Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy at NYFA
NYFA students are required to meet both qualitative and quantitative academic standards. This policy ensures that students are progressing through their programs of study and identifies students who may be at risk of failing.
SAP Defined
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is calculated by program for all active students at the completion of each semester. SAP calculations for students in a non-matriculating certificate programs will be calculated separately for each individual program.
Students in the Certificate, AFA or BFA programs with a cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) less than 2.0 or students that have completed less than 66.66% of their cumulative attempted units in their current program of study have not met the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for that program. Courses recorded as Incomplete, Withdrawn or with a grade of “F” are considered attempted but not completed.
Students in the MFA or MA programs with a cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) less than 3.0 or students that have completed less than 66.66% of their cumulative attempted units in their current program of study have not met the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for that program. Courses recorded as Incomplete, Withdrawn or with a grade of “F” are considered attempted but not completed.
SAP Warning Status
Students that have not met the minimum SAP requirements in the previous semester will be sent an SAP warning letter at the beginning of the following semester. Students in an SAP warning status will remain eligible for federal student funding and will be offered additional support services to improve their grades and GPA. The SAP Warning Letter notifies students that they must meet the minimum SAP requirements in the current semester or be at risk of becoming ineligible for Federal student funding. Students meeting the minimum SAP requirements during the “SAP Warning” semester will be returned to satisfactory academic status.
SAP Termination Status
Students who have been placed in an SAP Warning status and fail to meet the minimum SAP requirements at the completion of their “warning” semester will be placed in SAP Termination status. Students in SAP Termination status are considered ineligible for federal student aid funding at NYFA. They will be notified of this status via an SAP Termination email from financialaid@nyfa.edu.
Students who have been terminated from their programs of study for failing to meet SAP requirements who then petition for readmission to their original program will remain in SAP Termination Status.
SAP Appeal Process
Students may request an appeal of the SAP Termination decision by completing an SAP Appeal form and scheduling a meeting with an Academic Advisor to complete an academic plan. Appeals must include all supporting documentation indicating why the student was unable to maintain SAP during the previous semester.
A completed SAP appeal form and academic plan must be returned to the Financial Aid Office for review. Students are notified of the approval or denial of their appeal via the Appeal Determination email sent by the Financial Aid Office. If the student’s appeal is approved, the Financial Aid Office will email that they have regained their federal student aid eligibility and their funding has been reinstated.
Students must continue to meet the requirements of their academic plan each semester to remain eligible for Federal student aid funding. The Academic Advisor will evaluate the student ’s completion of the academic plan each semester to determine their eligibility to receive Federal student aid funding. If the student fails to meet the minimum SAP requirements again, they will be placed in SAP Termination status again.