SAP Q & A

Q. How do I get my SAP appeal to your office? A.  You may submit the appeal by Secure Document Uploader, by Fax 540-231-9139 or in person to our office.

Q. My contract says I cannot drop after the financial aid census date, but I thought I had until the last day to drop. Isn’t this the same day? A. No, the financial aid census date for each semester/session is the day after the last day to add classes. If enrolling for summer after this date the census date will be the date that your award is processed and based on your enrollment at that time.  

Q. I am receiving veteran benefits and now I am failing SAP will I lose my veteran benefits? A. No, veteran benefits are exempt, but if you have any other federal, state or institutional aid you will have to file an appeal to keep that aid.        

Q. If I drop a class will this affect my SAP requirements?  A. Possibly. If you have concerns it is always best to discuss this with an advisor in our office.    

Q. When will students be notified that they have failed SAP?  A. University Scholarships and Financial Aid evaluates SAP annually, at the end of spring semester once grades are posted.  We will notify you via your VT email address.

Q. Is there a deadline to submit SAP appeals? A. Yes, these dates are posted on our website and can also be found on the SAP appeal document.   

Q. So you said I could only appeal for a SAP failure one time correct? A. Yes and no, you can only appeal once for each SAP requirement (GPA, Pace or Hours) but you can appeal once for each requirement.

 Q. My appeal was denied. Can I appeal again? A. No, you would need to regain SAP status on your own before you would be eligible to receive aid again.

Q. I had a semester’s worth of grades wiped out by medical withdrawal. Why are you counting those hours and grades? A. For SAP purposes, all courses wiped out by a medical withdrawal after the census date will count for GPA and hours attempted.

Q. How is my Pace of Progress determined? A. This standard is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credits successfully completed by the cumulative number of credits the student has attempted.  Attempted hours are the credits you are currently enrolled in at the time of the financial aid census one week after classes begin. 

Q. How do I know if I am near my maximum timeframe for hours?  A. You can access this information in your Hokie Spa under the 'Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) tab.  It will give you your required number of credits and the number you have reached.  You are required to file a SAP Appeal when you are aproaching 150% of the required credits for your degree.

Q. If I have 2 majors, are my required credits double? A. No, you only receive 30 additional credits if you have duel degrees. You do NOT receive any additional credits for double majors or a minor. 

Q. You are counting way too many hours in my maximum timeframe.  Some of those hours were from AP classes in HS. Why are you counting those? A. All courses transferred to VT are counted as completed credits and will count toward your maximum timeframe. 

Q. I dropped some classes because I was going to receive failing grades, but it ruined my pace of progress?  Isn’t GPA more important? A. GPA is important, however, all aspects of SAP matter.

Q. Is it true that once I am on a SAP contract for maximum time-frame I cannot take electives? A. That is correct. Once you are aproaching 150% of your program and are required to appeal you can only take classes that are required to complete your degree. You will need to follow the schedule on the SAP Appeal Academic Advisor form.    

Q. I failed my contract. Can I appeal again? A. No, you would need to regain SAP status on your own before you would be eligible to receive aid again.  If you feel you have extraordinary circumstances that were not considered in your appeal please contact our office.

Q. How long does it take once I submit an appeal? A. Generally, it takes a minimum of three weeks for your appeal to be processed. Processing does not begin until we have all required documents. Not submitting all documentation will cause a delay in your appeal being processed. 

Q. What is considered “supporting documentation” in an appeal? A. This is documentation that is supporting your reason given for failure of the SAP standards, this is not in support of the approval of the appeal. Sources may include counselor, doctor, police, clergy, medical documentation, Cooks Counseling, Services for Students with Disabilities, or other documentation that shows a necessary unexpected commitment outside of school, etc.

Q. Do you have any resources that can help student with academic improvement? A. Yes, we have a list of Academic Improvement Resources.  

Q. If I don’t meet SAP, can I still get an alternative/private loan? A. No, all student are required to maintain SAP standards, including those seeking an alternative/private loan. 

Q. What happens if I have an 'incomplete' while on a SAP contract? A. An 'incomplete' will cause you to fail your contract.   

Q. I need to complete a SAP appeal what do I need to include? A. Requirements for an appeal can be found on our website page Appeal Process.  

Q. I received notification that I am failing SAP for GPA.  My Hokie Spa says my GPA is above 2.0, why did I receive this? A. If you have taken Academic Relief, Medical Relief or Obsolete Credit the original grade still stands in the SAP calculation. 

Q. If my SAP appeal is approved what does that mean? A. You will be sent a contract for the semester. This contract must be signed and returned for aid to be offered and/or paid. You must meet all requirements on the contract. The contract will be reviewed after the semester, if you pass the contract it will be extended to the next semester. The new extended contract also needs to be signed and returned for aid to be offered and or paid. You will continue to receive aid as long as the contract is passed. This process will continue until you are back in SAP compliance or fail the contract.