Staying Eligible for Student Aid

Regaining Aid Eligibility

Meeting All SAP Standards

If you lose eligibility for aid due to not meeting SAP standards, it does not prevent you from enrolling in courses, but it does affect your ability to receive federal financial aid to help cover the expenses. You may be able to regain it by attempting credits on your own (without aid) until you meet all SAP standards. At that time, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Appeal/Probation

If you are ineligible for financial aid based on SAP standards, you may submit an Appeal for Reinstatement of Aid form along with appropriate documentation to the UW-Green Bay Financial Aid Office.

If your appeal is successful, you will receive aid for one probationary semester. After that term, you MUST be meeting ALL standards or will once again become ineligible.

See Appeal Details

SAP Terms

Below are definitions of terms you should be aware of to maintain strong eligibility for your student financial aid.

• Attempted Credits: Credits successfully completed, as well as transfer, test, remedial and repeated credits, failed or incomplete grades, drops as well as any withdrawals on your academic transcript. Attempted credits also include those taken as Pass/No Credit. 
• ​Alert Status: You are currently meeting SAP standards. However, you should be aware that you may be close to your limit in one or more categories that are being measured. An alert status at the end of a term would result in an email notice. No action is needed on your part (other than to resolve any academic issues you may be facing).
• Warning Status: You are NOT meeting one or more of the measurements of SAP. However, you are allowed ONE additional term of financial aid to meet ALL SAP standards. If you do not meet all of the standards after that term, you will lose aid eligibility. If you are an aid recipient, a warning status will result in an email notice to your campus email, and a letter will be sent to your permanent address. No action is needed on your part (other than to resolve any academic issues you may be facing).
• Ineligible Status: You are no longer eligible for financial aid because you have exceeded the cumulative attempted credit limit and/or you have not met SAP for two consecutive terms. If you are an aid recipient and determined to be ineligible, an email notice will be sent to your campus email, and a letter will be sent to your permanent address (as listed in SIS). You will remain ineligible until:
  • You successfully appeal for reinstatement of aid, or
  • You regain eligibility by meeting all SAP standards and notifying the Financial Aid Office.

Other Eligibility Factors & Considerations

• Academic Forgiveness: The University has instituted an Academic Forgiveness Policy based on a returning student meeting certain eligibility criteria. The SAP policy, however, cannot ignore or forgive a student's prior academic work when measuring a student's aid eligibility. Therefore, although the University may allow you to continue taking coursework through this policy, your aid eligibility is determined based on your full academic record. Students who are granted academic forgiveness may still submit an appeal for reinstatement of aid for extenuating circumstances.  
• Changed/Added Majors: In some cases, students may decide to pursue multiple majors or change their majors. Students who attempt to do so will still be monitored for maximum timeframe limitations in the same manner as all students. Depending on the timing of the change and/or the difference between the majors, length of time may be a problem for students and a loss of aid eligibility may result. Carefully review your situation to prevent loss of eligibility before the completion of any degree requirements. It is important to note as well that, per regulation, once it has been determined a student has met the graduation requirements in a degree program, their aid eligibility will cease.
• Consortium Agreements: If you have a Consortium Agreement on file for a given semester, those credits will count as credits attempted but not completed until an official transcript is reviewed by the Registrar's Office. Be sure to submit a transcript as soon as your class(es) are finished. Consortium credits will impact the maximum timeframe and completion rate measurements. Grades from Consortium Agreement credits will not factor into your cumulative GPA at UW-Green Bay.
• Incompletes, Drops & Withdrawals: Any incomplete grades (“I”), Drops (“DR”) or Withdrawals (“W”) on your record count as attempted credits, and therefore, affect the measurements of completion rate and maximum timeframe. Although an “I”, “DR” and “W” do not factor into the cumulative GPA, receiving a ‘WF’ grade by failing to drop or withdraw from a course(s) will be factored in to a student’s GPA. Once a student earns a grade in an Incomplete (‘I’) course (earning an A, B, C, D or F), the grade will be calculated into the GPA and assessed for SAP at the next evaluation. Students who do not complete the coursework in the time allowed by institutional policy will have the “I” lapse to an “F”.
• Prior Degrees: Once you have completed a Bachelor's degree, your financial aid options will be limited. Students who have completed an undergraduate degree at UW-Green Bay are not eligible for aid through UW-Green Bay in order to pursue an additional major. If, however, you are returning to pursue another degree AND have been admitted into that degree program, you may have limited eligibility before the cumulative attempted credit maximum is reached. The same will apply for students who have their degree from another institution. Once the requirements of an Associate’s degree have been met, students will not be eligible to receive aid for a second Associate’s degree. Continuation from an Associates degree to seeking a major for a Bachelor’s degree does allow a student to be considered for aid.
• Remedial and Pass/No Credit Courses: Remedial courses taken as well as courses taken for Pass/No Credit (P/NC) will count as part of a student’s enrollment and toward the attempted credit maximum (maximum timeframe). Courses taken as P/NC do not have a grade “value” associated with them, and therefore, have no impact on GPA.
• Repeated Coursework: The ability to repeat coursework is defined by institutional policy. However, repeated coursework may have an impact on your SAP status. Successfully repeating a course can help raise your cumulative GPA (i.e. to reach the cumulative 2.0 standard). The grade from your most recent attempt replaces the prior grade and is used to determine cumulative GPA. However, each time you take a course, it counts toward your attempted credit limit. The initial attempt will count, as will any repeated attempt. Multiple attempts and repeats may result in reaching the cumulative attempted credit limit before degree requirements are met. Seeking guidance from a program or academic advisor prior to repeating a course may be beneficial. In some cases, a student may not be eligible for aid to repeat a course. You should review the Repeating Coursework Policy, to help you determine aid eligibility if you are thinking of repeating a course.
• Transfer/Test Credits: All accepted transfer/test credits will be counted as attempted and completed credits when measuring cumulative completion rates and attempted credit maximums. Transfer students are encouraged to meet with an academic program advisor early in their career at UW-Green Bay in order to ensure proper course selection and to develop a plan for efficient program completion. SAP standards will remain the same for these students.