Need-Based Aid and Its Merit Component: Examining the Effects of the Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

• In Event: Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Making College More Affordable

Abstract

The federal SAP policy defines satisfactory academic progress and establishes eligibility criteria for student financial aid (such as PELL Grants). This paper explores the experiences of low-income and first-generation college students as they navigate a complicated and oftentimes confusing SAP notification process. Implications for persistence and institutional responsibility are discussed. From a policy perspective, the question that arises from this study is whether recently altered SAP requirements are compatible with the overall goal of the financial aid system – increasing access and success for at-risk students. For practitioners and administrators the presented material can provide crucial insights on the difficulties low-income and first-generation student face in regard to the SAP and general financial aid process, and how to best overcome them.

Author

• Ray Franke, University of Massachusetts - Boston