An annual review of student Satisfactory Academic Progress toward an eligible degree or certificate is required by federal, state, and institutional rules as one condition for financial aid eligibility. Students who fail the standards are NOT making satisfactory academic progress and are NOT eligible for financial aid funding.
This policy has FOUR PARTS . ALL FOUR CONDITIONS MUST BE MET. Students who do not meet SAP cannot receive financial aid unless an appeal is approved. Conditions and procedures for appeal are updated annually. If an appeal is not approved, the student is required to pay registration fees. Appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department and there is no further appeal.
PART ONE: Acceptable Passing Rate – We assess the acceptable passing rate standard as an overall ratio of CSUN units earned to CSUN units attempted. Students must have passed at least 70% of all the units they attempted. Transfer units are not included in this calculation. Grades of F, I, NC, W, and WU count as units attempted with zero units earned.
PART TWO: Acceptable Grade Point Average – Students disqualified by the University are ineligible for financial aid based on acceptable Grade Point Average standards. Students are not eligible for financial aid until after an official re-admittance to CSU, Northridge. Students re-admitted must notify the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department they are no longer in a disqualified status and are officially re-admitted. Students that are disqualified academically for the first time and are allowed to enroll for a semester on an 1st DQ Academic Performance Agreement must follow the appeal process described in the satisfactory academic progress appeal instructions.
PART THREE: Unit and Time Limits - Students working toward their first undergraduate degree are limited to 180 attempted units (including transfer units). Students who earned their first undergraduate degree are limited to 75 post-baccalaureate attempted units.
PART FOUR: Other Provisions
- Students with an academic history showing patterns of enrollment of inability or unwillingness to progress, such as numerous Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals, withdrawals, repeats, or enrollment inconsistent with the student's educational objective, may be regarded as ineligible for future financial aid. Units for which students withdraw (official or unofficial) may be subject to all the provisions of this policy.
- Students who exceed the university limit of 15 units of repeated coursework are subject to review of continued eligibility.
- Students who exceed the university limit of 18 CR/NC units while in a degree, credential, or certificate granting program are subject to review of continued eligibility.
- Students who completed all undergraduate degree course requirements, but do not graduate (for any reason) are not eligible for funding. Reasons not acceptable for further funding include, but are not limited to: Raising GPA to meet graduation requirement, needing to pass the Writing Proficiency Exam, wanting to complete a minor or a second major (double majors).
- Students completing zero units in any term are not meeting reasonable academic progress standards and may be disqualified from receiving aid the following term. Aid received in the previous term may be subject to repayment.
- Academic progress can be reevaluated at any time throughout the year, as identified by a member of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department staff, the academic advisor, or the Associate Dean.