To remain eligible for financial assistance, you are expected to meet qualitative and quantitative academic requirements.
- Qualitative: You are expected to maintain a minimum GPA for all financial aid and minimum GPAs for SPU merit-based aid.
- Quantitative: You must complete a minimum number of credits each academic year, and you are to complete your degree within a specified period of time.
Satisfactory progress is evaluated annually at the end of the academic year (Spring Quarter) and applies to all students (current, past, or first-time financial aid applicants).
Minimum grade point average
A financial aid recipient must be in good academic standing at the University. Graduate and doctoral students, with the exception of Seattle Pacific Seminary (SPS) students, must maintain a cumulative 3.0 SPU GPA or higher to remain eligible for financial assistance, including Title IV (federal) funding. SPS students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 SPU GPA or higher to remain eligible.
Students who do not achieve a 3.0 cumulative SPU GPA (2.5 for SPS students) will be ineligible for further financial assistance until the requisite cumulative GPA is achieved.
Note: Higher standards may be required by specific programs. Check with your department.
Minimum credit requirement
Students must complete at least 70 percent of all attempted credits to be eligible for financial assistance. Each accepted transfer credit will be considered both an attempted and completed credit. The calculated percentage will be rounded up to the nearest full-credit hour.
Completed credits are defined as coursework that has received a grade of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “P” at the end of the academic term.
Grades of “E,” “HW,” “W,” “G,” “I” or “N” do not receive any credit; therefore they do not count as completed credits each quarter.
Maximum time frame
A student receiving financial aid must complete a degree within a reasonable period of time. Financial aid will be awarded to students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree for a maximum of six years.
Unsatisfactory progress
A student who does not maintain satisfactory progress (minimum GPA and completed credit requirements and complete his or her degree within the maximum time frame) will be ineligible for financial assistance.
Appeals for reinstatement of eligibility
Students have the right to appeal their eligibility for financial aid. Written appeals due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., death of a relative, illness or injury of the student, or other special circumstances) should be submitted to the student’s financial services counselor.
Please note that some financial aid programs may have criteria that vary from the above-stated progress standards. Detailed information about these programs is included in Managing Your Financial Aid.
Results of appeals (probation)
Appeals will be approved only if the student will be able to meet satisfactory progress after the next quarter or Student Financial Services has approved an academic plan with the student that, if followed, will ensure the student is able to make satisfactory progress by a designated point in time.
Students with an approved appeal will be considered to be on financial aid probation. Students on probation may receive aid for one probationary quarter. After the probation quarter, students must meet the Satisfactory Progress standards or the requirements of their academic plan, failure to do so will mean a forfeit of eligibility for financial assistance.