Satisfactory Academic Progress
To be eligible to receive federal student aid, students must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate. Federal law requires that the University monitor both qualitative and quantitative academic progress of its students.
Quantitative progress requires students to successfully complete a certain percentage of attempted courses. Qualitative progress requires students to earn predetermined Northwest and cumulative grade point averages. Students must be in compliance with the University’s written standards for both qualitative and quantitative progress to maintain eligibility for any type of federal financial aid.
The University will attempt to notify students by email when they have not maintained satisfactory academic progress. Students are responsible for being aware of the satisfactory academic progress policies and will remain ineligible even if the University’s notification is not received.
When a student does not meet the qualitative or quantitative academic progress standard they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next term of attendance. Students remain eligible to receive aid during the warning period and their record will be reviewed for compliance again following their next term of enrollment.
A student who is placed on Financial Aid Warning and does not meet the qualitative and quantitative academic progress standards at the conclusion of the warning period will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. This suspension status results in the loss of eligibility for all types of financial aid until all SAP standards are met.