer eligible to receive Title IV financial aid. In addition, students who have completed their academic program requirements but have not conferred (taken) a degree will be notified they are ineligible for Title IV aid.

Undergraduate (including double majors) 180 credits
Second undergraduate degree 271 credits
Health Sciences Professional 180 credits
Law 135 credits
Dental School 5 years
Graduate School of Management 6 years
Graduate School - Master’s Degrees and Certificate Programs 6 years
Graduate School - Doctoral Degrees 8 years

 In addition, the following quantitative standards must be met:

Undergraduate Students must earn 67 percent of their cumulative credits attempted
Graduate School, Graduate School of Management, Law and Health Sciences Professional Students must earn 75 percent of their cumulative credits attempted
Doctor of Dental Surgery Students must earn 80 percent of their cumulative credits attempted

Note: Grades of I, IX, NC, UNC, IP, IW, IE, PI, X, ADW, UY, W, WA, UW and U, unreported grades, grades of F, WF, NP or audit after the add/drop semester deadline are counted as attempted but not earned credits. Repeat courses are only counted once in the cumulative earned. Credits are counted for all terms in which students did not receive aid as well as credits waived under academic amnesty policies. Part-time attendance counts in the max time frame calculation. ESL coursework counts toward attempted and earned credits. Marquette currently does not offer remedial or enrichment courses.

Per Federal Guidance, Section 3509 of the CARES Act, credits attempted but not completed in Spring 2020 were excluded from attempted credits used in the calculation of quantitative progress. Marquette University considered all withdrawals from students enrolled in ground-based instruction in Spring 2020 to have been the result of circumstances related to the COVID-19 national emergency. 

III. Failure to meet SAP Standards

A student who fails SAP cannot receive aid for the subsequent term.   A student who fails SAP has the option to “appeal”.  See Section IV for Appeal procedures and requirements

If a student in an ineligible status receives aid, full repayment will be required of all funds received, excluding employment earnings. A student working under the Federal Work Study program will have his/her employment terminated. When a student has made satisfactory progress as outlined above after a particular term at Marquette without the benefit of student financial aid, the student must contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and request a Satisfactory Academic Progress re-evaluation. The student will then be reinstated to an eligible status.

IV. SAP Appeal Procedures

  1. Student must complete the appeal form by following instructions on the form. The basis of your appeal may include, but is not limited to, the following extenuating circumstances: personal injury or illness, family difficulties, interpersonal problems, death of student's relative. Note: All appeals must include an advisor approved academic plan that, if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet Satisfactory Academic standards by a specific point in time. A student is considered to be on “Financial Aid Probation” the first semester after their appeal is approved.
  2. Subsequent appeals of the same nature are not permitted. If you wish to appeal again based on the same circumstance, you will need to provide very clear information about what has changed since your previous appeal to permit you to make satisfactory progress at the next evaluation.
  3. Results of the appeal will be communicated electronically to the student’s Marquette Email account from the Office of Student Financial Aid.
  4. Deadline – Appeals must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the end of the term for which aid is desired. Allow up to 3 weeks for processing appeals.

View the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form for each college.

V. Reinstatement of Eligibility

When a student has made satisfactory progress as outlined above for a particular term at Marquette without the benefit of student financial aid, the student must contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and request a Satisfactory Academic Progress re-evaluation. The student will then be reinstated to an eligible status for the subsequent term.

VI. Using the SAP What-If Calculator

Students have access to the new Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) What-If Calculator in CheckMarq. This tool to help understand the impact of grades and withdrawals on a student's Satisfactory Academic Progress standing. By entering anticipated grades, the student can check to see if a withdrawal or an anticipated unsatisfactory or low grade will negatively impact financial aid eligibility for future terms.

This tool is meant to be a resource in students' decision-making process. However, this does not replace working with college offices and Marquette Central to understand the full impact of poor grades or unsatisfactory course performance or withdrawal.

For more information on how the What-If Calculator works visit our SAP What-If Calculator information page.

VII. Other Information

If a student enrolls in a program that is a year or less in length, progress will be evaluated at the end of each payment period.