As a student, you have the right to know:
- What financial aid programs are available.
- The deadlines for submitting applications for each of the financial aid programs available.
- How financial aid is distributed and how decisions on that distribution are made.
- How the student's financial need is determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, personal and miscellaneous expenses, etc. are considered in the student budget.
- What resources (such as parental contribution, other financial aid, student and family assets, etc.) are considered in the calculation of financial need.
- How much of the financial need as determined by the institution has been met.
- An explanation of the various programs in the student aid package.
- The school's refund policy.
- What portion of the financial aid must be repaid and what portion is grant aid. If the aid is a loan, the student has a right to know what the interest rate is; the total amount that must be repaid; the repayment procedures; the length of time to repay the loan; and when repayment is to begin.
- How the school determines satisfactory academic progress and what happens if progress is less than satisfactory.
- That all documents submitted to the Office of Financial Aid are confidential.
Our website provides all of this information for you. If you have questions or need additional assistance, please contact us.
- Complete all documents required for financial aid accurately and to submit them before the deadlines to the proper place.
- Provide correct information. In most instances, misrepresentation of information on financial aid application forms is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense which could result in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code.
- Read, understand and retain a copy of all forms requiring signature.
- Accept responsibility for all signed agreements.
- Return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which the application was submitted.
- Be aware of the school's refund procedures.
- Participate in an entrance interview before applying for loans from any source. The interview will review available loans and the terms and conditions of each.
- Participate in an exit interview prior to graduation or transferring to another school.
Your financial aid application was evaluated using other general information provided by you concerning your enrollment plan (full or part-time study), housing status, planned school of enrollment, dependency status, and state residency. Should any of this original information change, your financial aid package will be reviewed and may be adjusted by this office. A change to less than full-time enrollment may cause awards to be canceled as some programs of financial aid are only available to full-time students.
If you change your housing arrangements, your financial aid may be affected. If you live in off-campus housing, you may be required to document your off-campus arrangements with our office. If your financial aid awards assumed non-resident tuition assessment and you are assessed tuition as a resident, your financial aid will be reviewed and adjusted. If changes are necessary, our office will make the necessary adjustments to your financial aid at the time we are aware of the changes in your financial and other data.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
In compliance with federal student financial aid regulations, the academic performance of students enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh will be reviewed annually to determine whether or not they are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This review will occur during the month following the end of the spring term each year. All students who might be eligible to apply for federal financial aid will be reviewed and evaluated. This requirement applies to all continuing graduate and undergraduate degree seeking University of Pittsburgh students. Components of the SAP requirement include a measure of cumulative GPA, Total Attempted Credits and Pace of Completion.
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GPA Requirement
Undergraduate students must achieve a 1.50 minimum cumulative GPA at the end of their first academic year to be considered to be meeting SAP standards. Undergraduate students must achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA thereafter to be considered to be meeting SAP standards. Transfer credits will not be considered in the calculation of cumulative GPA. - Attempted Credits/Program Length
Credits attempted by a student cannot exceed 150% of the credits required as defined by the University's published length of the specific program. All courses with a passing or failing grade will be counted as credits attempted. All courses with a grade designated as G, I or W will be counted as credits attempted. Credits on all repeated courses will be counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits from another school will be counted both in terms of hours attempted and hours completed in SAP evaluation.
- Pace of Completion
Pace of completion will be based on cumulative credits attempted and cumulative credits completed. The pace of completion will be measured annually at the end of the evaluation period. Cumulative student course completion rate cannot be less than 67%. All courses with a passing or failing grade will be counted as credits attempted. All courses with a grade designated as G, I or W will be counted as credits attempted. Credits on all repeated courses will be counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits from another school will be counted both in terms of hours attempted and hours completed in SAP evaluation.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
All students who meet the GPA, pace of completion and maximum program length requirements will be assigned a Satisfactory Academic Progress indicator for the upcoming school year. The Financial Aid Office will assign a No Progress status to students who do not meet these standards. Students are not eligible for Title IV financial aid and other financial aid sources if their SAP status is equal to No Progress.
- Appeal Process
The University of Pittsburgh provides an appeal process for students who are determined to be not meeting progress. Appeals will be limited to students who experienced personal illness or personal accident, death of a member of the student's immediate family or other extraordinary circumstances that prevented the student from attending classes and successfully completing the coursework. Requests for appeal of a not meeting progress status must be initiated in the Financial Aid Office and be supported by appropriate documentation.
After review by the Financial Aid Appeal’s Committee, if an appeal is reviewed favorably, the student will regain financial aid eligibility for one payment period, provided that the student clearly demonstrates that he or she will be able to meet SAP standards at the end of the next payment period. In cases where an appeal is reviewed favorably, but it is not possible for the student to meet the minimum requirements in one term, the student may choose to agree to the terms and conditions of a defined academic plan, which is designed to provide a pathway to regaining academic progress. Under an academic plan, the student regains federal Title IV eligibility on a term-by-term basis. The Financial Aid Office will review student records at the end of each term to determine if the terms and conditions of the plan are being met. An academic plan will remain valid, on a term-by-term basis, unless the student fails to meet the terms and conditions of the plan or regains eligibility under the established standards. Failure to meet the terms and conditions of the approved academic plan during a semester will result in the loss of future federal Title IV financial aid. Students must complete six credits towards their major and pay their bill without the use of Federal student aid before subsequent academic progress appeals will be accepted.
Satisfactory Academic Progress PHEAA State Grant Program
In addition to the general Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines, undergraduate students receiving a PHEAA State Grant are subject to a separate satisfactory academic progress review. Full-time students are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits for each full-time PHEAA grant received or a minimum of 6 credits for each part-time PHEAA grant received in the most recent completed academic year.
All questions regarding academic progress for financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office’s staff. Please call (814) 827-4495.
Please note that some Alternative Loan lenders do not require academic progress as a requirement for securing funding through their institution.