Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Financial Aid Warning vs. Financial Aid Suspension

Reviewing your Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to federal regulations and standards established by ECU Office of Student Financial Aid Policy in order to receive and remain eligible for financial aid. ECU Office of Student Financial Aid’s SAP Policy consists of three components:

Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).
Minimum cumulative course completion (ratio of attempted hours versus earned hours).
Maximum timeframe (completion of a degree within a maximum number of credit hours).

SAP requirements for each component will vary according to your student type. The following table outlines the minimum standards for each student type.

ECU’s SAP Policy

Student Type	Minimum Cumulative GPA	Minimum Cumulative Course Completion	Maximum Timeframe
Undergraduate	2.0 GPA	Earn 80% of hours attempted.	189 attempted hours, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.
Second Degree	2.25 GPA	Earn 70% of hours attempted.	204 attempted hours, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.
Teacher Licensure	2.25 GPA	Earn 70% of hours attempted.	228 attempted hours as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.
Graduate & Professional	3.0 GPA	Earn 80% of hours attempted.	Program must be completed within a timeframe no longer than 150% of the published length of the academic program, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.
Certificate	3.0 GPA	Earn 80% of hours attempted.	Program must be completed within a timeframe no longer than 150% of the published length of the academic program, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.

Your SAP status will be checked at the end of each term (Fall, Spring, & Summer). If you fail to meet the minimum SAP requirements, you will be notified by email. You may be placed on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Suspension depending on the SAP Policy for your student type. If you are placed on Warning, you will be eligible to receive financial aid for the next term you plan to attend. If you are placed on Suspension, you will not be eligible to receive financial aid for the next term you plan to attend, however, you may be eligible to file a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal.

Financial Aid Warning vs. Financial Aid Suspension

Undergraduate

As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Warning for Grades if you do not have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for the first time.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Warning for Credits if you are not passing 80% of your attempted hours for the first time.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Warning for Grades & Credits if you do not have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and you are not passing 80% of your attempted hours for the first time.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Warning for Time Frame if you have attempted more than 120% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Suspension for Grades if you do not have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement after being on Warning for Grades.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Suspension for Credits if you are not passing at least 80% of the hours you have attempted after being on Warning for Credits.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Suspension for Grades & Credits if you do not have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and you are not passing 80% of your attempted hours after being on Warning for Grades & Credits.
As an Undergraduate student, you will be placed on Suspension for Time Frame if you have attempted more than 150% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.

Second Degree

As a Second-Degree student, you will be given the equivalent of six full-time semesters to complete your second-degree program, including prerequisite courses.
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Grade Warning 2nd Degree if your cumulative GPA is between 2.25-2.5 after 30 or more attempted hours.
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Credit Warning 2nd Degree if you are not passing between 70 – 75% of your attempted hours
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Warning Time Frame 2nd Degree if you have attempted between 189 – 204 hours.
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Grade Suspension 2nd Degree if you do not have a minimum 2.24 cumulative GPA after 30 or more attempted hours.
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Credit Suspension 2nd Degree if you are not passing at least 69.9% of the hours you have attempted.
As a Second-Degree student, you will be placed on Time Frame Suspension 2nd Degree if you have attempted 204 hours or more.

Teacher Licensure

As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Grade Warning TCERT if your cumulative GPA is between 2.25- 2.5 after 30 or more attempted hours.
As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Credit Warning TCERT if you are not passing between 70 – 75% of your attempted hours.
As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Warning Time Frame TCERT if you have attempted between 184-227 hours or more.
As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Grade Suspension TCERT if you do not have a minimum 2.24 cumulative GPA requirement after 30 or more attempted hours.
As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Credit Suspension TCERT if you are not passing at least 69.9% of the hours you have attempted.
As a Teacher Licensure student, you will be placed on Suspension Time Frame TCERT if you have attempted 228 hours or more.

Graduate & Professional

As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Grade Warning if your cumulative GPA is not a minimum 3.0 for the first time.
As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Credit Warning if you are not passing 80% of your attempted hours for the first time.
As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Time Frame Warning if you have attempted more than 120% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.
As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Grade Suspension if you do not have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement after being on GR Grade Warning.
As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Credit Suspension if you are not passing at least 80% of the hours you have attempted after being on GR Credit Warning.
As a Graduate or Professional student, you will be placed on GR Time Frame Suspension if you have attempted more than 150% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.

Certificate

As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Grade Warning if your cumulative GPA is not a minimum 3.0 for the first time.
As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Credit Warning if you are not passing 80% of your attempted hours for the first time.
As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Time Frame Warning if you have attempted more than 120% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.
As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Grade Suspension if you do not have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement after being on GR Grade Warning.
As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Credit Suspension if you are not passing at least 80% of the hours you have attempted after being on GR Credit Warning.
As a Certificate student, you will be placed on GR Time Frame Suspension if you have attempted more than 150% of the hours required for your current primary degree program.

Reviewing your Satisfactory Academic Progress

Log into ECU Pirate Port.
Find & Click on the “Financial Aid Self Service” card.
Select “Satisfactory Academic Progress.”
If the status is “Financial Aid Suspension” then an appeal may be submitted (see below).

University Suspension

If you have been placed on University Suspension, you are not eligible to receive financial aid for the term in which you are suspended even if you allowed to enroll in the summer term as a condition of reinstatement. Once you have been readmitted, after serving your term of suspension, you will need to file a SAP Appeal for the next term you plan to enroll.

Re-Admits

If you previously enrolled at ECU as a degree seeking student and discontinued your enrollment for any reason and length of time and have been readmitted, even under the forgiveness policy, you may be required to file an SAP Appeal.

Appealing your SAP Decision

You may appeal your financial aid suspension by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal for the next term in which you plan to enroll. Along with your SAP Appeal form, you will need to include a letter outlining the situation which impacted you academically, explaining in detail the nature and dates of your mitigating circumstances, how your life circumstances have changed to now support your efforts to achieve SAP, and what you will do differently to ensure academic success if your appeal is granted and include relevant supporting documentation. All SAP appeals will be reviewed on a case by case basis within 7-10 business days. Once a decision is made, you will be notified by email.

Fall 2024 Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal: The deadline to file the Fall 2024 appeal was Friday, August 23rd, 2024. The Fall 2025 appeal will be available in May 2025.

Spring 2025 Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal (PDF): The deadline to submit the Spring 2025 appeal is Friday, January 17, 2025 at 5pm.

Summer 2025 Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal (will be available in March 2025).