Satisfactory Academic Progress

Grade Point Average

Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0

Credit Hours Completed

You must complete at least 2/3’s of all credit hours attempted with a passing grade.  At the end of each academic year, your total hours successfully completed will be compared to your total hours attempted to determine whether you are meeting this requirement.  All courses that you remain enrolled in past the add/drop period will count as attempted, even courses with a grade of “W” or its equivalent.  

**Physician Assistant Program: Students must complete 100% of their attempted credits each semester.  Students cannot have a grade of Unsatisfactory (U) in more than two courses per year.

Maximum Time

Federal regulations establish the maximum time frame in which you must complete your educational program or degree as 150 % of the published length of your program.  Graduate programs typically vary in length from 30 to 60 credit hours.  For example, those requiring 30 credit hours, the maximum attempted hours allowed is 45.  (For information concerning the number of credits required for your program, please refer to the appropriate academic department section of the Valparaiso University General Catalog.)  All attempted hours at VU, including regular semesters and summer sessions, will apply toward the 150%.

Please note: You may become ineligible for aid if it is determined that the pace at which you are completing courses does not permit you to graduate within 150% of the allowable time frame.

To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must meet three core Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards:

Time Frame Measurement: Finish your program within the maximum allowable time frame—typically 150% of the program length.

Qualitative: Maintain a minimum GPA as required by your program.

Quantitative: Complete a sufficient percentage of attempted credit hours to ensure steady progress toward graduation.

Incompletes and withdrawals will count as hours attempted but not completed. If incompletes are later completed, they will be reflected when progress is again checked, or sooner if the student appeals.

Summer school credits may be considered in evaluating attainment of the academic progress standards on an appeal basis.

Repeated courses will add to total hours attempted and, if credits are earned, towards hours completed. The grade will simply be replaced. The new grade will be included in the GPA calculation, which will be considered when progress is again checked, or sooner if the student appeals.

Certain aid programs have shorter time-frame limits and different GPA requirements. For example, most Indiana aid programs are limited to eight full-time semesters, and some Valpo scholarships will normally require a higher cumulative GPA for renewal. In addition, federal and institutional loan programs have aggregate limits that may be reached before the maximum time-frame limits are reached.

Credits attempted and/or completed during periods when a student does not receive Title IV aid will still be counted toward the SAP calculation.

 Valpo does not offer non-credit remedial courses.