Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a federal requirement that students must meet in order to maintain their financial aid eligibility. The Financial Aid Office is required to monitor each student's academic progress to ensure that they are meeting SAP standards each semester. A student’s SAP status does not affect their ability to enroll at College of Western Idaho (CWI), only their eligibility for financial aid.
To remain in good financial aid standing at CWI and maintain eligibility for federal financial aid, students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA), complete the courses in which they enroll (pace of completion), and complete their program of study within a reasonable period of time (maximum time frame). All students taking courses for credit will have their financial aid SAP status evaluated at the end of each semester, including summer.
Appeal Deadline
For students who are enrolled in the current semester, the deadline to submit SAP appeals is the last day to withdraw. For students who are not enrolled in the current semester, the SAP appeal can be submitted at any time. View the Academic Calendar for more dates.
Spring 2025: Currently enrolled students must submit by April 18.
Fall 2025: Currently enrolled students must submit by Nov. 7.
SAP Standards
Students must meet three SAP standards in order to maintain their financial aid eligibility: GPA, pace of completion, and maximum time frame.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative institutional GPA of 2.0.
- Institutional GPA includes all coursework receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D, F, or X taken at CWI (including remedial coursework and dual credit classes).
- Grades from transfer coursework are not included.
Pace of Completion
Students must make progress toward completion of their declared degree or certificate program while maintaining a minimum 67% completion rate.
- The completion rate is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credit hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours attempted.
- For example, if a student attempted 12 credit hours and successfully completed 9 of them, their completion rate would be 75% (9 / 12 = 0.75, or 75%). Since this is above the minimum 67% requirement, the student is considered to be meeting the pace standard.
Maximum Time Frame
Students must be able to complete their declared degree or certificate within 150% of the published number of credit hours required to complete the program.
- To get the total number of credit hours, all remedial credit hours attempted are subtracted from all credit hours attempted at CWI (including repeated credits) and all credit hours transferred from other colleges or universities. This total is then used to determine the student's current progress toward their degree or certificate.
- For example, if a program requires 60 credits to graduate, the student must be able to complete their program within 90 credits (60 x 1.5 = 90).
SAP Status Definitions
| SAP Status | Status Description | Eligible for Financial Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Good Standing | Student meets all SAP standards (GPA, completion rate, and maximum time frame). | Yes |
| Warning | Student failed to meet at least one SAP standard (GPA and/or completion rate) and is given one semester in which to improve to meet the SAP standards and return to good standing. | Yes |
| Suspension | Student was previously in warning status and failed to regain good standing, or student will not be able to complete program within the 150% limit for maximum time frame. Students who have extenuating circumstances may file an appeal to have their financial aid eligibility reviewed. Students may also self-pay and continue enrollment to attempt to regain good standing or complete their program. | No |
| Education Plan | Student submitted a SAP appeal that was approved and was placed on an education plan. The student must meet all the requirements outlined on their plan. Progress is measured at the end of each semester. Upon successful completion of the education plan, the student will be moved to good standing. Students who fail to meet their plan requirements will be placed on suspension. | Yes |
| Denied | Student submitted a SAP appeal that was denied. Appeals may be denied by the SAP Appeal Committee, or because it was mathematically impossible to place the student on an education plan that would get the student back into good standing. Students must pay out of pocket or through means other than federal financial aid. It may be possible to attend and complete multiple semesters successfully until they begin meeting SAP standards again. | No |
Monitoring SAP Status
It is a student's responsibility to monitor their SAP progress each semester. To check your SAP status:
- Log in to myCWI.
- Select the Self-Service Toolkit.
- From the menu on the left, select Financial Information.
- From the drop-down menu, select Financial Aid Menu and then Satisfactory Academic Progress.
For help understanding why you are on SAP warning or SAP suspension, please contact Financial Aid.
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Regaining Eligibility
SAP Appeal
Students who have experienced academic difficulty due to extenuating circumstances are able to appeal their suspension by submitting a SAP appeal. Extenuating circumstances could include physical or mental illness, the death of an immediate family member, and/or other personal or family problems.
Students must submit the following documents to appeal their suspension:
- A SAP Appeal Form completed and signed by both the student and their academic advisor.
- A letter of extenuating circumstances written by the student describing the circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP, along with how the issue(s) have been resolved.
- Any supporting documentation that can back up the student's extenuating circumstance(s).
The last day to submit an appeal is the last day to withdraw each semester. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on an education plan and will regain financial aid eligibility. Students on an education plan are required to follow certain rules in order to maintain their financial aid eligibility. More information on education plans can be found below.
Education Plans
A student whose SAP appeal is approved will be placed on an education plan. This allows a student's aid to be conditionally reinstated.
A student on an education plan has their progress carefully monitored. In order to stay on the plan, all rules and requirements must be followed. Failure to meet requirements will result in re-suspension.
Education Plan Requirements:
- You must meet your specific terms each semester: a minimum per-semester GPA at or above the required GPA listed on the education plan and a minimum number of credits.
- This will be different for each student. If your appeal is approved, you will receive an email informing you of your specific terms.
- For example, "26 credits with a 2.2 GPA" means you must complete at least 26 credits (over multiple semesters) while maintaining at least a 2.2 GPA per semester.
- You must not change your major.
- If you decide to change your major, you must work with your advisor to complete a new SAP appeal for the new major.
- Changing your major without completing a new SAP appeal will result in removal from the education plan and re-suspension.
- You must successfully complete all registered classes.
- Receiving a grade of F, W, I, NC, NP, CIP, or X will result in removal from the education plan and re-suspension.
- You must only take classes that are required for your major.
Remaining credits evaluation
Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame standard of 150% due to transferred credits or a prior degree/certificate credits may request an evaluation to see if any credits that do not fulfill graduation requirements for their current program can be excluded from the maximum time frame calculation. If able to be approved, the student will be placed back in good standing and will regain their financial aid eligibility.
An evaluation may be requested by submitting an Remaining Credits Evaluation Form, completed and signed by both the student and their academic advisor.
For students seeking an additional degree or certificate, all attempted credits from a prior degree or certificate that fulfill graduation requirements must be counted.
IMPORTANT: Submitting a SAP Appeal or Remaining Credits Evaluation form does not guarantee approval. If it is clear a student cannot mathematically complete their declared degree/certificate or cannot raise their institutional GPA to the minimum 2.0 within the maximum time frame, the appeal or evaluation will be denied, and the student will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid.
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Drops & Withdrawals
Students who receive federal financial aid may be required to repay federal financial aid funds if they drop, completely withdraw, or fail to earn a passing grade from all classes during any semester or fail to complete the enrollment period for which they are registered.
If a student must drop before the census date:
Classes may be dropped any time prior to a semester's census date for a full refund of tuition and fees.If a student must drop a class after the census date:
Withdrawing from a class after the course's census date and receiving multiple withdrawals may result in a student not meeting the SAP progress standards. A student not meeting these standards may be placed on financial aid suspension.If a student withdraws from all classes or fails to complete a semester:
A complete withdrawal from all classes, unsatisfactory grades in all courses, or failing to attend the full period of enrollment may result in a return of federal funds on a student's behalf. -
Terms & Definitions
GRADING
- A, B, C, D, and P grades represent credits successfully completed for SAP purposes.
- F, W, I, NC, NP, WIP, and X grades represent credits that have not been successfully completed.
IMPORTANT: While considered successfully completed for SAP purposes, a D grade may not be passing in all courses and may not fulfill specific program and/or graduation requirements.
REPEAT Courses
- Repeat courses are subject to the College's academic policies.
- A course with a grade representing credits that have not been successfully completed may be repeated with the assistance of federal financial aid.
- A course with a grade that represents credits that have been successfully completed may be repeated one time with the assistance of federal financial aid.
Incomplete Courses
- Incomplete courses must be arranged with instructors and must be completed as indicated by the instructor in accordance with the College's grading policies.
- Courses extended beyond the published end of the period of enrollment in which they were originally scheduled are not considered credit hours successfully completed.
Audited Courses
- Audited courses must be arranged in advance with the instructor and declared by the due date published in the catalog.
- Audited courses are not counted as attempted or completed credits and are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Non-credit courses
- Non-credit courses such as Workforce Development, Adult Education, and English as a Second Language that do not satisfy graduation requirements in the student’s declared degree or certificate are not counted as attempted or completed credits and are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Remedial Courses
- Remedial courses have a course number below 100 and are credit bearing.
- Credits are included in the institutional GPA calculation and are counted as both attempted and completed credits in the pace of completion calculation but are excluded from the maximum time frame calculation.
- Students may receive federal financial aid for a maximum of 30 remedial credit hours.