Office of Student Financial Aid Mailing…

               Office of Student Financial Aid
               Mailing Address:                  Service:                            Phone:    301-314-9000 & 888-313-2404
               Office of Student Financial Aid   Student Financial Services Center   TTY:      301-314-7017
               University of Maryland            1135 Lee Building                   FAX:      301-314-9587
               0102 Lee Building                 Monday - Friday                     E-mail:    umfinaid@umd.edu
               College Park, MD 20742            8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.               URL:       www.financialaid.umd.edu




                                    Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) is required by federal and state regulations to monitor the academic progress
of potential and current financial aid recipients. Financial Aid Applicants must comply with the Satisfactory Academic
Progress (SAP) Policy as a condition of initial or continued eligibility. Please note that even if you have not currently
applied for financial aid, or are not currently receiving aid, this policy applies to you and your prior academic progress
will be measured to determine your eligibility.

Financial aid programs which are affected by the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy include (but are not limited to)
Federal Pell Grant, Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, Federal SMART Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, Federal
Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, the Federal Family Education Loan Programs (Stafford and PLUS), UM Grants,
Frederick Douglass Grants, UM Scholarships, Guaranteed Access Grants, Educational Assistance Grants, Education
Excellence Awards, House of Delegates and Senatorial Scholarships.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for undergraduates is measured in three areas: maintaining a satisfactory grade point
average, successfully completing a required percentage of attempted credits, and receiving a degree in a timely manner.
Records and Registration monitors each student's credit and time requirements. Each program is listed below.

                                            Minimum Grade Point Average

Undergraduate students must maintain the required grade point average (GPA) necessary to continue as degree
candidates at the University of Maryland. Therefore, they must maintain an academic standing consistent with the
University's Retention Policy as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students who are on Academic Warning due to their GPA may receive aid. If a student is Academically Dismissed, he or
she will be considered ineligible for financial aid until readmitted through the Re-Enrollment Office (0117 Mitchell
Building, 301-314-8382). Appeals for readmission should be submitted to the Re-Enrollment Office.

Once readmitted, students may be eligible to receive one probationary period in which financial aid eligibility will
continue. During the probationary period, students are required to meet the minimum grade point average as stated by
the Re-Enrollment Office. In addition, students must successfully complete a minimum of 75% of their cumulative UM
courses attempted. Failure to meet the defined minimum GPA or credit requirements per semester will result in the loss
of financial aid eligibility. Once eligibility is suspended, students will not be considered for aid until they have
successfully completed 75% of the cumulative UM credits attempted and their GPA is consistent with the requirements
of the Retention Policy as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students put on probation for any period prior to their dismissal must meet all academic progress requirements as defined
by the Student Financial Aid Progress Policy before financial aid eligibility will be reinstated.

                                             Minimum Credit Requirement

Undergraduate Students with less than 30 Credits Attempted at UM
Non-transfer undergraduate students with less than 30 credits attempted at UM must have successfully completed at least
50% of all credits attempted at UM. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a warning. If the student continues to
fail to complete course work, OSFA will suspend financial aid eligibility. A student with a completion rate above 50%
but below 75% will receive a warning.
Undergraduate Students with More than 30 Credits Attempted at UM
All undergraduate students with more than 30 credits attempted at UM must have successfully completed at least 75% of
all credits attempted at UM. Failure to meet this requirement will result in probation after the first occurrence and
suspension of financial aid eligibility if the requirement is not met after two consecutive semesters.

What Counts as an Attempted or Completed Credit?
An attempted credit includes graded credits ("A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "S", or "P"), withdrawn credits ("W"), incomplete
credits ("I"), unsatisfactory credits ("U"), no grade credits ("NG"), and audited courses. Non-credit remedial courses do
not count as attempted credits, provided that the classes are required for the student's degree program. Repeat courses do
not count if the classes are taken to improve passing grades, but do count if the classes are taken to replace failing grades.
Completed credits (`A', `B', `C', `D', `S' or `P'). To calculate the percentage of credits you have completed, total all
attempted UM credits and total all completed UM credits. Then, divide the number of completed credits by the number of
attempted credits.

Identification and Handling of Violators
Probation: OSFA will review the academic progress of all university students who apply for federal aid at the end of
each standard semester. Students not meeting the Minimum Credit Requirement will be placed on probation for one
semester. If a student is placed on probation, he or she will be allowed to receive financial aid for the next semester. At
the end of the probationary semester, the student must meet the Minimum Credit Requirement. Students who fail to meet
the Minimum Credit Requirement at the end of the probationary term will be placed on suspension.

Suspension: A student whose eligibility has been suspended may not receive any financial aid until he or she makes up
the full credit deficit with courses at UM at his or her own expense. When the student meets the Minimum Credit
Requirement, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated.

Appeals
If a student is placed on probation, he or she does not need to appeal, because financial aid eligibility has not been
revoked. If the student successfully makes up the credit deficiency, he or she will automatically be taken off probation.
If a student is placed on suspension and there were extenuating circumstances that caused the violation, the student may
submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. Extenuating circumstances are defined as environmental conditions
outside of the student's control. All appeals must include third party documentation of these circumstances. Satisfactory
Academic Progress Appeal forms are available from the Student Financial Service Center and on the Student Financial
Aid web site at: www.financialaid.umd.edu.

Maximum Time Frame
Undergraduate students must earn their degree, regardless of their program of study, within their first one hundred-eighty
(180) attempted credits. Students who have not earned a degree within their first 180 attempted credits, whether they have
previously received financial aid or not, must attempt any additional credits at their own expense.

Transfer Credits
Up to 60 transfer credits that fulfill UM degree requirements will count toward a transfer student's Maximum Time
Frame limit. Transfer credits above the sixty credit limit will not count toward the Maximum Time Frame. Violators of
the Maximum Time Frame cannot receive additional financial aid until they successfully complete their current degree
programs and are accepted into new programs.
               Office of Student Financial Aid
               Mailing Address:                  Service:                            Phone:    301-314-9000 & 888-313-2404
               Office of Student Financial Aid   Student Financial Services Center   TTY:      301-314-7017
               University of Maryland            1135 Lee Building                   FAX:      301-314-9587
               0102 Lee Building                 Monday - Friday                     E-mail:    umfinaid@umd.edu
               College Park, MD 20742            8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.               URL:       www.financialaid.umd.edu




                       Satisfactory Academic Progress Calculation Form

All first year freshman students must successfully complete 50% of their cumulative University of Maryland
attempted credits or the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester. All other students must
complete 75% of their cumulative University of Maryland attempted credits or they will be place on Financial Aid
Probation for one semester. Transfer credits are not considered in the calculation.

After the first probationary semester, the student will be put on `cancellation' status if he/she does not complete
75% (50% for first time freshman) of their cumulative attempted University of Maryland credits. Cancelled students
are only eligible to receive financial aid after the student brings his/her completed UM credits to 75% (or 50%
depending on credit level) of the attempted credits. This does not include transfer credits. The credits must be
taken at University of Maryland. This often takes two or three semesters depending on the student's percentage of
completion rate. A student may appeal his/her cancellation in writing only, Attention: Satisfactory Academic
Progress Appeal Committee, c/o Sarah Bauder.

Please note that for financial aid purposes, grade point average (GPA) is not considered in the calculation.
In addition, while the University may allow you to enroll (or reenroll), financial aid eligibility is
contingent on adhering to the stated policy. Therefore, while you may attend classes, you may not receive
federal student aid if your aid has been cancelled.

The definition of a completed credit is a credit where the student has received a grade and
did not fail the course (A, B, C, or D grade). The definition of an attempted credit includes withdrawal
credits (W), any credit where the student received a grade (including grades of 'F'), and incomplete grades
(I). To calculate the percentage completed, add all the completed credits in one column using your
transcripts; then add all the attempted credits in the other column; then divide the completed credits by the
attempted credits.


                                                        Formula:



                      ---------------------------- / ------------------- = --------------------------
                     Total Completed Credits/Attempted Credits = Percentage Completed
                                               EXAMPLE:

Suzie is a first year freshman at University of Maryland. Her first semester she attempts four classes
totaling 15 credits. She receives the following grades:

Campus Course Credit Grade
UMCP Class 1 4.00 F
UMCP Class 2 4.00 A
UMCP Class 3 1.00 B
UMCP Class 4 3.00 W
UMCP Class 5 3.00 W

Suzie attempted 15 credits her first semester and completed 5 credits. Her percentage completed is 5/15 =
33%. Suzie is now on probation. For the second semester Suzie attempts 15 credits and receives the
following grades.

Campus Course Credit Grade
UMCP Class 1 3.00 B
UMCP Class 2 3.00 D
UMCP Class 3 3.00 F
UMCP Class 4 3.00 B
UMCP Class 5 3.00 B

Suzie has now attempted 30 (15 + 15) cumulative credits and has completed
17 (5 + 12) cumulative credits. Suzie's percentage of credits completed is 17/30 = 56%. Suzie has
completed the necessary percentage as a freshman and is now off of financial aid probation.

Suzie is now a sophomore student and she must complete 75% of her cumulative attempted University of
Maryland credits. For Suzie's third semester at University of Maryland, she attempts 18 credits.

Campus Course Credit Grade
UMCP Class 1 3.00 B
UMCP Class 2 3.00 D
UMCP Class 3 3.00 W
UMCP Class 4 3.00 B
UMCP Class 5 3.00 I
UMCP Class 6 3.00 F

Suzie completes 9 of the 18 attempted credits. Her percentage completed is 54% (26 cumulative
completed UM credits/ 48 attempted cumulative UM credits). She is again placed on financial aid
probation.

Suzie attempts 18 more credits her fourth semester.

Campus Course Credit Grade
UMCP Class 1 3.00 A
UMCP Class 2 3.00 A
UMCP Class 3 3.00 B
UMCP Class 4 3.00 B
UMCP Class 5 3.00 C

Suzie successfully completes all 18 credits. She now has attempted 65 cumulative University of Maryland
credits and has completed 43 University of Maryland credits. Suzie has completed 66 percent of her
attempted credits. Suzie is now ineligible to receive aid. Suzie has the option to appeal this decision in
writing to the Office of Student Financial Aid, which she does. Since Suzie has already received two
probations and has no documented mitigating circumstances for doing poorly, her appeal is denied. Suzie
continues to take classes. She again attempts 20 credits. She pays for these classes without Federal, State,
or University financial assistance.

Campus Course Credit Grade
UMCP Class 1 4.00 A
UMCP Class 2 4.00 B
UMCP Class 3 3.00 B
UMCP Class 4 3.00 B
UMCP Class 5 4.00 A
UMCP Class 6 2.00 B

Suzie successfully completes all 20 credits. Suzie now has 84 attempted credits and 63 completed credits.

Suzie is now eligible to receive financial aid and is off of financial aid cancellation since she has
successfully completed 75% of her attempted University of Maryland credits.

*All cases are unique. Suzie is just an example; appeals are encouraged so that we can adequately assess
the individual's situation.