Students sometimes find they have exceptional circumstances that they’d like our staff to review further. You can read more below about the ways students can request additional reviews of their individual needs and circumstances.

  • Special Circumstance Review: If you believe your FAFSA does not adequately reflect your current financial situation.
  • Budget Adjustment Request: If you believe your Cost of Attendance does not adequately reflect your educational expenses.
  • SAP Appeal: If you’ve been notified you no longer meet financial aid’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

Special Circumstances

We understand that economic hardship is a reality for many families. If you/your family have special circumstances that you believe should be taken into consideration (e.g. you are no longer receiving an income source, a significant change in income has happened or is expected, etc.) you may contact our office or review and submit the Special Circumstance Form. We will review any information you send and let you know if additional documentation is required. The Special Circumstance Form can be found under the Forms heading. Select the appropriate year and then the Miscellaneous category.

Budget Adjustment

You may qualify for an adjustment to your Cost of Attendance (COA). This is called a Budget Adjustment and is available for the documented rental or purchase of a personal computer, the costs expected to be incurred for dependent care, and when documented expenses are significantly different than those used in our estimates.

  • A Budget Adjustment may or may not increase the amount of financial aid offered. If you have already received aid up to your annual limits, consider borrowing additional aid through a Parent Plus or Private Educational Loan.
  • Example: Joe is a resident undergraduate student living on campus.
    • Joe’s COA is $23,588. Joe has been offered $10,000 in financial aid based on his  FAFSA results.
    • If Joe needs extra financial aid, Joe could borrow a maximum of $13,588 in a private loan without having to complete a request for a budget increase.
  • To find out what your cost of attendance is, you can follow the steps outlined on page 4 of this tutorial.
  • If you believe you qualify for a budget adjustment, complete a Budget Adjustment Request with this form.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a standard colleges and universities use to measure a student’s progress toward completing their academic program. The purpose of SAP is to ensure that students are making reasonable progress toward obtaining their degree and to ensure that students are using their federal financial aid in a responsible and accountable manner. Regulations require that a student meet the SAP standards to remain eligible for financial aid. SAP is reviewed at the end of each semester (including summer), however, the calculations are cumulative.

If you are not currently meeting SAP requirements and would like to discuss the possibility of appealing, click here to schedule an appointment with an advisor.

SAP consists of two components of measurement: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative component is administered by the individual schools and colleges, while the quantitative component is monitored by the Financial Aid Office.

To be considered for an appeal, you must begin the appeal process with an advisor in the Student Financial Service Center no later than 10 business days into the semester in which you are looking to regain eligibility. If you begin the appeal process after 10 business days, the appeal may not be reviewed until the following semester. You can review the entire Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy below.

JUNE 11, 2020 UPDATE PER COVID-19

UWM Office of Financial Aid Administration applied SAP CARES Act guidance from the Department of Education’s May 15, 2020, Electronic Announcement to Spring 2020 SAP processing. The following grades received by any student during the Spring 2020 semester are considered to have been due to COVID-19 circumstances: Unsatisfactory, Incomplete, No Credit, F8 through F16, and withdrawal date after 3/12/20. Credits associated with courses receiving the aforementioned grades have been excluded from the quantitative portion of all SAP calculations. Please note F8 corresponds with the Saturday of the week UWM announced an extra week of spring break/classes online and the state of National Emergency being called.

All students should become familiar with the SAP requirements. Take a look at the following links to learn more specifics about the SAP policy at UWM. Because this policy differs slightly depending on your academic career, be sure to select the appropriate option:

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate SAP requirements apply to Associate and Bachelor’s degree-seeking students, as well as those in undergraduate certificate programs. SAP consists of two components of measurement: qualitative and quantitative. A student’s SAP is reviewed on a semester-by-semester basis, including the summer semester. The following regulations govern all aid administered by the University, including all Federal Title IV aid as well as State funds.

Quantitative Measure

1) Timeframe

All students are expected to finish their program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 150% of the number of credits required to complete a degree. All credits are counted in Timeframe, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid. The following is a list of the maximum number of credits in which a student is expected to complete the degree for financial aid purposes.

Academic ClassificationRequired CreditsMaximum Timeframe
Undergraduate Associate Degree6090
Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree120180
Special Certification Program1522
Education Non-Degree Teacher Certification3654
Second Baccalaureate Degree120180

2) Pace

Student financial aid recipients must demonstrate measurable progress toward earning a degree by successfully completing at least 66.67% of all attempted credits at UWM. While Pace is measured at the end of each semester, it is a cumulative calculation.

Pace = Total # of Completed Credits in Academic Career /Total # of Credits Attempted in Academic Career

Attempted Credits Determination: For the Fall and Spring semesters, attempted credits are based on enrollment as of the tenth day of classes, and any credits that may be added anytime thereafter.

Summer: Attempted credits are based on any credits that a letter grade was assigned.

UWinteriM: The three-week UWinteriM session is treated as an extension of the Fall semester. SAP is evaluated after the three-week UWinteriM period has ended.

The treatment of the credits listed below is applicable to all semesters, including summer.

Transfer Credits: Transfer credits accepted toward the student’s program are counted as both credits attempted and credits completed for each of the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Remedial Credits: Remedial credits are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Repeated Coursework, Incomplete Courses, No Credits, and Withdrawals: All repeated, incomplete, no credits, and withdrawn courses and their grades are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Consortium Credits: Credits taken as consortium courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

Changing Majors: All attempted and completed credits are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. Students who change majors are at risk of exceeding their timeframe before obtaining a degree. If this happens, it could be a reason to appeal.

Study Abroad Credits: Credits taken as study abroad courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

Qualitative Measure

Financial aid recipients are governed by the performance standards of the school or college in which they are enrolled. Failure to meet the required performance standards may make a student ineligible to continue enrollment; therefore, ineligible for financial aid.

  • Students with Junior standing must also have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average, its equivalent, or have academic standing at that point in the program that is consistent with the institution’s requirements for graduation.
  • Academic cancellation by the student’s school or college will cause the student to become ineligible for financial aid.
  • Further information may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office and the Dean’s Office of the student’s school or college.
  • Students are required to repay all of the financial aid received (excluding federal work-study earnings) if the academic cancellation occurred after the disbursement of financial aid.
  • If a student is academically reinstated, they must notify the Student Financial Service Center immediately.
  • Treatment of course withdrawals, incomplete(s)/not reported, repeated courses, no credits, and remedial courses (this includes all semesters, including summer): Withdrawals (W): Courses dropped after the add/drop period for which the student receives a “W” grade are not included in the cumulative GPA. If they failed to officially withdraw from a course and received a grade of F0-F15, the “F” grade is included in the cumulative GPA. Incompletes (I) or Not Reported (NR): As there is no current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time. Once a letter grade (A, B, C, D, and F) is assigned, it will be factored into the GPA determination the next time SAP is evaluated. Repeated courses: For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the cumulative GPA. Remedial courses: Non-credit (NC) remedial courses are not included in the cumulative GPA. Credit/No Credit courses: Credit/No Credit courses are not included in the cumulative GPA

Financial Aid Warning Status

The first time an enrolled student does not meet the requirements for making satisfactory academic progress, they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status for the next semester. A student on Financial Aid Warning will be notified via email. A student on Financial Aid Warning may continue to receive financial aid for that one semester. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Warning, if the student meets the requirements for satisfactory academic progress, they will be returned to Good Standing. If they do not meet the requirements, they will be placed in an Ineligible Status.

Ineligible Status

If a student does not meet the requirements for academic progress after one semester of Financial Aid Warning, the student is placed in an Ineligible Status. Students are not eligible for financial aid while in an Ineligible Status. A student will be notified via email of their Ineligible Status. In order to regain eligibility, the student must either meet the requirements for academic progress, (i.e., attempt and complete enough credits to be meeting the pace requirement), or successfully appeal and be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Probation Status

Students who are in Ineligible Status may be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester with an approved appeal. A student on Financial Aid Probation may continue to receive financial aid for that one semester. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet the requirements for making satisfactory academic progress again, or they will be placed back into Ineligible Status.

Appeals

To be considered for an appeal, a student must begin the appeal process with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center no later than 10 business days into the semester in which they are looking to regain eligibility. If they start the appeal process later, the appeal may not be reviewed until the following semester.

Students may appeal their Academic Progress status by documenting extenuating circumstance(s) which prevented them from meeting the academic progress standards. Extenuating circumstance(s) must be non-academic in nature. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Work-related issues
  • Medical conditions
  • Death of a loved one
  • Family circumstances
  • Military Services
  • Loss of residence (evictions, natural disasters, etc.)
  • Legal issues

Documentation must be submitted with a student statement explaining why the student failed to make SAP as well as what has changed that will allow the student to meet the SAP standards at the next evaluation.

The appeal policy permits no more than one appeal for the same non-academic circumstance. To be considered for financial aid, complete appeals must be turned in prior to the end of that semester. There are no retroactive appeals. Based on departmental policy, there may be limitations set on the number of appeals allowed.

The SAP Appeal Form is provided to the student after meeting with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center. Completed appeals should be returned to that Advisor. The student will be notified of the appeal decision in writing.

If an appeal is denied, a student may continue enrollment without the use of financial aid funding and pay using their own funds. If a student would like the denial reviewed again or has additional information or documentation for the appeal, the denial notification will explain how to proceed. A second request to review an appeal must be petitioned to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee or the Financial Aid Director, depending on who most recently denied the appeal. A personal interview may be scheduled.

While Advisors may request assistance from the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee for any appeal, students who submit more than two appeals must have their appeal reviewed by a committee.

If a student has an appealable reason, but will not be able to meet the SAP standards after just one semester, in addition to an approved appeal, they will need to complete an Academic Plan.

Academic Plans

If the student has an approved appeal and is unable to meet SAP by the end of the subsequent semester, an academic plan may be developed. Academic plans are developed on a student-by-student basis and are designed in a way that, if followed, the student will be meeting academic progress standards by a specified point in time.

Whether or not an academic plan is needed will be determined when the student meets with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center to discuss whether they are eligible to complete a SAP appeal. If needed, the Advisor provides the Academic Plan Form and the student must then meet with their Academic Advisor to develop the plan. The student is responsible for returning the Academic Plan Form to their Student Financial Service Center Advisor.

A student on an academic plan may continue to receive financial aid as long as the student is meeting the requirements in the plan. Academic plans will be monitored at the end of each semester. Financial aid disbursements will not be released until the status is verified. If the student does not meet the objectives set in the plan, the student will return to an Ineligible Status. In order to revise an academic plan, the student is required to meet with an Advisor in the Center again and have a new appealable reason for not meeting the academic plan requirements.

Regaining Eligibility

A student can re-establish eligibility for financial aid only by taking action that brings the student back into compliance with the qualitative and quantitative components of the SAP standard. Some options for re-establishing eligibility are as follows:

  • Paying for charges associated with enrollment using personal funds or a private loan until qualitative and/or quantitative measurements are met.
  • A student may also take credits outside of UWM and transfer them back to UWM, possibly increasing SAP eligibility components. A student should confirm with their academic advisor that credits taken outside of UWM will be accepted and count toward their degree requirements.
  • Successfully completing courses that are currently “Incomplete.”

A student’s SAP status is reviewed and updated at the end of each semester. While a student may regain eligibility for financial aid, they are reminded that most financial aid programs have lifetime aggregate limits. All other rules and regulations governing Federal and State financial aid programs still apply.

Graduate Students

SAP consists of two components of measurement: qualitative and quantitative. A student’s SAP is reviewed on a semester-by-semester basis, including the summer semester. The following regulations govern all aid administered by the University, including all Federal Title IV aid as well as State funds.

Quantitative Measure

1) Timeframe

All students are expected to finish their program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 200% of the number of credits required to complete the degree. To determine the timeframe, review graduate study requirements in the Graduate Catalog. All credits are counted in Timeframe, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid.

2) Pace

Student financial aid recipients must demonstrate measurable progress toward earning a degree by successfully completing at least 50% of all attempted credits at UWM. While Pace is measured at the end of each semester, it is a cumulative calculation.

Pace = Total # of Completed Credits in Academic Career /Total # of Credits Attempted in Academic Career

Attempted Credits Determination: For the Fall and Spring semesters, attempted credits are based on enrollment as of the tenth day of classes, and any credits that may be added anytime after that.

Summer: Attempted credits are based on credits that have a letter grade assigned.

UWinteriM: The three-week UWinteriM session is treated as an extension of the Fall semester. SAP is evaluated after the three-week UWinteriM period has ended.

The treatment of the credits listed below is applicable to all semesters, including summer.

Transfer Credits: Transfer credits accepted toward the student’s program are counted as both credits attempted and credits completed for each of the 50% pace and timeframe totals.

Deficiency Credits: Credits taken to make up for deficiencies are counted in both the 50% pace and timeframe totals.

Repeated Coursework, Incomplete Courses, No Credits, and Withdrawals: All repeated, incomplete, no credits, and withdrawn courses, and their grades are counted in both the 50% pace and timeframe totals.

Consortium Credits: Credits taken as consortium courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 50% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

Changing Majors: All attempted and completed credits are counted in both the 50% pace and timeframe totals. Students who change majors are at risk of exceeding the timeframe before obtaining a degree. If this happens, it could be a reason to appeal.

Study Abroad Credits: Credits taken as study abroad courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 50% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

Qualitative Measure

Financial aid recipients are governed by the performance standards of the school or college in which they are enrolled. Failure to meet the required performance standards may make a student ineligible to continue enrollment, therefore, ineligible for financial aid.

  • Academic cancellation by the student’s school or college will cause the student to become ineligible for financial aid.
  • Further information may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office and the Dean’s Office of the student’s school or college.
  • Students are required to repay all of the financial aid received (excluding federal work-study earnings) if the academic cancellation occurred after the disbursement of financial aid.
  • If a student is academically reinstated, s/he must notify the Student Financial Service Center immediately.
  • Treatment of course withdrawals, incomplete(s)/not reported, repeated courses, no credits, and remedial courses (this includes all semesters, including summer): Withdrawals (W): Courses dropped after the add/drop period for which the student receives a “W” grade are not included in the cumulative GPA. If you failed to officially withdraw from a course and received a grade of F0-F15, the “F” grade is included in the cumulative GPA. Incompletes (I) or Not Reported (NR): As there is no current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time. Once a letter grade (A, B, C, D, and F) is assigned, it will be factored into the GPA determination the next time SAP is evaluated. Repeated courses: For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the cumulative GPA. Remedial courses: Non-credit (NC) remedial courses are not included in the cumulative GPA. Credit/No Credit courses: Credit/No Credit courses are not included in the cumulative GPA.

Financial Aid Warning Status

The first time an enrolled student does not meet the requirements for making satisfactory academic progress, they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status for the next semester. A student on Financial Aid Warning will be notified via email. A student on Financial Aid Warning may continue to receive financial aid for that one semester. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Warning, if the student meets the requirements for satisfactory academic progress, they will be returned to Good Standing. If they do not meet the requirements, they will be placed in an Ineligible Status.

Ineligible Status

If a student does not meet the requirements for academic progress after one semester of Financial Aid Warning, the student is placed in an Ineligible Status. Students are not eligible for financial aid while in an Ineligible Status. A student will be notified via email of their Ineligible Status. In order to regain eligibility, the student must either meet the requirements for academic progress, (i.e., attempt and complete enough credits to be meeting the pace requirement), or successfully appeal and be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Probation Status

Students who are in Ineligible Status may be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester with an approved appeal. A student on Financial Aid Probation may continue to receive financial aid for that one semester. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet the requirements for making satisfactory academic progress again, or they will be placed back into Ineligible Status.

Appeals

To be considered for an appeal, a student must begin the appeal process with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center no later than 10 business days into the semester in which they are looking to regain eligibility. If they start the appeal process later, the appeal may not be reviewed until the following semester.

Students may appeal their Academic Progress status by documenting extenuating circumstance(s) which prevented them from meeting the academic progress standards. Extenuating circumstance(s) must be non-academic in nature. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Extenuating circumstance(s) which prevented the student from meeting the academic progress standards. The extenuating circumstance(s) must be non-academic in nature. Examples of extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to:
    • Work-related issues
    • Medical conditions
    • Death of a loved one
    • Family circumstances
    • Military Services
    • Loss of residence (evictions, natural disasters, etc.)
    • Legal issues

Documentation must be submitted with a student statement explaining why the student failed to make SAP as well as what has changed that will allow the student to meet the SAP standards at the next evaluation.

The appeal policy permits no more than one appeal for the same non-academic circumstance. To be considered for financial aid, complete appeals must be turned in prior to the end of that semester. There are no retroactive appeals. Based on departmental policy, there may be limitations set on the number of appeals allowed.

The SAP Appeal Form is provided to the student after meeting with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center. Completed appeals should be returned to that Advisor. The student will be notified of the appeal decision in writing.

If an appeal is denied, a student may continue enrollment without the use of financial aid funding and pay using their own funds.If a student would like the denial reviewed again or has additional information or documentation for the appeal, the denial notification will explain how to proceed. A second request to review an appeal must be petitioned to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee or the Financial Aid Director, depending on who most recently denied the appeal. A personal interview may be scheduled.

While Advisors may request assistance from the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee for any appeal, students who submit more than two appeals must have their appeal reviewed by the committee.

If a student has an appealable reason, but will not be able to meet the SAP standards after one just one semester, in addition to an approved appeal, they will need to complete an Academic Plan.

Academic Plans

If the student has an approved appeal and is unable to meet SAP by the end of the subsequent semester, an academic plan may be developed. Academic plans are developed on a student-by-student basis and are designed in a way that, if followed, the student will be meeting academic progress standards by a specified point in time.

Whether or not an academic plan is needed will be determined when the student meets with an Advisor in the Student Financial Service Center to discuss whether they are eligible to complete a SAP appeal. If needed, the Advisor provides the Academic Plan Form and the student must then meet with their Academic Advisor to develop the plan. The student is responsible for returning the Academic Plan Form to their Student Financial Service Center Advisor.

A student on an academic plan may continue to receive financial aid as long as the student is meeting the requirements in the plan. Academic plans will be monitored at the end of each semester. Financial aid disbursements will not be released until the status is verified. If the student does not meet the objectives set in the plan, the student will return to an Ineligible Status. In order to revise an academic plan, the student is required to meet with an Advisor in the Center again and have a new appealable reason for not meeting the academic plan requirements.

Regaining Eligibility

A student can re-establish eligibility for financial aid only by taking action that brings the student back into compliance with the qualitative and quantitative components of the SAP standards. Some options of re-establishing eligibility are as follows:

  • Paying for charges associated with enrollment using personal funds or a private loan until qualitative and/or quantitative measurements are met.
  • A student may also take credits outside of UWM and transfer them back to UWM, possibly increasing SAP eligibility components. A student should confirm with their academic advisor that credits taken outside of UWM apply to degree requirements.
  • Successfully completing courses that are currently “Incomplete”

A student’s SAP status is reviewed and updated at the end of each semester. While a student may regain eligibility for financial aid, they are reminded that most financial aid programs have lifetime aggregate limits. All other rules and regulations governing Federal and State financial aid programs still apply.


*For SAP purposes, students enrolled in anything not considered a Graduate degree program are considered Undergraduates.

Students wanting to improve their academic performance and college success are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by the Student Success Center.