Home | Web Self Service | Forms | Important Dates | Contact Us

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Appeal and Reinstatement Procedures

Your financial aid will be reinstated automatically if you meet ALL SAP minimum cumulative standards and are removed from SAP probation.

You have the right to appeal to have your financial aid reinstated if:

• you are readmitted to a collegiate unit (see Admission Requirement)

• your GPA is below the minimum cumulative requirement and you earned a 2.0 or higher for your probation term.

• your completion ratio is below the minimum cumulative requirement and you successfully complete at least 75% of your attempted credits during your probation term.

• you had a recent grade change or are studying abroad.

• you have mitigating, extenuating circumstances that interfered with your academic performance or progress for which you will provide third-party documentation.

To appeal your SAP status, complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form and submit it to the Student Assistance Center. Appeals are handled on a case-by-case basis and must be supported with appropriate documentation and/or verification of the reason for the appeal.

• Be sure to provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances that prevented you from meeting SAP and what changes you have made that will help you improve your academic performance (see Section C of the appeal form).

• Submit your appeal by the end of the second week of classes to avoid having your financial aid awards cancelled*.

• Absolute deadline for appeals is two weeks before the end of the term for which you are appealing.

• Retroactive appeals for terms that have ended cannot be granted.

• If you are appealing for timeframe, on the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form, remember to:

• Complete the "Education Plan" (Section E).
  
  
• Indicate your "Anticipated graduation term" (Section E).
  
  
• Get the "Adviser signature" (Section F).

Please allow 10 business days for your appeal to be reviewed. You will be notified via your University e-mail account of the decision.

• If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on financial aid probation and your financial aid will be reinstated based on availability of funds at that time; your original awards may be reduced or lost.

• If your appeal is denied, you will remain ineligible for federal, state, campus, and other aid sources. You have the right to submit a second appeal within 15 days of the denial. Please contact the Student Assistance Center for additional information about this process. You may continue to attend UMD at your own expense; or, to help fund your education you may pursue funding through alternative loan programs that do not require you to meet SAP standards. Some programs available to you are: Citiassist, US Bank Gap Loan, US Bank No Fee Loan, and/or Wells Fargo Collegiate Loan.

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement of aid.

*When your awards are cancelled, funds are returned to the originating programs and awarded to other eligible financial aid recipients. If your appeal is granted, your aid will be reinstated based on funds available at that time. As a result, your original award(s) may be reduced or lost. For this reason, it is in your best interest to submit an appeal as soon as you received your suspension notice.