Federal regulations require that UCR monitor your progress toward completion of your degree or program as a condition of continued financial aid eligibility. All financial aid recipients must be in compliance with UCR's Financial Aid Office Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If satisfactory academic progress is not being made, you will become ineligible for financial aid. The general satisfactory academic progress requirements for financial aid recipients include:
The Financial Aid Office reviews your cumulative GPA at the end of spring quarter each year. In order to meet satisfactory academic progress minimum GPA requirements, students must have the following cumulative GPA at the end of spring quarter 2012 for continued eligibility in 2012-13:
2.00 for undergraduate students
2.00 for Teaching Credential students
3.00 for 4th- and 5th-year Biomedical Sciences students
3.00 for graduate students
- Completing a minimum number of units for credit each quarter to maintain SAP pace (units completed divided by units attempted).
| Total Quarters Enrolled |
Minimum Cumulative Units Completed |
Quarters of Eligibility Remaining |
| 1 |
9 |
17 |
| 2 |
18 |
16 |
| 3 |
27 |
15 |
| 4 |
36 |
14 |
| 5 |
45 |
13 |
| 6 |
54 |
12 |
| 7 |
63 |
11 |
| 8 |
73 |
10 |
| 9 |
83 |
9 |
| 10 |
93 |
8 |
| 11 |
103 |
7 |
| 12 |
113 |
6 |
| 13 |
123 |
5 |
| 14 |
134 |
4 |
| 15 |
146 |
3 |
| 16 |
156 |
2 |
| 17 |
168 |
1 |
| 18 |
180 |
0 |
Completing your degree objective within a maximum number of full-time quarters according to the Limit on Quarters of Eligibility.
| Entering Freshman |
Students entering college for the first time after graduation from high school with less than 9 transfer units are eligible to be considered for financial assistance for 18 quarters. |
| Transfer Students |
Your previous attendance at other post-secondary institutions is considered in determining the number of quarters in which you may be considered for assistance at UCR. The total number of units accepted as transfer by the UCR Admission Office is divided by 12 units. The result is rounded down to the nearest whole number and deducted from 18 quarters. This result is the total number of quarters of eligibility which you have upon entering. |
| Second Baccalaureate Students |
Students working towards second undergraduate degrees are eligible to be considered for financial assistance for one or two years (depending on the terms of their admission). |
Graduate and Teaching Credential student limits are as follows:
Teaching Credential Program - Students working towards their teaching certification credentials are eligible to be considered for financial assistance for the following number of quarters:
| 3 Quarters |
Multiple Subject Credential, Single Subject Credential and all other programs not specifically listed below |
| 6 Quarters |
Learning Handicapped Credential, Severely Handicapped Credential, Multiple Subject Bilingual Credential, Single Subject/Learning Handicapped Credential, and Single Subject/Severely Handicapped Credential |
| 9 Quarters |
Multiple Subject Bilingual/Learning Handicapped Credential, Multiple Subject Bilingual/Severely Handicapped Credential, Multiple Subject/Learning Handicapped Credential, Multiple Subject/Severely Handicapped Credential |
Master's Degree - Students working towards their master's degrees are eligible to be considered for financial assistance for the following number of quarters:
| 6 Quarters |
All other majors not specifically listed below |
| 7 Quarters |
Botany, Geography, Geological Science, and Plant Science |
| 8 Quarters |
Management |
Medical Program - 4th and 5th year Biomedical Sciences students working towards their medical degrees are eligible to be considered for financial assistance for 6 quarters beginning with admission to the Medical program.
| 15 Quarters |
Anthropology, Applied Statistics, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Botany, Chemistry, Economics, Education, Environmental Toxicology, Genetics, Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, Soil Science, Theoretical Physics, and all other majors not specifically listed below |
| 17 Quarters |
Entomology, Geological Science, History, and Population Biology |
| 18 Quarters |
Biology, Comparative Literature, Dance, English, Experimental Physics, Philosophy, Plant Pathology, Sociology, and Spanish |
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The requirements for undergraduate and graduate student satisfactory academic progress are monitored at the end of each academic year. The Financial Aid Office will verify your cumulative GPA and unit totals with the UCR Registrar's Office at the end of spring quarter. You will be required to make up any deficiencies before you will be allowed to receive any additional assistance, including funds that would be used to pay your fees.
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If you fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress, you will be sent information regarding the appeals process during the summer. After failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress, you will generally be considered for financial aid only when one of the following conditions have been met:
- Sufficient units have been completed and/or the minimum grade point average requirement have been satisfied.
- It is established through the financial aid appeals process that you encountered an extenuating circumstance (i.e. prolonged hospitalization, death in the family, etc.) that hindered your academic performance during the quarters in question.
Students who are approved for continued financial assistance through the appeals process will be placed on a quarterly probation. Aid for subsequent quarters will be terminated if you do not comply with the terms of your probation. Back to Top
Unit Evaluation
Remedial Courses - Workload units for remedial courses, which are recognized by the Registrar's Office in measuring a student's enrollment status, are accepted for purposes of calculating the number of units completed.
Grade Evaluation - Units for the following grades are not counted toward meeting the unit completion requirements.
F - Failure
I - Incomplete
NR - No Report
NC - No Credit
IP - In Progress
W - Withdrawal
Repeat Courses - Repeat of a D grade Back to Top
Quarter Limits
It is your responsibility to ensure that degree requirements are met within the time frame allowed. Our office will notify you when you have completed the maximum number of quarters allowed. Federal regulations limit the number of quarters that a student may qualify to receive federal student aid funds. UCR is required to count all terms of attendance, including quarters in which you did not receive financial aid. In general, undergraduate students may qualify to receive, federal, state, and institutional awards for the equivalent of 18 full-time quarters of enrollment. Students who are enrolled for more than 18 quarters are ineligible for all federal, state, and institutional aid, but may qualify for alternative loans. Back to Top |