SAP Policies

You can use the SAP Policies page to configure the policies for evaluating a student's satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

You can specify SAP policies for each program version. SAP policies are selected when you configure program versions.

On the SAP Policies page:

  • First, you specify information about the SAP policy and the criteria used to evaluate the student.

  • Then, you can specify sequences of more detailed criteria.

You can also evaluate and identify students who have exceeded the maximum time frame (MTF) of required calendar time, credit hours, or clock hours.

Options Available
Measure Validate to Max Timeframe
in Calendar Time of (Yrs) 		 Validate to Maximum
Timeframe of (%) 
Credit hours X X
Clock hours   X

Before students are evaluated using a sequence of more detailed criteria, they must meet the requirements in the sequence. For example, if you have filtered the sequence for students with an enrollment status similar to Attending, students with different statuses are not evaluated. The table shows the actions Anthology Student takes based on the result of a sequence.

Condition Action Anthology Student Takes for the Student
Student is not making SAP  The student is not evaluated for any other sequences.
Student is making SAP  The student continues to be evaluated using the next detail until the result for the sequence is that the student is not making SAP. Otherwise, the result is that the student is making SAP.

Prerequisites

You must have Financial Aid - Configuration - Manage authorization.

You should be familiar with the Background for SAP.

Access Method

Select the Configuration tile > expand Financial Aid > select SAP Policies.

Procedure to Add or Edit Items

  1. Review the values of the records in the grid.

  2. If you want to:

    • Add a new list item, select the New button on the toolbar

    • Add a new list item by copying and modifying an existing list item, select the row in the list and the Duplicate button on the toolbar

    • Edit an existing list item, select the Name in the list

  3. Review, specify, or change the following values. The displayed fields will depend on the value you select in the Based On list.

    If there are criteria you do not want to use, leave the field blank or specify 0.

    ActiveClosed Specifies whether the associated record is active.

    Attempted Hour BasisClosed If you select Attendance Totals - Payment Period End Date, Anthology Student uses the end of the payment period date to evaluate SAP and counts hours as the sum of the attended and absent totals from the attendance records for the student. It includes hours for courses in progress and assumes that the student is passing the course and hours can be applied. As no final grade is present, the course in progress is not included in the GPA calculation. If you select Attendance Totals - SAP Milestone, Anthology Student uses the end of the SAP milestone date to evaluate SAP and counts hours as the sum of the attended and absent totals from the attendance records for the student. If you select Scheduled Hours, Anthology Student uses the SAP milestone date for SAP evaluation and evaluates when the scheduled hours for the payment period have elapsed.

    Based OnClosed Specifies the basis for the SAP calculation and determines how the overall SAP evaluation works for a given student who is associated with this SAP policy. It also affects how your institution validates the 150% rule requirement for SAP. Credit Hours specifies the total number of credit hours a student attempted versus earned in a program for the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) time period. Clock Hours By Attendance displays an additional Attended Hours Basis field so that you can select the method (attendance totals or scheduled hours). Clock Hours By Course specifies that when run by term or payment period, how many clock hours are attempted versus the number of clock hours earned by a student for completed courses.

    CodeClosed The alphanumeric code assigned to the item by your institution. In most cases, codes must be unique.

    DescriptionClosed The descriptive name of the item.

  4. To combine the results of all concurrent enrollments when determining the SAP, select the check box Use Concurrent EnrollmentsClosed Select "Use Concurrent Enrollments" to indicate that the SAP calculation combines the results of all concurrent enrollments when determining the SAP. In other words, the Overall Cumulative GPA for all enrollments is used in evaluating students for SAP instead of the Enrollment Cumulative GPA. For concurrent enrollments with a SAP Milestones policy and Scheduled Hours policy, the hours attended and hours attempted are calculated together for the concurrent enrollments within the date range being evaluated. The term and payment period fields become disabled when this option is selected..

    The term and payment period fields below become disabled when this option is selected. Otherwise, specify the values.

    Minimum Payment Period Average Closed If a student satisfies the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a numeric average for the payment below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Minimum Payment Period GPA Closed If a student satisfies the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a GPA for the payment period that falls below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Minimum Term AverageClosed If a student satisfies the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a numeric average for the term that is below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Minimum Term GPAClosed If a student satisfies the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a GPA for the term below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP. Leave this value at 0 if it is not applicable. This field is disabled if Scheduled hours is selected for the Attended Hours Basis when the SAP policy is based on clock hours by attendance.

    Payment Period Average OverrideClosed If a student does not satisfy the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a numeric average for the payment period that meets or exceeds the value in this field, the student is making SAP.

    Payment Period GPA Override Closed If a student does not satisfy the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a GPA for the payment period that meets or exceeds the value in this field, the student is making SAP.

    Term Average OverrideClosed If a student does not satisfy the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a numeric average for the term that meets or exceeds the value in this field, the student is making SAP. This field is disabled if Scheduled hours is selected for the Attended Hours Basis when the SAP policy is based on clock hours by attendance.

    Term GPA OverrideClosed If a student does not satisfy the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy requirements, but receives a GPA for the term that meets or exceeds the value in this field, the student is making SAP. This field is disabled if Scheduled hours is selected for the Attended Hours Basis when the SAP policy is based on clock hours by attendance.

  5. To evaluate and identify students who have exceeded the maximum time frame (MTF) and can no longer complete their program within the required time frame, select the option.

    Option to Select Additional Values to Specify for the Option
    Validate to Maximum Timeframe Of (%) 

    The percentage in the box next to the check box.

    Exclude Transfer Credit/Clock HoursClosed If the Validate to Maximum Timeframe Of check box is selected, this option becomes enabled. Select this option to exclude transfer credits or clock hours from required credits or clock hours as part of the validation rule.

  6. Select or specify the remaining values.

    SAP StatusClosed If a student exceeds the maximum time frame of required credit or clock hours, specifies the SAP status that is assigned to the student.

    Student GroupClosed If a student exceeds the maximum time frame of required credit or clock hours, the student is assigned to this group. You can only select manual groups. You cannot select dynamic, static, or frozen groups.

    Student StatusClosed If a student exceeds the maximum time frame of required credit or clock hours, specifies the school-defined status assigned to the student.

    Validate Partial Term Closed Select the check box if you want to check terms to determine whether partial terms exist and exclude them from the SAP calculation.

  7. Select Save to save the changes.  

Procedure to Add or Edit Sequences and Policy Details

Follow these guidelines:

  • The sequences must be in the order you want them evaluated.

  • If you use a progressive grade point average, you must move from lower to higher GPA requirements in the sequences.

  • If there are criteria you do not want to use, leave the field blank or specify 0.

You cannot edit items that have a Yes in the SystemClosed Specifies whether the value is system-defined. Yes indicates that the item is defined by Anthology Student. No indicates that your institution added the item. You cannot delete or deactivate items that are system-defined. Some or all values might also not be editable. column. These items are defined by Anthology Student.

  1. If not already selected, select the record for the SAP policy in the grid.

  2. If you want to: 

    • Create a new sequence or policy detail, select the New button.

    • Edit an existing sequence, select the number for the sequence in the Policy Details grid.

  3. In the dialog, specify or change the values.

    CheckpointClosed Enter a value for the Checkpoint field, if applicable. The Checkpoint value is a number between 1 and 255. A zero value indicates that there is no checkpoint associated with the SAP detail. For more details, refer to the Note below.

    Hours HighClosed Specifies that students are evaluated using the criteria only if their credits attempted or hours scheduled are less than or equal to the value you specify. The units depend on the value you selected in the Based On list (credit or clock hours). If you selected Credit Hours or Clock Hours By Course in the Based On list, Anthology Student evaluates the credits or hours attempted based on the course credits or hours attempted as displayed in the final grades folder for the student. If you selected Clock Hour by Attendance and then selected Attendance Totals in the Attended Hours Basis field, it calculates the hours scheduled range from the detailed attendance records for the student by adding up all present and absent attendance. If you selected Clock Hours by Attendance and then Scheduled Hours in the Attended Hours Basis field, it calculates the hours scheduled from the scheduled period hours for the classes that the student attempted (The field is disabled if the combination is selected.)

    Hours LowClosed Specifies that students are evaluated using the criteria only if their credits attempted or hours scheduled are above or equal to the value you specify. The units depend on the value you selected in the Based On list (credit or clock hours). If you selected Credit Hours or Clock Hours By Course in the Based On list, Anthology Student evaluates the credits or hours attempted based on the course credits or hours attempted as displayed in the final grades folder for the student. If you selected Clock Hour by Attendance and then selected Attendance Totals in the Attended Hours Basis field, it calculates the hours scheduled range from the detailed attendance records for the student by adding up all present and absent attendance. If you selected Clock Hours by Attendance and then Scheduled Hours in the Attended Hours Basis field, it calculates the hours scheduled from the scheduled period hours for the classes that the student attempted (The field is disabled if the combination is selected.)

    Max Payment Period Hours AbsClosed If the number of hours that the student misses during the payment period exceeds the maximum value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Max Term Hours Absent Closed If the number of hours that the student misses during the term exceeds the maximum value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Minimum GPAClosed The minimum grade point average (GPA) required to meet the requirement or prerequisite.

    Minimum Hours Attended Closed If the units for the SAP policy are clock hours, a student is not making satisfactory academic progress when the hours attended value falls below the value specified.

    Min Detail Payment Per GPAClosed If the student receives a GPA for the payment period that falls below the value in this field, the student is not making satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

    Minimum Numeric Average Closed If the student has a numeric average below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Minimum Percent Complete Closed If the units for the SAP policy are Credit Hours, a student is not making satisfactory academic progress when the percentage of credits completed to credits attempted falls below the value specified. If the units for the SAP policy are Clock Hours, a student is not making satisfactory academic progress when the percentage of hours attended to hours scheduled falls below the value specified.

    Minimum Term GPAClosed If the student receives a GPA for the term below the value in this field, the student is not making SAP.

    Payment Period Count Closed The number of applicable payment periods.  ClosedRead Note.

    Sequence NumberClosed Specifies the order in which the records are evaluated.

    Term Sequence Closed The term sequence number associated with the student's SAP evaluation.

    The following rules apply when considering SAP checkpoints:

    • The Checkpoint field only works with term-based SAP. It cannot be used with Payment Period SAP.

    • SAP details may be configured with the ability to set up checkpoints. The checkpoint value is a number between 1 and 255. A zero value indicates that there is no checkpoint associated with the SAP detail.

    • When calculating SAP for individual students, student groups, or in batch mode, the SAP evaluation includes checkpoint evaluation only on SAP sequences where a checkpoint number is specified.

    • When evaluating checkpoints, the SAP evaluation is modified to determine the student’s previous checkpoint value that was determined the last time SAP was executed on the student.

    • Checkpoints are evaluated across linked enrollments.

    • SAP evaluation ignores sequences in the SAP table that have a checkpoint greater than 0, but less than or equal to any previous checkpoints evaluated.

    • Upon completion and update of the SAP evaluation, the checkpoint value is stored in the SAP Audit table to indicate the last checkpoint evaluated.

    • A student is only evaluated if the student details meet the SAP evaluation criteria, and the student has not previously been evaluated for the sequence checkpoint.

    • If students are not evaluated due to not meeting any of the checkpoints, they are still evaluated for the items on the SAP Code Setup form, such as maximum time frame validation and maximum attempts.

    • The SAP checkpoint information is displayed on the SAP Report, Student SAP Audit Report, and SAP Audit Report.

  4. To filter the students being evaluated, specify the following values.

    Enrollment Status Closed Specifies the enrollment status to which the evaluation criteria apply (such as Full-time and 3/4 time). If the enrollment status for the student matches this selection, the student's progress is compared to this detail when calculating SAP. If you do not select an enrollment status and it is left blank, the criteria in the detail line apply to all student enrollment statuses.

    Previous SAP StatusClosed The optional Previous SAP Status field indicates that the SAP sequence is conditional on the student’s previous term SAP status being equal to the SAP status defined here. If a student’s previous term record does not equal the status defined here, the condition is not met. The drop-down list includes all active SAP statuses.

    • The evaluation of Previous SAP Status works with linked enrollments. If this field is left blank, Previous SAP Status is no longer considered an evaluation criterion for SAP; it does not mean that the student has a blank previous SAP status.

    • You can override an SAP status with another SAP status by adding an override line to your SAP detail lines. For example, to override the "Probation" status with the "Appeal" status, you can add a detail line where the Previous SAP Status is blank and have an SAP Status of "Appeal" after each grouping.

  5. Under Actions to Take if Student Fails SAP, specify or change the following values.

    Manual Action Closed Specify a note that describes any manual action that needs to be taken when a student is not making SAP following the evaluation.

    SAP StatusClosed If the detail criteria are evaluated and the student is not making SAP, specifies the SAP status that is assigned to the student.

    Student Group Closed If the detail criteria are evaluated and the student is not making SAP, the student is assigned to this group. You can only select manual groups. You cannot select dynamic, static, or frozen groups.

    Student StatusClosed If the detail criteria are evaluated and the student is not making SAP, specifies the school-defined status assigned to the student.

  1. If you want to save and: 

    • Continue making changes, select the Save button

    • Continue to add another item to the list, select the Save & New button

    • Close, select the Save & Close button