Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

To remain eligible for federal financial aid — including Pell Grants, federal student loans, and Federal Work-Study — students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Federal regulations require schools to evaluate SAP at the end of each academic year.

On this page you will find:

What You Need to Know

At the end of the spring term, you will be reviewed to determine if you meet the three required SAP Standards for the upcoming academic year. If you are not meeting one or more of the three SAP standards, you will lose eligibility for federal financial aid. However, you may submit a SAP Appeal to request reinstatement of your aid. If approved, you must successfully follow an Academic Plan to maintain eligibility.

You can determine whether you are meeting SAP standards by:

  • Using the SAP Eligibility Calculator
  • Checking your CUNYfirst “To Do” List

If you are not meeting SAP requirements, your CUNYfirst “To Do” section will include a link to submit your SAP Appeal Package.

Submitting a SAP appeal requires an Academic Plan, which must be completed with your Academic Advisor. The Academic Advisement Center is located in Room AC-2C01. A list of Departmental Advisors — including their contact information and office locations — is available through the Academic Advisement Center.

The Deadline to submit the SAP appeal for Fall 2025 was 10/31/2025
Before You Submit the Petition, you must complete both of the following:

SAP Eligibility Calculator

Step by Step

How to Submit Your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal

Circumstances for a SAP Appeal

Your appeal must be based on excusable circumstances resulting from events in your life, such as personal illness or injury, illness or death of a family member, loss of employment, or changes in your academic program. Your appeal must actually include an explanation of how these circumstances caused you not to make satisfactory progress and what changes you have made that would allow you to meet the appropriate progress standard in a future evaluation. I think your appeal should include independent third-party documentation of the circumstances you describe in your explanation.

Your appeal must also include a reasonable and attainable academic plan that, if followed, will make sure that you will complete your academic program or make substantial progress towards completing your program in the semesters that you wish to receive aid for.

If you decide to appeal, please read the following instructions regarding our new processes:

SAP Standards

1. Maximum Timeframe

Students may not attempt more than 150% of the credits normally required for completion of your degree.

  • Baccalaurate Degrees: If your degree requires 120 credits, you must complete it within 180 attempted credits (120 × 150%).

2. Qualitative
(Grade based-GPA)

  • Students must maintain a GPA that meets the College’s minimum requirement.
  • If in a program longer than two years, you must have a GPA of at least a “C” average or be in good academic standing to graduate.
  • Federal Minimum Standard:

Credits Attempted 

Minimum GPA

1 – 12 

1.5

1 –24 

1.75

25 and Above 

2.0

3. Pace of Progression

For students pursuing a baccalaureate degree, earned credits must be equal to or greater than a specific percentage of attempted credits.

Meets SAP Pace

  • Attempted: 30 credits
  • Completed: 24 credits
  • Pace = 24 ÷ 30 = 80% → Meets SAP (above 67%).

Not Meeting SAP Pace

To keep federal financial aid (like Pell Grants, loans, and Work-Study), students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you do not meet SAP, it means you are not meeting one or more of these federal standards:

  • Attempted: 30 credits
  • Completed: 18 credits
  • Pace = 18 ÷ 30 = 60% → Does NOT meet SAP (below 67%).

Attempted Credits

Earned Credits

15

0

30

5

45

16

60

27

75

42

90

50

105

63

120

72

135

84

150

95

165

110

180 

120

NOTE: All students (whether aid recipients or not) will be measured against each of the three SAP components at the end of the spring term to determine eligibility for federal financial aid for the upcoming award year. Students planning to use PELL for summer semesters may not be eligible if they are failing SAP at the end of the spring semester.

Additional Information

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For questions or concerns related to your SAP Appeal, please email SAPAppeal@york.cuny.edu

YorkGPT

Revised: March 13, 2026

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