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Reasonable Academic Progress Appeal

General Information

Should a student fail to meet Reasonable Academic Progress standards, and feels he/she has extenuating circumstances that should be considered, the student can submit a RAP appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing no later than 30 days after the start of the term for which the student is requesting aid in order to regain full financial aid eligibility.

An Appeal Committee meets weekly to consider RAP appeals, and once the committee has come to a decision, the student will be notified via email. This process takes a minimum of 3 weeks.

Students who appeal after the 30 day deadline may not be eligible for aid. Applicants, who would like to appeal the decision of the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid Appeals Committee, may appeal to the University Appeals Committee.

Your RAP status and what it means

Students can view their Reasonable Academic Progress status on their Hokie SPA account under Financial Aid > Academic Progress. The possible RAP statuses are listed below with a detailed description of what each status means.

RAP StatusWhat it means
GPA below 2.0You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your undergraduate GPA is below 2.0.
GPA; exceeds 150% of hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your undergraduate GPA is below 2.0 and you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%.
GPA; less than 75% earnedYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your GPA is below 2.0 and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Exceeds 150% of program hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%.
GPA; over 150%; less than 75%You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your undergraduate GPA is below 2.0, you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree, and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Over 150%; pass less than 75%You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%, and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Less than 75% attempted hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
New Student - Has No GPAAs a new student your Reasonable Academic Progress has not been reviewed. New students are reviewed starting with their second academic year.
Annual SAP not yet processedYour Reasonable Academic Progress is currently waiting to be evaluated.
RAP Appeal - ApprovedYour RAP Appeal has been reviewed and approved.
RAP Appeal - On ContractYour RAP Appeal has been reviewed and you have been placed on a contract.
RAP Appeal - DeniedYour RAP Appeal has been denied.
Reviewed - Making ProgressYour Reasonable Academic Progress has been reviewed and you are making progress towards the completion of your degree.
Financial Aid ProbationYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress but because this is your first RAP failure, you have been placed on Financial Aid Probation for the current award year.
RAP StatusWhat it means
GPA below 3.0You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your graduate GPA is below 3.0.
GPA; exceeds 150% of hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your graduate GPA is below 3.0 and you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%.
GPA; less than 75% earnedYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your GPA is below 3.0 and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Exceeds 150% of program hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%.
GPA; over 150%; less than 75%You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because your graduate GPA is below 3.0, you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%, and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Over 150%; pass less than 75%You are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you have exceeded the necessary program hours to complete your degree by 150%, and you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
Less than 75% attempted hoursYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress because you did not earn 75% of the credit hours you attempted in the previous academic year.
New Student - Has No GPAAs a new student your Reasonable Academic Progress has not been reviewed. New students are reviewed starting with their second academic year.
Annual SAP not yet processedYour Reasonable Academic Progress is currently waiting to be evaluated.
RAP Appeal - ApprovedYour RAP Appeal has been reviewed and approved.
RAP Appeal - On ContractYour RAP Appeal has been reviewed and you have been placed on a contract.
RAP Appeal - DeniedYour RAP Appeal has been denied.
Reviewed - Making ProgressYour Reasonable Academic Progress has been reviewed and you are making progress towards the completion of your degree.
Financial Aid ProbationYou are not making Reasonable Academic Progress but because this is your first RAP failure, you have been placed on Financial Aid Probation for the current award year.

 

Appeal Requirements

Before submitting a RAP appeal, the student must read the RAP Policy.

The following are the documents are to be submitted with a RAP appeal:

  1. 2009-10 Reasonable Academic Progress Appeal (PDF | 281KB)
  2. A signed letter from the student to the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid RAP Committee stating:
  • Describe the circumstances that caused you to not meet RAP standards
  • The actions you are taking to regain RAP standards
  • The specific steps you will take to ensure you will meet RAP standards for subsequent terms

According to the individual circumstances surrounding the appeal, additional documentation may be required. Examples of this are:

  • If the student exceeds 150% of the credits it takes to complete the degree, the appeal must contain a letter or email from the student's academic advisor, department chair, or other college official indicating:
    • The remaining number of credits needed to meet the program requirements
    • The length of time it should take the student to complete requirements (noting course sequencing and availability)
  • If the student's cumulative GPA is below 1.5 OR if this is the student's 2nd or subsequent RAP notification , the appeal must contain a letter or email from the student's academic advisor outlining the student's ability to remain in the program.

Emails should be sent to finaid@vt.edu with RAP Appeal in the subject line.

Note: The Appeals Committee welcomes supporting documentation for verification. Examples include, written certification from a health care professional attesting to illness/injury, letter from an advisor outlining how the student has worked with the advisor to improve academic standing, or letter from an instructor indicating the student's efforts to improve.

After Receiving a RAP Appeal

Students who have regained financial aid eligibility due to an approved appeal must continue to make academic progress to remain eligible for financial aid. Student(s) who choose not to appeal or whose appeal is denied will be required to raise their GPA to RAP standards and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional course work without receiving financial aid. Once the student has met RAP standards, they are eligible to reapply for financial aid. The student can not automatically regain eligibility simply by paying for his or her own classes for a semester or by sitting out a semester. The student must meet the policy standards to regain eligibility for financial aid.