Federal regulations require that in order to receive assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), which is measurable academic progress toward completion of their degree requirements within published time limits. The following SAP policy applies to all enrolled students.

Guidelines for Academic Progress

The academic year at the Yale School of Architecture consists of fall and spring terms and summer courses. SAP is calculated twice per year, at the end of the fall and spring terms. A student’s SAP status at the beginning of a term is effective until the completion of that enrolled term. Students must maintain SAP in both qualitative and quantitative standards.

Qualitative standards At the end of a term, students who are placed on “academic probation” for the next term due to their grades during the prior term fail to meet the qualitative SAP standard (refer to Section II.G of the School of Architecture Handbook, http://architecture.yale.edu/academics/school-handbook, for the definition of “academic probation”). All other students meet the qualitative SAP standard.

Quantitative standards A student meets the quantitative SAP standard if a pace is maintained of earning at least one-half (50 percent) of the total credits attempted. “Incompletes” do not count as credits attempted (refer to Section II.H.1 of the School of Architecture Handbook, http://architecture.yale.edu/academics/school-handbook, for information on “Incompletes”). “Withdrawals” count as credits attempted (refer to Section II.B. of the School of Architecture Handbook, http://architecture.yale.edu/academics/school-handbook, for information on “Withdrawals”). Credits for completed repeated courses count as both credits attempted and earned. Transfer credits are not accepted. The maximum time frame in which a student must complete degree requirements cannot exceed more than 200 percent of the minimum time for fulfilling degree requirements (refer to Section II.D. of the School of Architecture Handbook, http://architecture.yale.edu/academics/school-handbook).

Financial Aid Warning

A student who fails to meet SAP at the end of a term will be notified in writing by the assistant dean responsible for academic matters, and the Financial Aid Office will place the student on “financial aid warning” until the end of the next term. During the “financial aid warning” term, the student may receive financial aid, despite the determination of not meeting SAP. Students on “financial aid warning” who fail to return to SAP by the end of the term will lose their future financial aid eligibility, unless they successfully appeal and are placed on “financial aid probation.”

Financial Aid Probation and Appeals

A student who has not successfully met SAP by the end of the “financial aid warning” term has the right to appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility. Appeals must be submitted to the Dean’s Office in writing within two weeks of receiving notice that the student did not meet SAP after a term on “financial aid warning.” The appeal must include information about why the student failed to meet SAP, and what has changed, or is expected to change, that will allow the student to meet SAP in the future. The written appeal should be accompanied by documentation that verifies the extenuating circumstances (e.g., death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances). The Dean’s Office shall notify the student of the outcome of the appeal within ten business days of receiving it. If the appeal is approved, the student is placed on “financial aid probation” until the end of the next term, and may receive financial aid during that term. Students on “financial aid probation” are required to meet with the assistant dean responsible for academic matters to establish an individual academic plan to enable the student to meet SAP at some point in the future, according to specific benchmarks established by the plan. Students on “financial aid probation” who fail to meet SAP by the end of the “financial aid probation” term, or fail to meet the benchmarks of their individual plans on time, will not be eligible for financial aid for the subsequent academic term. Students who are ineligible for financial aid may reestablish eligibility in future terms by meeting SAP.