The most important thing you can do to keep your financial aid is to keep up your grades. Per federal regulations, the Financial Aid Office is required to monitor student aid recipients on their satisfactory academic progress.
Undergraduate students: Academic progress for the undergraduate student, as defined by the Chaminade University Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, is determined essentially by three factors:
- Maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 2.0
- Passing a minimum of 67% of all courses attempted
- Completing your academic program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 150% of the total credits needed to complete your academic program.
Graduate students: Academic progress for the graduate student, as defined by the Chaminade University Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, is determined essentially by three factors:
- Maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
- Passing a minimum of 50% of all courses attempted
Completing your academic program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 200% of the total credits needed to complete your academic program.
Process for Appealing Suspension of Financial Aid
A student not meeting SAP requirements has the option to appeal their suspension of financial aid. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate any appeal. Academic reinstatement by the University Registrar or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions does not constitute reinstatement of federal aid eligibility. Neither paying for your own classes nor sitting out for an enrollment period is sufficient to re-establish eligibility for Title IV aid.
Appeals are reviewed based on a documentable extenuating circumstance impacting academic performance. Extenuating circumstances are considered to be past events that are no longer barriers to academic progress. The appeal application should support how the student is now in a position to be academically successful. Examples of extenuating circumstances to be considered for appeal:
- Serious illness or injury to the student or immediate family member (parent, spouse, sibling, child) that required extended recovery time
- Death of an immediate family member
- Significant trauma in the student’s life that impaired the student’s emotional and/or physical health
- Withdrawal due to military service
- Second degree, double major, change of major (maximum timeframe only)
- Other unexpected circumstances beyond the control of the student
Note: Circumstances related to the typical adjustment to college life such as working while attending school, financial issues related to paying bills and car maintenance/travel to campus are not considered as extenuating for purposes of appealing suspension of financial aid.
Appeals are reviewed by the Director and/or Associate Director of Financial Aid and all decisions are final. Students are strongly encouraged to appeal within 15 days of notification of suspension to allow adequate time for processing and review. Appeals submitted after the priority date for the term will not be reviewed by the Director / Associate Director until after the first day of classes for the term. Appeals submitted and approved after a term has begun will have the effective term determined on a case by case basis.
SAP Appeals may be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid in Clarence T. C. Ching hall 6, mailed to Office of Financial Aid, 3140 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816, faxed to (808) 739-8362 or emailed to finaid@chaminade.edu
For further details, download the Chaminade University Satisfactory Academic Progress policy document.
