Maintaining Eligibility

Federal and the state governments require you to meet certain basic academic standards in order to remain eligible for financial assistance. Here's what you need to know.

The federal government and the state government standards are different. You must be aware of two different sets of rules - one for federal aid (PELL, SEOG, Work Study and Direct Loans) and one for state aid such as TAP and APTS. Failure to meet one or more of the established standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will make a student ineligible for financial aid.

Federal Eligibility

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as the successful completion of coursework toward an eligible certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to monitor the academic progress of students receiving financial aid. Financial aid SAP status includes all previous academic history, even if the student did not receive financial aid.

Maintaining Federal Eligibility

New York State Eligibility

Failure to make satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of a degree or certificate may result in the loss of one or more semesters of New York State TAP, Aid for Part-time Studies (APTS), or the Excelsior Scholarship. At the conclusion of each semester, the Financial Aid Office reviews all grades to determine if recipients are making satisfactory academic progress. To remain in good standing for NYS, a student must achieve a certain GPA and earn a certain number of cumulative credits before being certified for the next semester's TAP payment.

Maintaining NY State Eligibility

Drug Convictions & Eligibility

Students who have been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving federal student aid may have their eligibility for federal student aid suspended. Not all convictions count, so it is important to understand the regulations concerning this topic completely.