Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid
for Graduate Students
To maintain eligibility to receive federal loans and work-study, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must complete a FAFSA every year; March 2 is the priority deadline.
- You must complete a minimum average of 12 units per year.
- You must continue to demonstrate financial need.
- You must not be in default on any federal student loan and not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant
- You must not have any registration blocks.
- You must maintain satisfactory academic progress (see the "Satisfactory Academic Progress" section below).
- If, during a period of enrollment, you are convicted under any federal or state law for the possession or sale of illegal drugs, you will lose your eligibility for federal aid, including federal loans and work-study.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The federal government requires schools to set guidelines regarding satisfactory academic progress (SAP) for financial aid recipients. You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to continue to receive financial aid. This means you must earn a minimum average of at least 12 units per year, you must maintain a certain minimum grade point average, and you have a maximum number of semesters to earn financial aid. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office is required to monitor your progress toward meeting these SAP guidelines. The charts below outline the specific SAP requirements. If you are not meeting these requirements, contact our office immediately. If you have extraordinary circumstances, you may appeal the guidelines; otherwise, your financial aid will need to be terminated.| M.A. + Ph.D | M.A. only | J.D. | Optometry | |
| Maximum time to complete degree | 9 years | 3 years | 4 years | 5 years |
| Minimum average units earned annually | 12 units | 12 units | 12 units | 12 units |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 | 3.0 | N/A | 2.0 |
Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
| Minimum average number of units you must have completed by the end of each year | 12 |
24 |
36 |
48 |
60 |
72 |
84 |
96 | 108 |
Exceptions: Optometry students must maintain a 2.0 GPA. The School of Law does not award traditional letter grades. Law students receive one of five grades [High Honors (HH), Honors (H), Pass (P), Pass Conditional/Substandard Pass (PC), or No Credit (NC)]. The Evening Weekend MBA program at the Haas School of Business allows 4 years to complete its master’s degree.