Satisfactory Academic Progress
Reach your degree completion goal. Keep your success story on track.
M State wants you to succeed!
Finishing your degree in a reasonable time, with acceptable grades, is known as satisfactory academic progress, or SAP.
If your grade point average (GPA) has slipped or you aren’t making as much progress as you'd like toward completing your degree, reach out to M State for support. Resources for you include academic advisors, counselors, instructors, social workers and tutors.
SAP requirements
M State's SAP policy outlines students' rights and responsibilities. The policy requires students who are taking 24 or more credits to maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA and complete at least 66.66 percent of their registered credits. Students taking 6-23 credits are expected to maintain at least a 1.75 GPA and complete a minimum of 58 percent of their registered credits.
SAP review
Every registered M State student receives a SAP review after each academic term (fall, spring and summer). Students meeting the SAP standards are on track to complete their degrees. Students who aren’t meeting the standards are sent notification letters, via their M State email accounts, after final grades are posted for the term.
Students who have not met the college's minimum SAP standards at the end of a term are placed on Academic Warning for one term, not including summer.
Students in warning status are still eligible to register for classes and receive financial aid.
At the end of the term, students are either reinstated to good academic standing or are placed into Academic Suspension.
Students are placed on Academic Suspension when they don't meet the college's minimum SAP standards while on Academic Warning.
Students on Academic Suspension are not eligible to register for classes or receive financial aid. Suspensions last for one semester, not including summer.
Students on Academic Suspension may appeal their suspension (see below for more information on appeals). Those who do not appeal or whose appeals are unsuccessful are unable to register for courses or receive financial aid while suspended.
Students who choose to sit out their suspension period may return to M State afterward, but will need to submit an appeal to be eligible to receive further financial aid.
Appealing a suspension
Students on Academic Suspension may appeal their suspension by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal (see "Submit Your Appeal" below).
An approved appeal results in a student's placement into Probation status. Probation reinstates a student's eligibility for class registration and financial aid (however the SAP Appeal review team may limit the number of credits a probationary student may register for).
If the appeal is unsuccessful, a one-semester suspension period will ensue and the student will be unable to register for courses or receive financial aid during that time.
At the end of the suspension period, students seeking to return to school must appeal for potential financial aid reinstatement.
SAP Appeal deadlines are always at the end of the day on the Friday just prior to the week before a semester begins. If that day happens to be a campus holiday, then the deadline is at noon on the following business day.
SAP Appeals that are incomplete will not receive full consideration. Students are encouraged to submit their SAP Appeal well in advance of the deadline.
Upcoming SAP Appeal deadlines:
Summer 2023: May 26, 2023
Fall 2023: August 11, 2023
Spring 2024: December 29, 2024
For a SAP Appeal to receive full consideration, it must include the following:
- An academic plan for the next term that lists courses by name, number and credit amount (i.e. ENGL 1101, 3 credits).
- Documentation that supports the appeal statement.
- It must be submitted by the appropriate deadline (see "SAP Appeal Deadlines" above). Appeals submitted after a term deadline may be considered for a future term.
- Review our SAP Appeal Guidelines.
- Consult with an academic advisor.
The online SAP Appeal form can be found and submitted at www.minnesota.edu/forms under the “Appeals” tab at “Suspension Appeal (Satisfactory Academic Progress/SAP)."
An approved appeal results in a student's placement into Probation status. Probation reinstates a student's eligibility for class registration and financial aid.
Students in Probation return to good academic standing in their next term if they meet the conditions specified in their academic plan (as detailed in their SAP Appeal) as well as the college's SAP standards.
Students in Probation status remain in Probation for another term if they meet the conditions of their academic plan but do not meet the SAP standards. Those who do not meet either the conditions of their academic plan or the SAP standards are re-suspended immediately upon completion of the evaluation period.
Students who are on Academic Suspension and submit an unsuccessful appeal undergo a one-semester suspension and are unable to register for courses or receive financial aid during that time.
Those students may return to school at the end of the suspension period, but must submit an appeal for potential financial aid reinstatement.
Students on Academic Suspension may return to M State upon a successful SAP Appeal or after sitting out the suspension period.
Those who received a financial aid suspension may regain financial aid eligibility with a successful appeal or after returning to good academic standing without using financial aid.
Appeals for a second suspension are more difficult. Students must be very clear about the extenuating circumstances that caused them to not make progress while on Probation. All necessary documentation must be provided with the submitted appeal, and the student must address and include not only a current plan for their academic success but also anything they committed to in their previous appeal.
To be eligible for financial aid, a student must meet the SAP standard related to maximum time frame for completing a program. The maximum time frame is the total number of credits, including transfer credits, that a student may attempt while remaining eligible for financial aid. Maximum time frame is calculated as 150% of the published degree length measured in credits (i.e. 90 credits attempted is 150% of a 60-credit degree).
Students who receive a Maximum Time Frame Suspension and who want to be eligible for financial aid must submit a Maximum Time Frame Appeal, found on our Forms page under the Financial Aid drop-down.
If students need assistance with the Maximum Time Frame Appeal process, our academic advising team is a great resource.
- Log in to SpartanNet and select the "E-Services" tab on the left side of the screen.
- Select the “Academic Records” option on the left side of the screen.
- Select “Unofficial Transcripts” to see your entire M State academic record (we suggest viewing your record in chronological order).
- Log out when finished to keep your records private, especially if using a shared or public computer.
Use our GPA Calculator tool to gauge your progress, determine your schedule and plan your finances. Your GPA is the total number of grade points you’ve earned divided by the total number of credit hours you’ve attempted. Your GPA will range from 0.0 to 4.0
The GPA calculator allows you to enter credits and grades for classes to determine your projected GPA. Note: M State does not use plus (+) or minus (-) grades.
- Our full SAP policy
- Our SAP Appeal Guidelines
- Our Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form
