Office of Financial Aid

UIC’s SAP policy includes both qualitative and quantitative measures. Failure to meet any one of the criteria will result in cancellation of aid eligibility. All terms of a student’s UIC enrollment, whether or not the student received aid in those terms, are included in this review. In addition, transfer hours are included in the maximum time frame review and cumulative grade point average (GPA), if GPA can be determined from transcripts.

Undergraduate SAP Policy:

Qualitative Measure (Cumulative GPA)
Students must have at least a 2.0 (or “C” average) cumulative GPA by the end of their second academic year. So, this requirement applies to students who began at UIC in Fall 2007 or earlier. For transfer students who began attending after Fall 2007, the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement applies when the student has at least 60 combined UIC attempted hours and transfer hours or after 2 years at UIC, whichever comes first.

Quantitative Measure (Maximum Time Frame and Course Completion Ratio)
Students must complete their program within 150% of the published length of their program. The minimum number of credit hours required for an undergraduate degree at UIC is 120. Therefore, 180 credit hours (150% of 120 hours) is the limit for aid eligibility. The 180 hour limit applies even in cases of changed majors or the pursuit of multiple degrees. The only exception allowed is for programs that require more than 120 hours for a degree. Students exceeding the maximum time frame will have their aid cancelled.

Students must also successfully complete 67% of their cumulative attempted credit hours at UIC. All hours for which a student is registered after the add/drop deadline each term will be included as attempted hours. Successfully completed credit hours are those in which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, S, or P. If students fall below the 67% cumulative standard, they will be put on financial aid probation for up to one academic year. Students can continue receiving aid during probation periods; therefore, appeals for probation periods are unnecessary. After the probation period, students remaining below a 67% completion ratio will have their aid cancelled.

Graduate/Professional SAP Policy:

Due to the strict departmental requirements for UIC graduate/professional students, the OSFA defaults the SAP policy to the requirements for good academic standing in the graduate student’s respective college. Departments monitor grades and degree progress for all their students, as these requirements are commonly specific and complex. Students not making SAP according to their departments are dropped from their program. The OSFA reserves the right, on a case by case basis, to review that a graduate/professional student is meeting SAP requirements if we have reason to believe that an academic department is not monitoring a student. If deemed appropriate by the OSFA, the student’s aid will be cancelled.

Assessment of course withdrawals, incompletes, repeated courses/grade forgiveness and non-credit remedial courses:

Withdrawals: Courses dropped before the conclusion of the add/drop period each semester will not count as attempted hours. Classes dropped after this point will count as attempted hours.

Incompletes: Courses in which a student has an incomplete at the time in which SAP is reviewed will be included in attempted hours.

Repeated courses/Grade forgiveness: For SAP purposes, all grades and attempted hours will be counted when calculating SAP, even if only some of these hours appear on your transcript.

Non-credit remedial course: Non-credit remedial courses are included neither in attempted hours nor in the student’s cumulative GPA.

Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Undergraduate SAP Policy:

Graduate/Professional SAP Policy:

Assessment of course withdrawals, incompletes, repeated courses/grade forgiveness and non-credit remedial courses: