Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients

The U.S. Department of Education requires that any student receiving federal student aid must be monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to remain eligible to continue receiving federal student aid each semester. 

Wilmington University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients is comprised of two components: A qualitative component and a quantitative component. The qualitative component is measured by the student’s GPA; whereas, the quantitative component is measured by the successful completion of credits. Both components, actions and consequences are described in detail on the following pages:

UNDERGRADUATE Academic Progress for Financial Aid (students working on an Associates or Bachelor's degree)

GRADUATE Academic Progress for Financial Aid (students working on a Master's or Doctoral degree)

You may view your current GPA and/or Pace of Completion information at any time through your myWilmU Portal, by clicking on the "PROGRESS" link under your Financial Aid Requirements list


If your SAP status is "Warning", then you must read, sign, and submit a SAP Warning Acknowledgement before the end of the semester that you are on warning to receive your aid for that semester. 

A warning notice will have been emailed to your myWilmU student email address, but you may also download and submit a generic warning acknowledgement letter.

If you have lost your eligibility for federal financial aid due to SAP, YOU MAY APPEAL YOUR LOSS OF AID:       

If you believe that there are extenuating circumstances that have caused you to fail to meet the minimum academic performance standards, and those circumstances have been resolved, you may submit an appeal to have your eligibility reinstated, with an "Academic Plan", affording you additional time to improve your performance to meet SAP standards.

Circumstances for Appeal: You may appeal that result on the basis of: injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other special circumstances. The appeal must explain why you failed to make satisfactory progress and what has changed in the situation that will allow you to make satisfactory progress at the next evaluation.

Download the SAP Appeal Form, which includes the instructions on how to complete the process, deadlines and information on the criteria needed for a successful appeal.

Please note that, in all cases and regardless of circumstances, for an appeal to be granted it must be realistically possible for you to regain SAP eligibility and to complete your degree program in a reasonable time frame. If you do not choose to appeal your loss of aid, you may regain federal financial aid eligibility in the future by:
Continuing enrollment without the assistance of federal aid; and
Achieving an overall completion rate of at least 67% of all credits attempted; and
Improving to a cumulative Grade Point Average as indicated for your grade level in the links above.

If you meet the above conditions, you may once again be considered for federal aid, assuming all other financial aid requirements are met.