SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

In order to remain eligible for federal and state financial aid at Queens College, all undergraduate and graduate students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward the completion of their degree. SAP is a set of academic standards established by federal and state regulations to ensure students are making measurable progress toward graduation.

Review the categories below to understand the requirements for maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

SAP Requirements FOR FEDERAL AID

To maintain eligibility for federal financial aid, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). These include completing a required percentage of attempted courses, earning enough cumulative degree credits, and maintaining the minimum cumulative GPA.

For detailed requirements, please review below:

Requirements for Undergraduate Students

To stay in good academic standing and keep your financial aid, you need to meet certain progress requirements. Here’s what that means for you:

Minimum GPA: Your GPA must meet the minimum based on how many credits you have attempted:

Credits Attempted	Minimum GPA
0.5 – 12 credits	1.50
13 – 24 credits	1.75
25 credits +	2.00

Minimum GPA for 4 Year Programs – If you are in a program that takes more than two years, you need to have at least a C average (2.0 GPA) by the end of your second academic year. This means after completing 4 semesters or 6 quarters, you should have a minimum 2.0 GPA, no matter how many classes you took each semester.
Maximum Time Frame – You can’t attempt more than 150% of the credits required for your degree. For example: If your degree requires 120 credits, you cannot attempt more than 180 credits.
Pace of Progression – You must successfully complete a certain percentage of the total number of credits that you attempt according to the following:

Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Attempted Credits	15	30	45	60	75	90	105	120	135	150	165	180
Earned Credits	0	5	16	27	42	50	63	72	84	95	110	120

* Attempted credits are courses you registered for and did not drop before the last official withdrawal date

Requirements for Graduate Students

To receive federal student aid (Title IV), graduate students must meet the following standards:

Minimum GPA: Keep a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or maintain academic standing consistent with your program’s graduation requirements.
Maximum Time Frame: You cannot attempt more than 150% of the credits normally required to complete your degree. For example: If your degree requires 120 credits, you cannot attempt more than 180 credits.
Pace of Progression: You must successfully complete at least two-thirds of the cumulative credits you attempt at Queens College.

All graduate students will be measured against each of the three Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) components at the end of the Spring term to determine eligibility for receipt of Title IV student financial assistance in the upcoming year.

SAP Requirements FOR NEW YORK STATE AID

To receive NYS financial aid, including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), students must meet specific academic standards. For detailed requirements, please review the State Aid and TAP Academic Performance Charts below.

Requirements for NYS Aid Programs (Undergraduate)

To receive state financial aid, including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), students must meet certain academic standards. These standards are based on:

Course completion – finishing a certain percentage of the courses you take
Credits earned – accumulating enough credits toward your degree
Grade Point Average (GPA) – maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA

Refer to the State Aid and TAP Performance Charts below for the exact requirements:

State Aid and TAP Academic Performance Charts

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Performance Charts apply to all students who receive TAP payments.

To remain eligible for New York State financial aid programs, students must meet the Good Academic Standing requirement. This requirement has two parts:

Academic Progress
Program Pursuit

To be eligible for a TAP award, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits (or the equivalent of full-time study). Courses may be counted toward full-time enrollment only if they are applicable toward a degree. Elective courses are acceptable when they are taken in accordance with published degree requirements.

A student may take courses that are not applicable toward a degree in a given semester as long as their total enrollment is above the minimum full-time requirement of 12 credits.

Undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor’s Degree program may receive TAP awards for up to eight semesters. SEEK students may receive TAP awards for up to ten semesters.

To receive each TAP payment:

You must have completed a specific number of credits in the previous TAP semester;
You must have accumulated a specific number of credits towards your degree;
You must maintain a specific minimum GPA (Grade Point Average)
You must have declared a major by the time you complete 60 credits

In order to receive TAP and scholarships, a student must meet specific academic standards. Students will be evaluated depending on when they received their first TAP payment and whether they are in a remedial program. Review the TAP performance chart:

To Receive Payment Number	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Credits Completed in Previous Payment Semester	6	6	9	9	12	12	12	12	12
Accumulated Credits Toward Degree	6	15	27	39	51	66	81	96	111
Required GPA	1.5	1.8	1.8	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0

View NYS SAP Charts at HESC.ny.gov

sap appeal & waivers

For students who fail to meet the qualitative or quantitative standards, they may appeal to Queens College’s SAP Committee to have eligibility restored. The appeal procedures enable students to have their federal aid reinstated if they can demonstrate that exceptional or extraordinary circumstances resulted in their failure to satisfy academic requirements.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

How to File A SAP Appeal:

Complete the FAFSA application for the academic year you are submitting the appeal for.
All SAP appeals must be submitted through Student Forms. Appeals submitted by email will not be reviewed. Incomplete appeals will not be reviewed.
Access Student Forms via: Student Center > Tasks and Holds > Financial Aid Academic Progress > “Click here for Student Forms”.
First-time users must complete the registration process and verify personal information reported on the FAFSA before accessing the portal. If you have trouble accessing or making an account on Student Forms, contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.
For more information about Student Forms, visit the CUNY website.
Your SAP appeal will require an Academic Plan. Academic Plans must be created with an academic advisor. You must schedule an appointment with your advisor to complete this plan before submitting your appeal.
Please note that SAP appeals are reviewed exclusively by the appropriate SAP Committee. The Office of Financial Aid Services does not have access to appeal decisions and cannot provide status updates or outcomes. Please direct all SAP appeal questions to the appropriate SAP Committee. The respective contact information is listed below.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS:

Students meeting SAP by Summer 2025 or Fall 2025: Contact the Undergraduate SAP Committee at QCTIVTAPAPPEAL@qc.cuny.edu
Students working on a Second Bachelor’s Degree: Contact the Undergraduate SAP Committee at QCTIVTAPAPPEAL@qc.cuny.edu before submitting a SAP appeal via Student Forms.
Graduate students: Contact Graduate Admissions at Grad@qc.qc.cuny.edu before submitting a SAP appeal via Student Forms.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If you do not want federal aid (Title IV), no action is needed. Keep in mind you will not receive any federal aid until you are meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress. This appeal and status does not affect New York State aid.
Appeals are not automatically approved and depend on the documentation you provide as well as your ability to follow your Academic Plan. You must continue to meet the requirements of your plan each semester. If you fail to comply with your Academic Plan at any point, your federal aid for the following semester will be revoked until you follow up with the SAP Committee and receive approval.
Once your appeal is approved, we encourage you to contact the SAP Committee to confirm which semesters you have been approved for. The Office of Financial Aid Services cannot reinstate aid for semesters not approved by the committee.
Deadlines are important. Appeals submitted after the posted deadlines may not be reviewed. You can check the updated deadlines for each semester on our homepage.
The Office of Financial Aid Services does not handle the SAP appeal process and cannot provide decisions or updates on appeals. Undergraduate students should direct SAP appeal questions to QCTIVTAPAPPEAL@qc.cuny.edu, and graduate students should direct SAP appeal questions to grad@qc.cuny.edu.

New York State Aid Waivers

If a student becomes ineligible for a TAP award due to loss of good academic standing, they may apply for a TAP Waiver. The following are the two types of waivers offered to undergraduate students:

One-Time Waiver

Applies if you fail to meet the Pursuit of Program (POP) standard, which means completing a required percentage of your courses each semester.
Granted only once.

‘C’ Waiver

For students who struggle to maintain a C average (2.0 GPA) while receiving TAP.
Students must have received the equivalent of two or more full years of TAP (24+ payment points).
May be granted more than once if circumstances warrant.
Only applicable when there is a reasonable expectation that future requirements will be met.

Undergraduate students should email the SAP Committee at QCTIVTAPAPPEAL@qc.cuny.edu to request a waiver.

ADA (AMERICAN WITH DISABILITY ACT) students

ADA (American with Disability Act)

Beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year, ADA students who received their first state award during the 2010-2011 academic year and thereafter and who are enrolled less than full-time, good academic standing will be determined using new SAP standards which does not modify the requirements for disabled students, but aligns them to be equivalent with those required of full-time students.