Understanding SAP Appeals: How To Regain Your Financial Aid

Millions of students rely on federal student loans to cover college costs each year. As of the third quarter of 2024, 37.5 million borrowers hold Direct Loans, according to Federal Student Aid data. To maintain access to federal financial aid, students must meet the satisfactory academic progress, or SAP, standards set by their school.

Generally, SAP standards involve maintaining a particular grade point average, completing a certain percentage of attempted credits, and making timely progress toward degree completion. If you fall below the SAP standards and don't meet them in time, you may no longer be eligible for federal financial aid. Although you could technically pay for school without financial aid, that's not an option for everyone. That's when an SAP appeal comes into play.

What is an SAP appeal?

An SAP appeal is a written statement that asks your school to reconsider your SAP status. In this letter, you detail why you haven't met the academic progress requirements at your school, and you must include supporting documentation. Additionally, you need to state what has changed in your circumstances to allow you to make satisfactory progress going forward. If approved, you'll regain access to federal student loans.

While individual schools set SAP requirements, students who fall below the threshold generally struggle in one of the following areas:

• Degree completion timeline: Students must make progress toward degree completion within no more than 150% of the published timeline (a maximum of 6 years for a 4-year program, for example). If it's taking you longer to make progress toward your degree, you might fall below SAP requirements.
• Grade point average (GPA): Students generally must maintain a “C” GPA or higher to meet the necessary academic standards.

If you fall below the SAP standards, your school may give you a warning. This typically buys you time to improve your academic performance. If you don't, your financial aid will be suspended, and you may have an opportunity to file an appeal. Although schools aren't required to offer an appeal option, many do.

How does the SAP appeal process work?

If you want to file an SAP appeal, here's a look at the process:

1. Receive notification of SAP suspension: First, you'll receive notice from the university of your SAP suspension.
2. Write an SAP appeal letter: After considering the situation and reflecting on why you might have fallen behind the SAP standards at your school, write an SAP appeal letter detailing why you fell behind and what concrete changes you plan to make.
3. Gather supporting documents: Some schools require students to provide supporting documents during the SAP appeal process. For example, you might be asked to provide medical records, police reports, or a signed letter from a therapist to support your appeal.
4. Wait: It may take several weeks for the university to review your SAP appeal and provide a decision.
5. Review the decision: Hopefully, your SAP appeal will be approved. From there, you'll likely be put on SAP probation. During SAP probation, it's critical to meet all of your school's academic expectations.

If your SAP appeal is denied, you won't be eligible for federal financial aid. Depending on your school, you may have an opportunity to submit an SAP appeal again.

How to write an effective SAP appeal letter

An effective SAP appeal letter can make or break your future access to financial aid, which makes writing a great letter a top priority. Below are some tips on how to write an SAP appeal letter:

• Clearly outline the situation: After reflection, detail the challenges or obstacles that prevented you from maintaining high academic standards. For example, if you had a medical emergency or struggled with a death in the family, offer details on how this held you back.
• Attach supporting documentation: In addition to your letter, attach appropriate supporting documentation. For example, you might provide a doctor's note or a death certificate to back up your claims.
• Be honest: Honesty about your past academic issues can provide appeal reviewers with enough information to make a decision.
• Provide a specific plan for the future: Explain what you intend to do to bring your grades back up or get back on track for graduation.

SAP appeal example letter

To whom it may concern:

I was diagnosed with cancer last semester. After receiving this life-changing diagnosis, my priority was to take care of my health. Between the necessary doctor's visits, medical treatments, and side effects, I was unable to attend all of my classes on a regular basis last semester.

After treatment, my medical condition has stabilized. I now have the support in place to continue with my courses and improve my grades confidently. Going forward, I plan to register for the classes I failed last semester and take advantage of university resources to keep my grades on track.

Attached to this letter, I've included a doctor's statement about my diagnosis, as well as the hospital bills showing the dates of my treatments last semester.

What happens after you file an SAP appeal?

After you file an SAP appeal, all you can do is wait for the university's decision. Generally, this will take several weeks. Here's a look at the possible outcomes:

• Approved: If your appeal is approved, you'll likely be placed on some form of SAP probation. With this status, you can regain access to federal financial aid.
• Denied: If your appeal is denied, some schools allow you to file another appeal. But in some cases, a denial is the end of the line for federal student loans for this term.

For students who plan to continue with their education after an appeal, other forms of funding to consider include private student loans and personal savings. Although private student loans tend to have higher interest rates (unless you have excellent credit), continuing your education might be worth it.

If you reach your school's SAP requirements in a future semester, you will regain eligibility for federal student loans without an appeal. Generally, this means getting your grades up and making faster progress toward your degree. When you regain eligibility, don't forget to fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).