To be eligible for federal, state and university aid, students are required by the U.S. Department of Education and the state of California to maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree objectives. In compliance with prescribed regulations, USC has established guidelines that are designed to ensure that students successfully complete courses to promote timely advancement toward a specific degree objective.
The following guidelines provide academic progress criteria for all students receiving financial aid at USC. Although the requirements for students receiving financial aid are somewhat more restrictive than for the general student population, they are based on reasonable expectations of academic progress toward a degree. Accordingly, these guidelines should not be an encumbrance to any student in good academic standing.
Academic progress criteria apply both to recipients of financial aid programs created under Title IV regulations of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as well as to recipients of those other programs used by the Financial Aid Office at USC to provide students with financial assistance to meet their financial need. Specifically included are the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan Program, and Federal Work-Study programs. These standards of satisfactory academic progress also apply to students maintaining eligibility for Federal Stafford Loans. Satisfactory academic progress standards also apply to students receiving state-supported grants, either within or outside California; receiving agency-sponsored assistance; and participation in all scholarship, grant, loan or employment programs provided through unrestricted university funds.
Specifically not bound by these guidelines are recipients of tuition remission and departmental awards who are not receiving any other federal, state or university funds.
At USC, satisfactory academic progress is defined by the following three criteria:
(1) Meeting a minimum grade point average requirement.
(2) Making yearly progress by completing a minimum number of units for credit per semester.
(3) Completing the degree objective within the maximum time allowed, monitored by the total number of semesters enrolled and units attempted.
To maintain satisfactory academic progress, students must meet the grade point average requirements for continued enrollment at USC, as stated in the Academic Standards and the University Requirements for Graduation sections of this catalogue.
To maintain satisfactory progress, undergraduate students must complete SAP units for credit as illustrated in the following table:
| SAP Semester Number | Units Required Per Term | Minimum Cumulative SAP Units Required |
| 0.5 | 6 | |
| 1.0 | 12 | 12 |
| 1.5 | 18 | |
| 2.0 | 12 | 24 |
| 2.5 | 31 | |
| 3.0 | 14 | 38 |
| 3.5 | 45 | |
| 4.0 | 14 | 52 |
| 4.5 | 59 | |
| 5.0 | 15 | 67 |
| 5.5 | 74 | |
| 6.0 | 15 | 82 |
| 6.5 | 90 | |
| 7.0 | 16 | 98 |
| 7.5 | 106 | |
| 8.0 | 16 | 114 |
| 8.5 | 121 | |
| 9.0 | 14 | 128 |
| 9.5 | 135 | |
| 0.0 | 14 | 142 |
| 10.5 | 149 | |
| 11.0 | 14 | 156 |
New freshmen who enter USC with no transfer units begin at SAP semester number 0.0. Transfer students begin at their calculated SAP semester number explained in the Transfer Course Work Completed Prior to Matriculation at USC section. Thereafter, each semester in which a student attempts 6-11 units is counted as 0.5 SAP semester. Each semester in which a student attempts 12 or more units is counted as 1.0 SAP semester. Semesters in which a student attempts fewer than six units and summer sessions are not counted as SAP semesters.
New freshmen who enter USC with no transfer units begin at 0.0 SAP units. Transfer students begin at their calculated SAP unit number explained in the Transfer Course Work Completed Prior to Matriculation at USC section. Thereafter, all units successfully completed for credit count as SAP units.
To maintain satisfactory progress, students must complete their degree objective within a specified amount of time. The time frame will depend upon the student's enrollment status and educational objective.
Undergraduate students in single-degree, four-year programs requiring 128 units are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of 144 total attempted units or a maximum of nine SAP semesters, whichever comes first. See the previous section for an explanation of SAP semesters. The allowances will be increased as necessary for single-degree, four-year programs requiring more than 128 units. Students pursuing a five-year, single-degree program or enrolled in a program of study leading to two diplomas will be eligible to receive financial aid for a maximum of 176 attempted units or 11 SAP semesters, whichever comes first. This adjustment is made only if the degrees are different (e.g., a B.S. in chemistry and a B.A. in English) or are conferred by separate schools.
The following guidelines have been established for students who change majors and students pursuing a second bachelor's degree.
If a continuing USC student changes from one major to another, there will be a one-time-only revaluation of the student's unit and semester allowances. The student, together with his or her academic advisor, must complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form and submit it to the Financial Aid Office. The academic advisor will assign as much of the student's work as possible to the General Education/Skill Level category, departmental requirements and electives for the new major. The unit total for all these categories will be subtracted from the total number of units attempted by the student. The remaining unassigned units will be multiplied by the factor of 0.50 and added to the student's maximum unit allowance. The adjustment to the maximum SAP semester allowance is calculated by dividing the unit adjustment by 16. If the number of unassigned units is five or less, no increase will be made to the student's unit or semester allowance. The maximum increase that will be made for any student is 16 units and one semester.
Students seeking financial aid for a second bachelor's degree are monitored for satisfactory academic progress based on the following:
(1) Students who have received their first bachelor's degree from another institution will be granted a maximum of 64 additional units or five semesters, whichever comes first, to complete their second bachelor's degree at USC.
(2) Students who have received their first bachelor's degree from USC will be granted a maximum of 44 additional units or four semesters, whichever comes first, to complete their second bachelor's degree at USC.
(3) The maximum unit and semester allowances for a second bachelor's degree may be reconsidered if additional units are required for completion of a specific program of study. Adjustments to these allowances will be made only through an appeal to the Financial Aid Office.
Satisfactory academic progress is monitored for all students at the end of the academic year, and for some students each semester. The Office of Academic Review monitors the minimum grade point average requirement. The Financial Aid Office monitors yearly progress and the maximum time allowance.
The following guidelines have been established for treatment of non-credit grades, repeated course work, transfer course work and summer course work.
Students should be aware that units awarded grades of W, UW, IN, F, IX, NC, NP, NR, V and MG do not apply toward a degree. Therefore, students must not count in their calculations of SAP units any classes in which they received these grades. Units awarded these grades will be counted toward the maximum time allowance. Please refer to the Academic Standards section of this catalogue (page 51) for a detailed definition of these grades.
Students required to complete remedial work (Chemistry 040, Math 040, Physics 040, Composition 040, English 075) may apply up to 10 units of course work toward yearly progress unit requirements. These units are only counted for satisfactory academic progress (SAP) purposes and will not count toward graduation. Remedial course work will be counted toward the maximum time allowance. Semester and unit allowances will not be increased for students enrolled in remedial course work.
Repeated course work will not be included when determining a student's yearly progress unless it was not counted the first time the course was taken. This only occurs in classes in which a student has withdrawn or not received a passing grade. All repeated course work counts toward the student's maximum time allowance.
The Degree Progress Department in the Office of Academic Records and Registrar will compute the total number of units accepted for transfer to USC from another institution. Under current policy 80 percent of transfer units taken prior to matriculation at USC will count toward the student's satisfactory academic progress cumulative maximum unit and semester allowances. The total number of transfer units accepted is multiplied by the factor 0.80 to yield the total number of transfer SAP units. The transfer SAP units are divided by 14 to calculate the number of SAP semesters the student completed prior to enrollment at USC. These numbers, subtracted from the student's maximum SAP unit and semester allowances, determine the number of units and semesters the student has remaining.
The summer session is considered to be an optional semester for satisfactory academic progress purposes. Students who have fallen behind in yearly progress may wish to use summer session enrollment to make up the deficiency. However, students should keep in mind that there is only limited financial aid available for summer enrollment at USC. Units attempted during the summer session will count toward the student's cumulative maximum unit allowance, but the term will not count as a SAP semester.
Transferable summer classes taken outside of USC by a continuing student are treated in the same way as summer classes taken at USC. Transferable summer classes taken at another school may be used to make up a yearly progress deficiency at USC. One hundred percent of any units transferred in will count toward the student's cumulative maximum unit allowance, but the term will not count as a SAP semester.
One hundred percent of non-summer session work transferred to USC by a continuing student will count toward the student's cumulative maximum unit and semester alowances. Such transferred course work for a continuing student will not be discounted.
Students who do not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements are notified, in writing, by the Financial Aid Office. Students who have reached the maximum unit or semester allowance are ineligible for further financial aid. Students who are academically disqualified from the university are ineligible for further financial aid. Students who fail to meet the yearly progress requirement are placed on financial aid probation.
Students who do not meet the yearly progress requirement will be placed on financial aid probation for their next two semesters of enrollment, not including summer enrollment. Students may continue to receive financial aid while on probation. Students who are placed on financial aid probation are encouraged to seek both academic and financial aid advisement. By the end of financial aid probation the student must meet all satisfactory academic progress requirements. If, at the end of the probationary period, the student does not meet the minimum requirements, he or she will no longer be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and will become ineligible for financial aid. Students will be allowed one probationary period during the course of their enrollment.
Students who have lost eligibility for financial aid due to lack of yearly progress can be reinstated by successfully completing sufficient units to meet the desired standards. The student must notify the Financial Aid Office once the units have been completed.
Maximum time limitations may be reconsidered if there is an increased unit requirement for completion of a specific program, or if the student is in a dual degree program. The student must submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form along with supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Office. Students who have changed majors may also request a maximum time extension, explained in the section, Students Who Change Majors, on page 31.
Students may appeal the determination that they are not meeting the satisfactory academic progress requirements. The following can be considered: extended illness; participation in certain time-demanding university sponsored cocurricular activities; one-time extenuating circumstances which have since been resolved; enrollment limitations due to academic advisement. The student must submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form along with complete supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal will be evaluated and the student will be notified of the decision. Some cases may be referred by the Financial Aid Office to the Subcommittee of the Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid Committee.
Students who have lost eligibility for financial aid due to an insufficient grade point average must obtain guidance from the Academic Review Office, where all appeals are directed. If the student is readmitted to the university, the student must notify the Financial Aid Office for financial aid processing to occur.
Any student who is appealing his or her financial aid disqualification should continue to meet all financial aid application deadlines. As with any type of financial aid appeal, satisfactory academic progress appeals are funded as funds are available.
For the purposes of these criteria, a professional student is defined as one pursuing a postbaccalaureate professional degree. All entering graduate and professional students who are formally accepted into a program of study are eligible to apply for financial aid. All continuing graduate and professional students are eligible to apply for financial aid so long as they maintain the academic standards and degree progress required for their programs of study as provided by statements on file in the Graduate School. Students whose academic standing or degree progress falls below the standard will be on financial aid warning during the next semester of registration. If their academic standing or degree progress is not raised to the standard by the end of the semester of financial aid warning, all financial aid will be terminated for these students until the requirements have been met.
Reasonable degree progress for full-time graduate and professional students is in accord with definitions for their respective programs on file in the Graduate School.
Full-time students pursuing graduate degrees will be eligible to apply for financial aid for each semester of full-time registration up to and including the semester in which they complete course work and/or qualifying exam requirements for their degree.
Students in master's degree programs are eligible to apply for financial aid for one semester of registration while preparing for a comprehensive or qualifying exam. Students in doctoral degree programs are eligible to apply for financial aid for two semesters of registration while preparing for a comprehensive or qualifying exam.
Candidates in master's degree programs requiring a thesis are eligible to apply for financial aid for a maximum of three semesters of registration following completion of course work and/or comprehensive exam requirements. Candidates in doctoral degree programs requiring a dissertation are eligible to apply for financial aid for a maximum of six semesters of registration following completion of course work and qualifying exam requirements.
Full-time graduate and professional students in the authorized dual degree programs of generally longer duration than single degree programs may be granted an increase in the semester allowances commensurate with the additional program requirements if they notify the Financial Aid Office of their dual degree status by no later than the end of their second semester of registration in the program. The student should obtain a written certification by one of the student's academic units of his or her dual degree status and an expected date of graduation. Full-time students in graduate and professional programs who enroll less than full-time in a particular semester are eligible to apply for prorated financial aid for that part-time semester according to a schedule set by the Financial Aid Office. Full-time students who withdraw from course work, and therefore become part-time in a particular semester, must receive departmental certification that they are full-time students in good academic standing before financial aid will be granted for the next semester of enrollment.
Students who are no longer eligible for financial aid can have their eligibility reinstated if they successfully complete sufficient units and/or improve their academic averages to meet stated requirements. Students who are notified that they are on financial aid probation should consult with their academic advisors.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995