Satisfactory Academic Progress

Process overview and responsibilities

The Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, sections 668.34 requires that an institution establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is maintaining satisfactory progress in his or her course of study in order for the student to receive financial aid under a Title IV program of the Higher Education Act. Minnesota Statute 136A.101 Subd. 10 applies this federal Satisfactory Academic Progress regulation to Minnesota financial aid programs. Bethel University applies this federal Satisfactory Academic Progress regulation to institutionally-controlled financial aid programs.

All financial aid recipients must progress at a reasonable rate (“make satisfactory progress”) toward achieving a certificate or degree. This requirement applies to all terms, whether or not the student received financial aid.

Program of study

Bethel requires students to declare an intended degree (or approved certificate or licensure program). In addition, students must indicate specific components of their program, such as intended majors, minors, concentrations, or endorsements. Bethel combines each student's program components into a single, customized program of study. Bethel does not list every possible combination of majors, minors, or endorsements in the catalog. Instead, Bethel uses DegreeWorks to compile the specific course requirements for each component (e.g., major, minor) into a single set of courses needed to earn the degree. This customized program of study is available to students and their advisors via the DegreeWorks degree audit program.

A student’s program of study includes the graduation requirements for their primary degree as well as additional majors, minors, concentrations, or endorsements within the same degree type, as displayed in DegreeWorks. Degree types include bachelor's, master's, doctoral degrees, approved certificates, courses required for initial teaching licensure, and preparatory courses (e.g., BUILD). If students are pursuing dual degrees packaged as one program (e.g., Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Nursing Practice—MBA/DNP), all requirements for both degrees must be met before a degree is awarded.

Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the financial aid office uses data from a student’s DegreeWorks degree audit, rather than academic catalogs, to: (a) determine which courses can be included in the student’s enrollment status, (b) calculate satisfactory academic progress maximum timeframe, and (c) determine when students complete their program requirements. Refer to Bethel's course program of study policy.

Evaluating financial aid satisfactory academic progress

Financial aid satisfactory academic progress evaluation begins six (6) days after the end of each term (fall, spring, and summer), using three benchmarks: qualitative measure, pace, and maximum timeframe.

Qualitative measure. Undergraduate and Bethel Seminary students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00. Graduate School students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. All undergraduate coursework is considered when calculating the cumulative GPA for undergraduate degrees. At the graduate level, cumulative GPA is calculated separately for Graduate School doctoral programs, Graduate School non-doctoral programs, Bethel Seminary doctoral programs, and Bethel Seminary non-doctoral programs.

Pace of completion. Students must progress through their educational program at a pace that ensures completion within the maximum timeframe. Pace is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credit hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours attempted. Beginning January 2017, results are rounded to the nearest percent (e.g., 66.49% is rounded to 66%, and 66.50% is rounded to 67%). Students must successfully complete at least 67% of their cumulative attempted credits (including any transfer credits, advanced placement, or College Level Examination Program—CLEP credit).

Maximum timeframe. Students are expected to complete their program within the normal time frame for completion (122 credits for a baccalaureate degree). However, special circumstances (e.g., program changes or illness) may prevent students from completing their program within this timeframe. To accommodate these situations, students may continue receiving aid until they either: (a) complete graduation requirements, (b) attempt 150% of the number of credits required for their program (including transfer credits, advanced placement, or CLEP credits), or (c) reach the point where they cannot earn the necessary credits to complete their program within 150% of the required credits for the degree, whichever comes first.

Students become ineligible for financial aid when it is determined they cannot complete their degree within the maximum timeframe. Transfer students who will transfer more than 50% of the credits needed for their program of study should request that only credits applicable to their program be accepted by Bethel to avoid exceeding the maximum timeframe prior to completion.

The following table illustrates the maximum timeframe calculation for various programs of study:

Treatment of special academic course situations

Audited and enrichment courses. Courses that are audited, or are not eligible for academic credit, are excluded from satisfactory academic progress calculations, as they are ineligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid programs.

Change of majors. If you change majors, credits earned under all majors are included in the calculation of attempted, earned, and maximum timeframe credits, as well as GPA calculation.

Concurrent enrollment in multiple Bethel schools. Students concurrently enrolled in more than one Bethel school may receive multiple financial aid satisfactory academic progress reviews each term. Failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in any school will impact financial aid eligibility across all schools. For example, if a student fails to demonstrate financial aid satisfactory academic progress in the Graduate School, their financial aid eligibility will be terminated at Bethel Seminary, the College of Arts & Sciences, and the College of Adult & Professional Studies as well.

Consortium courses. These courses involve both a “home” and a “host” school. The “home” school provides academic credit, monitors satisfactory academic progress, and provides financial aid. The “host” school provides the instruction for the designated course(s).

• When Bethel is the “home” school, credits are counted as “attempted” and “earned,” as appropriate, and all attempted credits count towards the “maximum timeframe.” The Office of the Registrar maintains a list identifying whether the courses are included in GPA calculation. 
• When Bethel is the “host” school, credits are not counted as either “attempted” or “earned” at Bethel. The student’s “home” school is responsible for monitoring satisfactory academic progress.

Dropping or withdrawing from a course. Courses dropped prior to the end of the 100% refund period and omitted from the transcript are excluded from SAP review. If a student withdraws after the 100% refund period, the course is included on the transcript and counts towards cumulative credits attempted and the maximum timeframe. If a student fails or receives grades of unsatisfactory (U) for all courses attempted during the term, the financial aid staff determines if the student was enrolled for the entire period or unofficially withdrew from school.

Earned credits. For purposes of this policy, credits in which the student earns a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, or S are considered "earned" credits and are counted as both “attempted” and “earned” in the pace calculation.

English as a second language courses. Bethel does not offer any ESL courses.

Incompletes. Courses assigned an incomplete grade are included in the cumulative credits attempted and the maximum timeframe. These credits cannot be counted as earned until a satisfactory grade is assigned. Grade changes are reviewed during the next term’s satisfactory academic progress evaluation.

Multiple majors and/or dual degree students. Students who choose to earn more than one major or more than one degree at the same time are subject to the maximum time limits of one degree (e.g., 183 credits for a baccalaureate degree).

NCAA athletics. Students participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletics must be making satisfactory progress toward their degree per NCAA rules. Students whose financial aid has been terminated are considered by Bethel University to no longer be making satisfactory progress toward their degree and are ineligible for competition in NCAA athletics. Students who appeal their financial aid termination remain eligible for competition during the appeals process and after a successful appeal. Please contact Gretchen Hunt (associate athletic director) with questions about NCAA athletics eligibility.

Preparatory coursework. Students qualifying for aid under federal preparatory coursework guidelines must meet normal satisfactory academic progress pace and quality requirements. However, since they don’t have a clearly defined program of study and are allowed to borrow Direct Loans for up to one year, their time to completion limit is one calendar year rather than 150% of their program of study.

Programs exempt from financial aid satisfactory academic progress review. Some private educational loans and employer educational benefits are available to students who are not demonstrating satisfactory academic progress. Students should check with their employer or private educational loan provider to determine if satisfactory academic progress is required as a condition for receiving these funds.

Students enrolled solely in academic programs that are excluded from eligibility for federal, state, and Bethel-funded financial aid are not subject to the financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy. For example, since no federal, state, or unfunded institutional funds are offered to postsecondary education option (PSEO) students, they are exempt from the financial aid satisfactory academic progress review.

Prior to the summer 2013 term, seminary students in the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program were exempt from the financial aid satisfactory academic progress review because no federal or state funds were offered to D.Min. students. Beginning with the summer of 2013, D.Min. students became eligible for Title IV loans and must therefore meet minimum financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards.

Remedial courses. Students enrolled solely in academic programs that are excluded from eligibility for federal, state, and Bethel-funded financial aid are not subject to the financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy. For example, since no federal, state, or unfunded institutional funds are offered to postsecondary education option students, they are exempt from the financial aid satisfactory academic progress review.

Repeated courses. Courses that a student is repeating are included when determining the student's enrollment status for Title IV purposes as long as the course is not a result of (a) more than one repetition of a previously passed course, or (b) any repetition of a previously passed course due to the student failing other coursework.

Repeated courses are always included in the cumulative credits attempted and maximum timeframe calculation. They are also included in the GPA and cumulative credits earned calculations, provided the grades for both the repeated course and the original course are included in the GPA calculation.

Satisfactory/unsatisfactory (pass/fail) grades. Some of Bethel’s courses are graded as “Satisfactory (S)” or “Unsatisfactory (U).” These courses are not included in GPA calculations but are counted as “attempted” credits. Courses with an “S” grade are considered “earned” credits, while courses with a “U” grade are not.

Beginning with the Spring 2020 semester, students receiving only grades of Withdrawn (W), Satisfactory (S), or Unsatisfactory (U) will have their S/U grades included in the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) quality evaluation. To demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, students must earn grades of Satisfactory (S) in 50% or more of their attempted credits. Students who earn grades of Satisfactory (S) in less than 50% of their credits do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress quality (GPA) standard.

• Students who were demonstrating satisfactory academic progress before the Spring 2020 semester, were enrolled during Spring 2020, and earned Satisfactory (S) grades in less than 50% of their Spring 2020 credits will be placed on financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Warning for the next semester they are enrolled at Bethel.
• Students whose financial aid satisfactory academic progress status was Warning, Terminated, or on an Academic Plan before Spring 2020, and who earned Satisfactory (S) grades in less than 50% of their Spring 2020 credits, will have their financial aid terminated due to failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

Students who enroll in courses graded both on an S/U basis and with a letter grade system (A-F) will be evaluated based on their term and cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Second degree. Students may attempt up to 150% of the credits required for a subsequent program of study (183 credits for a baccalaureate degree, plus an additional 183 credits for a second baccalaureate degree). Students who already have a first baccalaureate degree are eligible for loans (not grants) if they are pursuing teacher licensure or a second degree (e.g., a student has a B.A. and is now seeking a B.S.).

Terms. The financial aid office evaluates satisfactory academic progress at the end of each regular quarter or semester. All terms of enrollment are counted for SAP, including terms in which a student did not receive financial aid.

Transfer credits. College-level courses taken outside of Bethel before students received their high school diploma or G.E.D. (e.g., CLEP, PSEO, AP) are treated as transfer credits. Postsecondary Education Options (PSEO) credits attempted at Bethel are treated the same as other courses taken at Bethel after receiving a high school diploma. Transfer credits are included as both “attempted” and “completed” credits when measuring pace and are included in the maximum timeframe calculation. All transfer credits accepted by Bethel will be used in determining when the maximum timeframe requirement has been reached. Students may, however, appeal to have only the credits accepted toward their Bethel program of study included in the maximum timeframe calculation.

Failure to meet minimum satisfactory academic progress standards

Students who do not meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards will be placed on financial aid warning status. Following a warning term, students who still do not meet the minimum SAP standards will become ineligible for financial aid and will have their financial aid eligibility terminated.

For the Spring 2020 semester only, the university made a mid-semester grading change, defaulting many courses from a letter grade (A-F) to a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) grading system. Students who were on financial aid warning due to a low grade point average for the Spring 2020 semester, and had their grading system changed from letter grades to S/U grades, will remain on financial aid warning for their next semester, provided they earned satisfactory (S) grades in at least 50% of their Spring 2020 attempted credits.

Financial aid warning (formerly referred to as financial aid probation) is a status assigned to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress at an institution that evaluates academic progress at the end of each term. The financial aid warning status lasts for one term. If, after the financial aid warning term, the student is not demonstrating satisfactory academic progress, the student becomes ineligible for financial aid (financial aid terminated).

Financial aid terminated. Financial aid terminated is a status assigned to students who have lost their financial aid eligibility due to failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. Students whose financial aid eligibility has been terminated may appeal the termination.

Appeal of financial aid termination

Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards and lose financial aid eligibility may appeal this decision. This appeal form (pdf) must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid within seven calendar days of the notification date (letter or email) and should be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. However, the final deadline for submitting an appeal is no later than four weeks before the end of the semester for which financial assistance is sought (with all supporting documentation). Appeals will be evaluated by a cross-departmental committee.

Appeals must explain why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress and what has changed to resolve the issue(s) that prevented the student from demonstrating satisfactory academic progress. Acceptable reasons for appeal may include the injury or illness of the student, the illness or death of an immediate relative, or other extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students who cannot demonstrate satisfactory academic progress within one term will be required to submit an academic plan as part of their appeal.

Financial aid probation (formerly referred to as financial aid probation on appeal) is a status assigned to a student who has successfully appealed the termination of financial aid due to failure to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. Students on financial aid probation may receive financial aid for one term.

Financial aid academic plan probation. If it is impossible for the student to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standards after one term, the institution and the student may agree on an academic plan to monitor the student’s academic progress over more than one term. The academic plan will serve as the benchmark for satisfactory academic progress for the length of time specified in the plan. Students who fail to meet the requirements of the academic plan will become ineligible for financial aid.

The College of Arts & Sciences will work with staff in the Academic Enrichment and Support Center (AESC) to develop academic plans. College of Adult & Professional Studies, Graduate School, and Seminary students will work with the Student Success staff to develop academic plans. Once completed, the academic plans are submitted to the Financial Aid Office for review and implementation.

Student notification

Students who do not meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards will be notified by the financial aid office of their financial aid warning or financial aid termination status. Students who submit an appeal will be notified of their financial aid probation, financial aid academic plan probation, or financial aid termination status. Students whose financial aid status was previously warning, probation, academic plan probation, or terminated, but are now meeting minimum SAP standards, will be notified of the change in their status.

Students who graduated during the term being reviewed for satisfactory academic progress and are not registered for the subsequent term will not be notified of changes in their SAP status.

Regaining eligibility

Students whose financial aid was terminated due to lack of satisfactory academic progress may choose to enroll without financial aid. If SAP standards are met, financial aid eligibility will be restored for subsequent terms. Students should consult with a financial aid counselor in the Office of Financial Aid if they have any questions about this policy, the appeal process, or reinstatement of financial aid eligibility.

Interpretation and enforcement

The Director of Financial Aid will have primary responsibility for interpreting and enforcing this policy.

BUILD program satisfactory academic progress addendum

Context. The first cohort of students in the Bethel University Inclusive Learning and Development (BUILD) program enrolled for the 2015-2016 academic year. BUILD is a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) for students with intellectual disabilities. The BUILD certificate program is cohort-based and requires two years of full-time study. Courses are graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory, and all course requirements must be met to earn a satisfactory grade.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, the BUILD academic progress policies encompass all federal and state requirements for monitoring SAP. BUILD students are subject to the following SAP policies, as documented in the BUILD Program Academic Catalog 2022-2023.¹

BUILD program academic progress, probation, and dismissal. Academic standing is calculated at the end of the fall and spring terms. When students are placed on academic warning, academic probation, or academic dismissal, the student, their advisors, and financial aid staff are notified by the Office of the Registrar. If the student has signed a FERPA waiver, designated a proxy, or provided direction in other legal documents, the advisor will notify the parents/guardian(s) or other designated person(s). Academic standing appears on unofficial transcripts of all students.

• Good academic standing: Students who are not on academic probation or academic dismissal are considered to be in good academic standing.
• Academic warning: Students who earn a grade of U (unsatisfactory) in one class and/or do not successfully complete 2/3 of attempted credits in one semester receive an academic warning. Students receive normal financial aid while on academic warning.
• Academic probation: Students who earn a grade of U in any two classes and/or do not successfully complete 2/3 of attempted credits in any two semesters are placed on academic probation. Students receive normal financial aid while on academic probation.
• Academic dismissal: Students who earn a grade of U in any four classes and/or do not successfully complete 2/3 of attempted credits in any three semesters may be subject to academic dismissal. Academic dismissal is determined by the Bethel University Registrar. Academic warning and academic probation may not always immediately precede academic dismissal.

Academic standing is determined upon the initial submission of final grades for the fall and spring semesters. Students who receive a change of grade or repeat a course during interim may petition the Office of the Registrar to have their current academic standing reassessed. When a student repeats a course, both grades remain on the transcript, and the most recent grade replaces the previous course grade when determining academic standing.

BUILD program appeals of academic dismissal. Students who have been academically dismissed are notified by the Registrar. They may appeal the academic dismissal to the BUILD Academic Appeals Committee by submitting a written appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs. Students may choose to be present at a hearing to respond to specific requests for information from committee members. Written notification of the committee's decision will be sent to students via their Bethel email address and their parent(s)/guardian(s) via U.S. mail. Complete instructions and forms for the appeal process are provided by the Registrar when students are notified of their dismissal. The appeals process complies with Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (c). Decisions of the BUILD Academic Appeals Committee affect both academic and financial aid policies.

¹Susan Bowder, presenter for the U.S. Department of Education’s June 8, 2011, Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs and Title IV Eligibility presentation training video, said: “we don't specifically require that it [CTP SAP policy] have qualitative and quantitative measurements like we do with your other [SAP] policies.  However, what we're looking for is that it should be useful to students. That is, the student should be able to read it and understand what is expected of them, how and when their progress will be reviewed, what happens if they don't make progress, how they will be notified, and what recourse they would have if they lose eligibility.” (Susan Bowder, PSC-ED-FSA-TISD transcript, June 8, 2011, page 15 of 21; ifap.ed.gov.edgekey.net/media/podcasts/CTPnTitleIVFSAEligibility060811Transcript.doc)