SAP Appeal Process

  

Satisfactory Academic Progress
If a student fails one or more of the three measures (qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time frame), the student is not eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid, which includes grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study, and loans. However, students failing SAP standards who have had mitigating circumstances (such as a death in the family, illness, or other extenuating circumstances) may request reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility by completing the SAP Appeal Form. 

The Office of Student Financial Aid Services will send a notification to impacted students and the correspondence will include a link to the student portal where the online appeal form is located. The appeal includes the following student requirements as well as the endorsement from the student’s Academic Advisor:
  • Detailed explanation for the failure to meet SAP standards for each payment period the student failed to perform satisfactorily
  • Documentation to support the reason for failure.
  • A detailed explanation of what has changed that will now allow the student to make Satisfactory Academic Progress at the next evaluation.

Steps to apply for SAP Appeal: 

  1. Please log in to your student portal to complete the requested information listed on your account.
  2. Complete all sections of the SAP Appeal Form Please make sure to provide relevant dates related to the circumstance.
  3. If you are failing timeframe, you are required to complete the Academic Curriculum Worksheet by downloading it from the link that will be provided in the portal. This worksheet must list the courses you plan to register for in the current semester and future semesters.
  4. Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor or faculty advisor. You will be required to meet and consult with an advisor to discuss the academic plan you will follow during probation (if your appeal is approved). The academic advisor can send an email to finaid_sap@njit.edu attesting and endorsing your SAP Appeal. Your advisor must copy you on the email and you will need to upload a screenshot of their email endorsement on StudentForms.

After you submit the online SAP Appeal, you will be required to upload the supporting documentation in the portal. Once your appeal is received, a decision will be rendered within 15 business days of the committee meeting and during peak times it may take more time. Email notification of the outcome will be sent via NJIT email. If your appeal is approved you will be reinstated and placed on "probation" and aid will be reinstated for that term, if eligible. As a probation term, you are required to complete two Financial Literacy Sessions and submit receipt of completion on the student portal. Your probation is conditional; failure to meet your academic plan and/or re-establish proficiency with the SAP standards will result in Financial Aid denial.

SAP Appeal Deadline

Summer 2024

July 8, 2024

Fall 2024

August 27, 2024

Spring 2025

January 17, 2025

 

SAP Appeals Committee and Decision:

The SAP Appeals Committee is comprised of members of the staff of the Office of Student Financial Aid Services. The OSFAS will notify the student of the decision via NJIT email. The appeals decision will be rendered within 15 business days of the committee meeting and during peak times up to 30 days. The appeals decision is final. The committee reserves the right to request additional documentation. If additional documentation is not submitted in a timely manner, the appeal will be considered incomplete and will be denied. If the student is granted probation for a semester in which he or she does not enroll, the appeal will automatically be granted for the subsequent semester.

The SAP Academic Plan:

The Academic Plan is separate from an Academic Improvement Plan which is required from students who fail to maintain the University’s Academic Standing Policy. The SAP Academic Plan is for Financial Aid SAP Appeal students. Students who submit a successful SAP appeal and are approved, have their financial aid reinstated  for one payment period during this probation period. To gain eligibility in the subsequent term, a student must meet the three standards of SAP or meet the requirements of his or her academic plan. Failure to meet either the SAP standards or the academic plan, will render the student a denial for the next semester aid.
Terms and Conditions of the Academic Plan are as follows:
  1. Achieve a minimum term GPA of 2.0 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduates.
  2. Successfully complete and pass all attempted coursework during the probation period. (Withdrawals or failed grades are not allowed).
  3. Complete two Financial Literacy online sessions and submit the certificate of completion in the student portal.
  4. For students failing due to timeframe, the courses you entered on the SAP Curriculum Worksheet must be followed.
Students are only allowed to be on an Academic Plan for no more than two semesters within the academic year. At the conclusion of the term for which the student was on an academic plan, the student must meet the SAP standards on their own or meet the requirements of their Academic Plan. A student will be ineligible for financial aid but can appeal once again according to the appeals deadline. 

SAP Academic Denial After Probation:

If the student fails to meet SAP Financial Aid standards or the requirements set forth in the SAP Academic Plan, the student will be denied financial aid. The student is ineligible for financial aid with this status. A student with SAP denial status will remain ineligible for financial aid until the student meets the minimum SAP Policy requirements (cumulative 2.0 GPA for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduates, earn at least 67% of attempted credits, and/or not exceed the 150% maximum timeframe for their program see timeframe section), or submits a successful appeal by the deadline. 

Denied Appeals:

Students with denied SAP appeals may stay enrolled in the semester but are ineligible to receive federal, state, and/ or institutional aid. Other payments options include:

Out-of-pocket payments- Students may visit the Bursar's office to discuss payment plans, methods, and deadlines. 
 
Private loan-  Students may choose to apply for a private loan. At NJIT, Elmselect.com contains a list of lenders for your convenience. Please note some educational loans require students to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. To narrow your search click "Sort & Filter" on the left portion of the screen and under "Satisfactory Academic Progress" select "Not Required". We encourage all students to read carefully the terms and conditions of each lender.