Satisfactory Academic Progress
Nova Southeastern University, in compliance with federal regulations, has established the following standards of academic progress that must be met to receive financial assistance. Satisfactory progress is required of a financial aid recipient to fulfill a specified educational objective within a specific time frame as defined by the institution.
All students are required to meet these requirements, regardless of whether or not they previously received financial aid. The following are condensed criteria for satisfactory progress at Nova Southeastern University.
Undergraduate Programs
Qualitative Measure
Students must earn the following cumulative grade point average after completion of each increment:
1 to 29 credits: minimum GPA = 1.70
30 to 59 credits: minimum GPA = 1.85
60+ credits: minimum GPA = 2.0
Quantitative Measure
Students can only receive financial aid for up to 150 % of the published length of their program. If you are denied for this reason, you cannot appeal. In addition, full-time students (24 or more attempted credits for the academic year) must complete 18 new credits each academic year. Less than full-time students must complete 70 % of attempted credit hours.
If a student's financial aid application is denied because of failure to meet these standards, he/she has the opportunity to appeal such action to the Standards of Academic Progress Appeals Committee within 30 days of notification of denial. Students must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form, and the appeal must be in writing, addressed to the committee in care of the Office of Student Financial Assistance. The appeal must include the following documentation:
- a letter written by the student describing mitigating circumstances
- a physician’s note and/or records if the appeal is based on medical circumstances
- additional supporting documents, if any
- No personal appeals will be heard. Decisions of the committee are final, and students will receive written notification of the decision. If a probationary award is granted, it is valid for one academic year. Please be advised that students may receive only one probationary award per degree level during their attendance at Nova Southeastern University. Some programs, especially those funded by the state of Florida, require a minimum GPA of 2.0, regardless of class standing, and require the student earn 12 credit hours per term for each term the aid was received. Most academic scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Students receiving federal and state financial aid should consult their financial aid counselor before dropping or withdrawing from courses to ensure compliance with federal and state standards of academic progress.
Graduate Programs
Qualitative Measure
Students must earn the following cumulative grade point average after completion of each increment:
1 to 12 credits: minimum GPA = 2.70
13+ credits: minimum GPA = 3.0
Quantitative Measure
Students can only receive financial aid for up to 150 % of the published length of their program. If you are denied for this reason, you cannot appeal. In addition, full-time students (18 or more attempted credits for the academic year) must complete 12 new credits each academic year. Less than full-time students must complete 70% of credits attempted.
If a student's financial aid application is denied because of failure to meet these standards, he/she has the opportunity to appeal such action to the Standards of Academic Progress Appeals Committee within 30 days of notification of denial. Students must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form, and the appeal must be in writing, addressed to the committee in care of the Office of Student Financial Assistance. The appeal must include the following documentation:
- a letter written by the student describing mitigating circumstances
- a physician's note and/or records if the appeal is based on medical circumstances
- additional supporting documents, if any
- No personal appeals will be heard. Decisions of the committee are final, and students will receive written notification of the decision. If a probationary award is granted, it is valid for one academic year. Please be advised that students may receive only one probationary award per degree level during their attendance at Nova Southeastern University.
The above are the minimum criteria for maintenance of satisfactory progress. Some financial aid programs may have more stringent academic progress standards. Most scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.0. Refer to the descriptions of individual aid programs for more information or contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for specific details.
Students should consult their financial aid counselor before dropping or withdrawing from courses to ensure compliance with academic progress requirements.
Doctoral Programs, Law and Health Professions
Maintaining satisfactory academic progress is required both to retain eligibility for student financial aid and to continue in the Law and the Health Professions Division and doctoral programs. Each program has its own standards of academic progress as outlined in the programs' individual Student Handbooks. Students should review the Handbooks for their specific Program Standards of Academic Progress. Suspended and dismissed students are ineligible for financial aid until they are restored to good standing or probationary status.