Standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) is mandated by federal regulations to determine and enforce standards of Satisfacty Academic Progress as it relates to eligibility to receive Title IV funds, which includes grants, loans, and workstudy. These guidelines are established to encourage students to successfully complete courses for the continued receipt of Title IV funds. Students who are not successfully completing courses are not considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and therefore is ineligible to receive financial aid. The MVSU SAP policy is the same as the school's standards for students enrolled in the same educational program(s) who do not recive Title IV assistance.
Qualitative and Quantitative Measure
Student progress is assessed according to qualitative and quantitative measures. The qualitative measure (grades) and the quantitative measure (number of credit hours successfully completed) is used to monitor progress toward degree completion. These measures are applied to a student's entire academic history, this includes semesters or terms the student did not recieve financial aid.
The qualitative measure requires the student to earn and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 after the completion of 59 credit hours and to successfully complete no less than 67% of all credit hours attempted each academic year.
The quantitative measure requires the student to complete their program of study within 150% (maximum time frame) of the published number of hours required to complete the student's undergraduate degree program. A change of academic program (major) does not discount the number of hours toward your degree completion rate.
Example: a student who is enrolled in an undergraduate degree program which requires 126 credit hours to complete their degree will be allowed to attempt up to 189 cerdit hours (126 x 150%) .
This maximum time frame requirement does take into consideration students not attending on a full time basis. All attempted hours, including those from previous institutions, will be counted in the total hours attempted calculation. Undergraduates are ineligible to receive aid once they have attempted 189 total hours.
The following chart shows the number of credit hours and requreid GPA an undergraduate student would have to maintain to remain eligible for Title IV aid.
| Credit Hours Attempted | Passing percentage at end of academic year | Required GPA to maintain progress | Financial Aid Suspended |
| 0-29 | 67% of all attempted hours | 1.51 | 0.00 - 1.50 |
| 30-59 | 67% of all attempted hours | 1.51 - 1.75 or greater | 0.00 - 1.74 |
| 60-89 | 67% of all attempted hours | 2.00 | 0.00 - 1.99 |
| 90 + | 67% of all attempted hours | 2.00 | 0.00 - 1.99 |
Graduate students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and pass 67% of all hours attempted. Failure to meet this minimum requirement will result in the immediate suspension of the student's eligibilty to receive Title IV funds. Graduate students will no longer be eligible for Title IV aid once 54 total credit hours have attempted for their first Masters degree or if they do not maintain the required 3.0 GPA in their degree program. Graduate students seeking a second masters will no longer be eligible for Title IV aid once 90 total credit hours have been attempted.
The following chart shows the number of credit hours and required GPA a graduate student would have to maintain to remain eligible for Title IV aid.
| Credit Hours Attempted | Passing percentage at end of academic year | Required GPA to maintain progress | Financial Aid suspended |
| 0 - 54 | 67% of all attempted hours | 3.0 | 0.00 - 2.99 |