CHECK YOUR SAP STATUS
If you are not meeting PHEAA Satisfactory Academic Progress, we will send you a notification to your Millersville email once spring grades are reviewed. You can also see your SAP status in your myVILLE Portal.
PHEAA Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a term used to describe the successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) requires that students make satisfactory academic progress for each academic year (Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring) during which programs administered by PHEAA were received.
Disclaimer: SAP information can only be given to the student because it is so closely related to grades, which are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). If the person(s) listed on your financial aid Authorization to Release call on your behalf we will not be able to speak with them.
what types of aid does PHEAA sap apply to?
Applicable programs administered by PHEAA that are subject to the SAP policy include the PA State Grant, Partnerships for Access To Higher Education (PATH) Grant, and the Ready to Succeed Scholarship (RTSS).
| IF YOU RECEIVE FEDERAL LOANS OR GRANTS, CLICK HERE. There is a separate SAP policy that applies to all federal (Title IV) aid programs, some private loans, and some Millersville scholarships and grants. |
APPEAL YOUR SAP STATUS
Did you have extenuating circumstances that led to you not making PHEAA Satisfactory Academic Progress You may be able to appeal your SAP status. Click to access PHEAA's 23-24 Progress Exception Form.
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HOW IS SAP MEASURED?
Students are required to earn a specific number of credits at the end of the academic year to continue to be eligible in a future academic year. The number of credits you are required to earn depends on whether you received a full-time or part-time award. Refer to the examples listed below:
Ex 1.
Full-Time Grant
Fall Semester
Full-Time Grant
Spring Semester
Must earn 24 new credits
(total between the two semesters)
Ex 2.
Part-Time Grant
Fall Semester
Part-Time Grant
Spring Semester
Must earn 12 new credits
(total between the two semesters)
Ex 3.
Full-Time Grant
Fall Semester
Part-Time Grant
Spring Semester
Must earn 18 new credits
(total between the two semesters)
Ex 4.
Full-Time Grant
Summer Semester
Full-Time Grant
Fall Semester
Full-Time Grant
Spring Semester
Must earn 36 new credits
(total between the three semesters)
Ex 5.
Part-Time Grant
Summer Semester
Full-Time Grant
Fall Semester
Full-Time Grant
Spring Semester
Must earn 30 new credits
(total between the three semesters)
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WHEN IS SAP EVALUATED?
Each student is measured for SAP annually in May after spring grades are processed. This evaluation determines if the student has made sufficient progress in their program and whether or not they are eligible for future financial aid.
Students who have not met the minimum SAP requirements will be sent an email to their Millersville University email address if they are not eligible. A notification is also displayed under the Finances tab of their myVILLE Student Portal.
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HOW DO MY GRADES, REPEAT COURSES, and REMEDIAL COURSES AFFECT SAP?
RECEIVING STANDARD GRADES:
A (+/-) Passing Grade: Credit earned and GPA is affected. B (+/-) Passing Grade: Credit earned and GPA is affected. C (+/-) Passing Grade: Credit earned and GPA is affected. D (+/-) Passing Grade: Credit earned and GPA is affected. F (+/-) Failing Grade: Credit NOT earned and GPA is affected. RECEIVING SPECIAL GRADES:
I Incomplete: No credit earned but is counted as an attempted credit. P Passing Grade: Credit earned but GPA is not affected. Z No grade given: No credit earned but is counted as an attempted credit. W Withdrawal: No credit earned but is counted as an attempted credit. AU Audit Course: No credit earned and is not counted as an attempted credit.
REPEATING COURSES:
- Repeated courses where credits were previously earned CANNOT be counted.
- Previously earned letter grades = A, B, C, D
- Previously failed credits CAN be counted.
- Previously failed letter grades = F, W, Z would not be eligible for a PA state grant for that semester
TAKING REMEDIAL COURSES:
Remedial courses (MATH 090, COMM 010, ENGL 010) are included in the SAP calculations.
- Please be aware that remedial credits do not count toward the total credits needed to graduate and therefore cannot be counted as a passing credit for the PHEAA SAP calculation.
- If you need to take a remedial course, contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine if an exception can be made based on PHEAA's Policies.
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I AM NOT MAKING SAP, HOW CAN I REGAIN MY ELIGIBILITY?
Check out the different ways that you can work to regain your eligibility for aid.
Earning New Credits at Millersville: Taking and earning new credits at Millersville may help to increase both your completion rate and GPA.
- If you are not making SAP at the beginning of the academic year, you have the opportunity to regain eligibility in a future semester by taking new credits to make up the number of credits you fell short in the previous year.
Example:
- Student A took 12 credits and received a full-time PA State Grant each semester. The student was required to earn a total of 24 new credits. The student passed 12 credits in the fall but only passed 9 in the spring. The student is not making PHEAA SAP and is required to earn 3 new credits to be eligible to receive the PA Grant again.
- If the student takes 3 credits over the summer, they may regain their eligibility beginning with Fall.
- If the student takes 3 credits in the fall, they may regain their eligibility beginning in the spring.
Transferring Credits from Another Institution: Transferring credits from another institution may help you regain PHEAA SAP. If you are taking coursework at another institution to regain eligibility, you must:
- Submit an Official Transcript to the Registrar's Office. An Official Transcript must be sent to their office for the Office of Financial Aid to begin its review.
- If you are taking transfer credits in the summer, we recommended that you take them as early as possible to allow time for the credit(s) to be transferred, reviewed, and updated by the Registrar's Office.
- It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Office of Financial Aid once grades have been transferred from another institution and appear on their Millersville transcript.
Please make sure that our Registrar's Office has your latest transcript from your previous institution.
Official transcripts should be mailed to the following address:
- Registrar's Office
- Millersville University
- P.O. Box 1002
- Millersville, PA 17551
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HOW MANY CREDITS AND/OR WHAT GRADES DO I NEED TO MAKE SAP?
For assistance determining how many new credits you need to earn in order to regain PHEAA Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), contact the Office of Financial Aid.
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can i appeal loosing my state aid
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has a Progress Exception Form that a student can complete if they have experienced extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to meet the academic progress standards.
- In general, extenuating circumstances can include but are not limited to illness, injury, the death of relative or friend, difficulties with accommodations for students with disabilities, and adversity due to unforeseen events.
If you experienced extenuating circumstances such as those listed above, click the link below to access PHEAA's Progress Exception Form, located under general forms and documents. Make sure you are completing the form for the upcoming academic year. For example, if it was determined that you did not meet PHEAA SAP at the end of the 2022-2023 Academic Year, you will need to complete the 2023-2024 Progress Exception Form.
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resources to help you be academically successful
Check out the different resources available to students at Millersville that can help them be academically successful and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.