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

II. Quantitative Standards of Academic Progress (Pace)

III. Failure to meet SAP Standards

IV. SAP Appeal Procedures

V. Reinstatement of Eligibility

VI. Using the SAP What-If Calculator

VII. Other Information