Satisfactory Academic Progress
 

Traditional Undergraduate Students and Students in HEOP, CSTEP, or the SPS Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies

To be considered for financial aid each year, students must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their degree requirements. Students must earn a passing grade (A, B, C, D, or P, including accepted credits from Advanced Placement, Advanced Standing, and Transfer Student status) in a minimum of 67 percent of the courses in which they are enrolled each academic year (fall, spring and summer semesters) and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. The annual review will include courses completed up through the summer term of that academic year.

The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy contains a quantitative component, meaning that you are required to make steady progress toward your degree or aid-eligible non-degree graduate program by completing at least 67.00% of all your attempted credit hours. For example, if you attempt 16 hours per term during the academic year (32 cumulative attempted hours), you would be expected to satisfactorily complete at least 22 of these hours in order to comply with the minimum quantitative standards.

Advanced Placement, Advanced Standing and Transfer Students

Accepted credit points from Advanced Placement, Advanced Standing, and Transfer Student status are considered to be attempted and earned credits for the purpose of evaluating satisfactory academic progress.

Graduate Students

Graduate students must earn a passing grade (A, B, C, D, or P) in a minimum of 80 percent (67 percent for GSAS, Grad Stern, and NYU Long Island School of Medicine students; 75 percent for 3rd and 4th year NYU Grossman School of medicine and law students) of the courses in which they are enrolled each academic year (fall, spring and summer semesters). The annual review will include courses completed up through the summer term of that academic year.

Most graduate schools at the University require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for federal and institutional financial aid (2.0 for NYU College of Dentistry DDS and Advanced Standing students). This may vary, so you should consult your academic advisor or refer to the academic requirements published in your school's bulletin. Normal progress requires completing all courses for which you are registered and progressing toward your degree at a level that compares favorably with other registrants working toward the same degree in the same academic program.

Extending Your Financial Aid

Financial aid funding (federal, state, and campus-based) is designed to help students complete their degree requirements within a limited period of time and is generally not available beyond that point. However, in certain circumstances the Office of Financial Aid may authorize additional student funding for one or more semesters. To be considered for an extension of financial aid availability please submit an Aid Eligibility Extension Request Form (AEE), available on the NYUAlbert To Do List for applicable students. The list of administrators authorized to review the AEE Form is available on our Forms menu.

Review of Your Academic Progress

Federal regulations require New York University to monitor the academic performance of its students for the purpose of verifying and maintaining their eligibility for federal financial aid.  If you do not meet the standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), your federal financial aid will be suspended. In most cases, state and NYU financial aid (scholarship) require that the same criteria be maintained for continued eligibility. Some graduate schools have different eligibility criteria for their scholarships and students are encouraged to review their school/department criteria accordingly.

NYU does not offer ESL or remedial courses for credit towards any of its undergraduate or graduate degrees.

Most types of financial aid - including federal financial aid - require that students be enrolled in courses that are necessary to fulfill their degree requirements; therefore, students enrolling in an excessive number of electives that are not applicable to their degree may have their financial aid revoked. To ensure applicable courses are taken, students are encouraged to seek out guidance from their academic advisors.

For students who change schools or change majors within NYU, all credits that count towards their degree in their new school or towards their new major are considered both attempted credits and earned credits.  Credits that are not applied towards the degree in the student’s new school or towards their new major count neither as attempted credits nor as earned credits.

All repeated courses count as both attempted and earned credits (unless a passing grade has already been earned in that course in which case the repeated course will only count as attempted) and all types of incompletes count as attempted credits but not as earned credits.

An academic progress calculator is available here as a guide to your status.

The Office of Financial Aid typically conducts a SAP review at least annually at the conclusion of each academic year, and students who do not meet the requirement receive a notice on their NYU Albert account. The annual review will include courses completed up through the summer term of that academic year, or spring term if the student is not enrolled in the summer. Students who enroll in programs that are only one year in length will have progress checked after their first payment period (between the Fall and Spring semesters, generally).

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who do not meet the SAP requirement are automatically placed on financial aid suspension (unless the student is approved for financial aid probation, see below). During suspension, the student will not be eligible for federal financial aid, and in some cases, state aid and NYU scholarship. Students may continue to acquire private non-NYU scholarships and private non-federal loans that do not have a SAP requirement. Eligibility for federal financial aid will be returned when the student meets the SAP standard.

Financial Aid Probation

All students have the right to appeal the suspension of their financial aid. Students may appeal only once1 for each academic degree in most circumstances (an exception may be granted in the event of illness or injury, see below) by asking to be placed on financial aid probation. This requires the submission of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form, available on our Applications and Forms menu.

SAP is reviewed at the end of each summer term. Based on federal regulation, students who do not meet the SAP standard and enroll in a term are considered to be using their probationary semester, regardless of whether they pursue financial aid. (Example: If after the summer term you are not meeting the SAP standard and you are enrolled in the fall term, the fall term would be considered your probationary semester regardless of whether you pursue financial aid.)

Approval will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • the student is able to mathematically meet Satisfactory Academic Progress after one semester of enrollment
  • the student has never had a probationary semester before during the current degree1
  • the student has never been denied financial aid for a previous semester due to an Academic Progress issue

Students who are approved will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester. The student will remain eligible for financial aid and will continue to receive financial assistance during the approved probationary semester.

Students who meet the SAP standard at the end of their probationary semester will be restored to Satisfactory Academic Progress status. Students who do not meet the SAP requirements at the end of the probationary period will be placed on financial aid suspension (described above).

Students are permitted only one semester of financial aid probation1. If a student meets the SAP requirement at the end of their probationary semester but later fails again to meet the SAP requirement, the student is not eligible for additional financial aid probation, except in the event of illness or injury.

Students requesting additional aid consideration on the basis of documented special circumstances, such as illness or injury, must submit the appeal form no later than the last day of the semester's add/drop period to ensure proper time is available for review. In such cases, if approved, an individualized academic contract is created for their probation term.

1 Financial aid recipients are allowed to appeal for one probationary semester of financial aid per degree if not meeting SAP requirements (an exception may be granted in the event of illness or injury). However, during the COVID-19 national emergency, any probationary term that is approved using the flexibilities granted by the Department of Education in the May 15, 2020 Electronic Announcement which allows schools to exclude credits that a student attempted but did not complete due to a COVID-19 related circumstance from the SAP calculation, will not count as a student’s one allowable probationary semester.

COVID-19 Satisfactory Academic Progress Reviews for Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is measured in two ways: Qualitative (GPA) and Quantitative (progress towards degree: earned credits vs attempted credits).

The Department of Education recognizes that SAP may be hindered by academic choices resulting from COVID- 19 interruptions/challenges. As such, there was a temporary adjustment to their requirements:

Qualitative:
Students who: 1) were already granted a SAP appeal for Spring 2020 AND 2) were expected to earn a 2.0 GPA by the end of the Spring 2020 semester in order to maintain or regain their federal aid eligibility AND 3) opted to take courses Pass/Fail, were granted an appeal extension for one more semester. Their cumulative GPA must have been 2.0 or above at the end of the Fall 2020 semester. The Offices of Financial Aid or Student Success contacted students who fell in this category individually.

Quantitative:
Between Spring 2020 and Fall 2022, any W grades resulting from class withdrawals due to a COVID-19 related circumstance will not count against a student’s SAP calculation (i.e. earned credits vs. attempted credits).

Enrollment Status

To be considered for any type of student aid you must be officially admitted to New York University or matriculated in a degree program, and be making satisfactory academic progress toward degree requirements. Students in certain certificate or diploma programs may also be eligible for consideration.

Undergraduate Students:

  • Undergraduate degree seeking students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits or more) to be reviewed for federal financial aid.  In some cases part-time students (taking less than 6 credits) may be eligible for Federal Pell Grants or Aid for Part-Time Study (New York State residents only — separate application available here).
  • Most undergraduate NYU scholarships are offered to eligible full-time students (12 credits or more) at the time of admission, but generally may be prorated for students taking between 6-11 credits.

Graduate Students:

  • Graduate degree seeking students must be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits or more) to be reviewed for federal financial aid eligibility. If a graduate student is enrolled in less than 4.5 credits in a term, they may be eligible for a half-time or full-time equivalency, based upon the determination of their academic department when reviewing their research or academic workload outside of their enrollment. An approved equivalency allows a graduate student to be considered half-time or full-time for federal financial aid purposes only. For federal financial aid purposes, graduate students are considered to be full-time if enrolled in 9 credits or more. Federal financial aid for graduate students with an approved half-time or full-time equivalency is restricted to the student’s cost of attendance:
    • Cost of attendance for students with equivalencies is based upon indirect expenses (food, housing, etc), while the allotment for tuition and fees is based on the actual number of credits for which a student is enrolled. For example, if a student with an equivalency (either half-time or full-time) is not enrolled in any actual credits, their cost of attendance will not include tuition and fees, while a student enrolled in three credits will have a cost of attendance that includes tuition and fees for three credits. Students with an approved equivalency who are maintaining matriculation, but who are not enrolled in actual credits, will have a cost of attendance that does not include tuition and tuition related fees, but will include a maintenance of matriculation fee.
  • Enrollment requirements for NYU graduate student scholarships may vary based on specific school eligibility criteria.  Please review the scholarship information provided by your school to learn more or contact your school directly.

Deferred Enrollment

First year applicants who have been offered admission to NYU may submit a request to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to defer their enrollment for up to one year. Under certain circumstances, a deferral of two years may be approved. All students who have been approved for deferred enrollment should understand the following regarding their financial aid.

One Year Deferred Enrollment:
Students approved to defer their enrollment for one year and who received a financial aid package with their original offer of admission can expect that the NYU portion of their package (i.e. NYU scholarships and grants) will also be deferred and received in full as originally offered as long as the following criteria are met:

  • U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Eligible Non-citizens Admitted to our New York campus or NYU Shanghai: It is not necessary to re-submit the CSS Profile, as scholarship eligibility will not be reevaluated. However, you must fill out the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year by February 15 (11:59pm EST) in order to be reviewed for federal financial aid.
  • Non U.S. Citizens, Non U.S. Permanent Residents and Ineligible Non-Citizens Admitted to our New York campus or NYU Shanghai: It is not necessary to re-submit the CSS Profile, as scholarship eligibility will not be reevaluated.  You will automatically be awarded the same scholarship you were initially offered.
  • Chinese Nationals Admitted to NYU Shanghai: It is not necessary to file the CSS Profile. For questions about your aid eligibility please contact the NYU Shanghai Office of Admissions at 212-998-4500 (+86-21-2059-5599 Shanghai Office, China Standard Time) or by email at shanghai.admissions@nyu.edu.
  • UAE Nationals and Non UAW Nationals Admitted to NYU Abu Dhabi: It is not necessary to file the CSS Profile.  You will automatically be awarded the same level of financial support as initially offered.  Be sure to review the NYU Abu Dhabi Defer Enrollment webpage for additional information.

Students who defer their enrollment for one year will not be re-evaluated for new NYU scholarships and grants, so if a student missed the original deadline for the CSS Profile during the year they were originally offered admission and were not offered any scholarship as a result, they will still be ineligible for NYU scholarships and grants.

All U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents admitted to NYU New York or NYU Shanghai will be reviewed for federal financial aid with the successful submission of a valid FAFSA.

Two or More Years Deferred Enrollment:
Students may be approved to defer their enrollment for a second or third year. A student approved for an additional year of deferred enrollment must reapply for all types of financial aid by February 20 prior to the fall semester of entry to be reviewed for current scholarship eligibility. The initial package offered upon their original admission will not be available.

The following applications for the upcoming academic year are required for scholarship consideration:

  • CSS Profile - All students admitted to our New York campus, NYU Shanghai, or NYU Abu Dhabi by February 20 (11:59 pm EST)
  • Noncustodial CSS Profile/Waiver Request - All students admitted to our New York campus, NYU Shanghai, or NYU Abu Dhabi whose parents are divorced, separated, or never married by February 20 (11:59 pm EST)

If any of the above applications are filed late, the student would not be reviewed for NYU scholarship or grant, but would be reviewed for federal aid eligibility with a valid FAFSA if they are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident admitted to NYU New York or NYU Shanghai.

Renewal Eligibility

Financial aid awards are not automatically renewed each year. Students must apply for aid each year to renew their eligibility for all types of assistance (including NYU scholarships), continue to demonstrate financial need, make satisfactory progress toward degree requirements, and be in good academic standing.

Citizenship Documentation

Students who are not U.S.citizens are subject to different regulations which may require supporting documentation, depending upon the type of financial aid sought. You will be contacted if this applies to you. U.S. citizens may also be required to document their citizenship status.

To be eligible for aid from NYU and from federal and state government sources, students must be classified either as U.S. citizens or as eligible non-citizens. Students are considered to be eligible non-citizens for financial aid purposes if one of the following conditions applies:

  • U.S. permanent resident with an Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551 ("green card").
  • Other eligible non-citizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) showing any one of the following designations: (a) "Refugee," (b) "Indefinite Parole," (c) "Humanitarian Parole," (d) "Asylum Granted," or (e)"Cuban-Haitian Entrant."

NYU Employees and Their Dependents

Members of New York University staff, faculty, and officers or administrators, and their dependents who are eligible for tuition remission are encouraged to apply for financial aid (by submitting the FAFSA). Financial aid consists of Federal Subsidized Loans, Federal Unsubsidized Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants and the Federal TEACH Grant, as well as private (non-federal) alternative loan programs. Please contact the NYU Benefits Office for details about tuition remission, and learn also how to apply online. Please note, if you were offered an NYU Scholarship and you have elected to utilize tuition remission, you are no longer eligible for the NYU Scholarship.

Social Security Administration

Students who wish to apply for federal financial aid must include their Social Security number on the NYU Application for Admission (or provide it to the University Registrar following enrollment) and on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The federal government will confirm that the Social Security number on the FAFSA application matches other data in their files. Students whose records do not match will be required to verify their Social Security number. If you have changed your name you must notify the Social Security Administration before financial aid can be disbursed. See their web site for more information: www.ssa.gov

Selective Service System

Males born on or after January 1, 1960 must register with Selective Service to qualify for federal aid. The federal government may require students to verify registration. Financial aid cannot be secured without such verification.  See the Selective Service web site for more information: www.sss.gov

Tax Information and Income/Asset Verification

It is not necessary to submit copies of your tax returns or any other family financial records or supporting documentation to the Office of Financial Aid unless you are specifically asked for additional information. Unsolicited material will be destroyed without review. If you have unusual financial circumstances that may increase your eligibility for financial aid, contact the Office of Financial Aid AFTER you have received your award letter.

You may also be required to provide appropriate tax records if your application for financial aid is selected by the U.S. Department of Education for income and asset verification. You will be notified if this is necessary. The verification process may result in an adjustment to your financial aid award, and can occur at any time throughout the year. If you do not provide tax documents when requested, your financial aid may be revoked.

Withdrawal

Students should refer to the official academic withdrawal policy described in their school bulletin, and then use the Semester Withdrawal Form available on NYU Albert (see information at the University Registrar).  For students receiving federal aid who withdraw completely before attending 60 percent of the semester, NYU is required to calculate how much of federal student aid funds must be returned.  Those receiving federal aid who withdraw completely may be billed for remaining balances resulting from the mandatory return of funds to the U.S. government. The amount of federal aid "earned" is determined by the withdrawal date and a calculation based upon the federal formula. Generally, federal assistance is earned on a pro-rata basis. The withdrawal date is calculated based on the date the withdrawal form is submitted, unless the University has other information that demonstrates the withdrawal and/or last day of attendance was an earlier date.

The portion of federal aid that was not earned by a student will be returned from the appropriate federal student aid program(s) in the following order, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).

Academic Engagement

One of the requirements for federal financial aid eligibility is that students must be academically engaged in each course in which they are enrolled. Academic engagement can include:

  • Academic attendance or attendance at an academically related activity
  • Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students
  • Submitting an academic assignment
  • Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
  • Attending a study group that is assigned by the institution
  • Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
  • Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

Notes
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  1. Dates of official enactment and amendments: Not Available
  2. History: N/A
  3. Cross References: N/A