Accordion: Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy is specific to maintaining eligibility for federal financial assistance and does not replace academic and departmental policies pertaining to academic and/or degree progression. Federal regulations and University institutional policy require a specified level of academic achievement and the completion of a set number of credits within a given time frame. Students must meet the minimum standards below at the time Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated.
Credit Hour Completion Rate
The credit hour completion rate refers to the pace at which students must progress through their GW academic program to ensure that students completes their academic program within the maximum time frame per federal regulation. At the end of each term, the GW Law Financial Aid Office will evaluate a student’s academic progress in accordance with the following regulatory formula:
Pace = total hours completed ÷ total hours attempted
This means that courses the student drops after the drop/add period has ended will be considered as attempted credit hours. For all students, attempted hours is defined as all courses in which they are enrolled after the drop/add period has ended for the term and for which academic credit will be earned. This means that courses from which students withdraw after the drop/add period has ended will be considered attempted hours. All attempted hours will be counted regardless of whether financial aid was received.
The following course designations are included in attempted hours:
- Withdrawals
- Incompletes
- No grades
- Courses taken as credit/no credit
- Repeated coursework
- Failing grades
- Failing grades in pass/fail courses
- Remedial or ESL coursework
- Transfer credits, including credits from domestic and international study abroad programs
- Test credits
The Grade-Point Average
Academic achievement is computed in terms of the grade-point average, obtained by dividing the number of quality points by the number of credit hours for which the student has registered, both based on his or her record in this University.
The grade-point average is computed as follows: A+, 4.33; A, 4.0; A-, 3.66; B+, 3.33; B, 3.0; B-, 2.66; C+, 2.33; C, 2.0; C-, 1.66; D+, 1.3; D, 1.0; D-, .7; F, 0, for each credit hour for which the student has registered as a degree-seeking student. Although credit value for a course in which a grade of F is earned appears on the transcript for the purpose of calculating the grade-point average, no academic credit is awarded. In the case of a student who is allowed to repeat a course, the first grade received remains on the student’s record and is included in the grade-point average. Courses marked AU, CR, I, IPG, P, NP, R, W, or Z are not considered in determining the average, except courses marked with an I, which will be considered when a final grade is recorded. With the exception of Consortium courses, grades in courses taken at other institutions are not considered in computing the grade-point average.
| JD Full- & Part-time | U.S. LLM & 2nd Int'l LLM | Int'l LLM | Part-time LLM | SJD | |
| Minimum Semester and Cumulative GPA | 1.67 | 2.67 | 2.00 | 2.67 | 2.67 |
| Completion Rate/Pace | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% |
| Attain Degree Within | 126 attempted hours | 36 attempted hours | 36 attempted hours | 36 attempted hours | 42 attempted hours |
Satisfactory Academic Progress is checked at the end of each term. Students who fail to meet the minimum GPA and/or pace requirements will be sent a warning letter. These students will be allowed one warning semester to restore satisfactory standing. Financial aid will be processed for one semester only. Further review will be required at the end of the warning semester. Students that have reached the Maximum Time Frame to complete a program cannot receive a warning semester but can appeal to the SAP committee.
After receiving aid for one warning semester, students who meet the same standards outlined above for the warning semester in each subsequent semester will be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress for purposes of receiving federal student aid, provided that they do not exceed the specified Maximum Time Frame for degree completion. Students who fail to earn the minimum requirements during the warning semester will be considered as not making satisfactory academic progress and federal financial assistance will be terminated or suspended until the student regains minimum satisfactory academic progress standards.
Appeals
You may appeal the denial of financial aid by writing to the GW Law Financial Aid Office SAP Appeals Committee. Appeals are considered in cases where there has been a death of a relative, injury or illness of the student or other special circumstance. Our committee may consult with deans, professors, or physicians (as appropriate) to determine if a Financial Aid Probationary semester should be approved. The appeal must include:
1. A completed SAP Appeal form that has been reviewed by an academic advisor or dean.
2. A letter of explanation as to why you failed to make SAP along with supporting documentation that substantiates your circumstances. Documentation should be from unrelated adults such as professors, academic advisors, clergy members, doctors, or mental health professionals as appropriate.
3. A description of how you plan to rectify your situation in order to meet the requirements at the end of the Financial Aid Probation (one semester).
Reinstatement of Aid Eligibility
Students who fail to make SAP can regain their financial aid eligibility for future semesters by meeting SAP requirements. Students placed on Financial Aid Probation due to a successful appeal must meet all SAP requirements after that one probationary semester in order to re-establish eligibility for future semesters. Reinstatement is based on the availability of funds. Financial Aid, once lost, cannot be reinstated retroactively for previous semesters.