Satisfactory Academic Progress Guidelines

In order to meet the minimum standards for quantitative Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal financial aid, a student must successfully complete at least 67% of their attempted required credits over the course of their program of study. Students must complete their program in no more than 150% of the standard amount of time it takes to complete their major field of study as published in the curriculum guidelines for each discipline. For example, if it takes four years for a student to pursue a BFA in Dance, a student’s maximum time frame to complete said degree is six years. After six years, the student will no longer be eligible to receive federal financial aid regardless of whether or not they have received federal financial aid in the previous semesters that total 150% of their allotted time frame.

In order to meet the minimum standards for qualitative Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal financial aid, the School requires each student to maintain a minimum grade point average each semester and cumulatively to maintain eligibility. Undergraduate students must maintain a semester and cumulative 1.70 GPA during their first year of study, and a 2.00 GPA for subsequent years. Graduate students must maintain a minimum 2.70 GPA throughout their entire program.

Please visit the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the College Catalog for complete details regarding qualitative evaluation.

Completion of these courses is considered in the total hour requirement for receiving financial aid.

Completion of these courses is not considered in the total hour requirement for receiving financial aid.

Count as hours pursued, but do not count as hours earned until the course is satisfactorily completed according to the provisions in the university catalog.  “IA”, ‘IF”, “XF” and “F” grades will affect grade point average.

Students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree programs may receive transfer credit for liberal arts electives as described below. Exemption from other requirements is evaluated only through placement examinations. Credit hours from another institution that are accepted toward the student’s educational program must count as both attempted and completed hours.  Graduate students are not eligible for transfer credit.

A maximum of 12 elective credits in liberal arts may be transferred from an accredited college or university. The following guidelines apply: 1) the course must be taken during the student’s college years — courses taken while in high school are not eligible; 2) the course must be an eligible elective as determined by the registrar; 3) the grade must be at least C; and 4) the student must provide the registrar with an official transcript.

Students who are approved for coursework at Barnard or Columbia through the cross registration program may satisfy up to 12 liberal arts credits in this way. Note: Approved transfer students who have already received the maximum of 12 transfer credits may satisfy 6 of their remaining 12 credits through the cross-registration program.

Juilliard does not grant credit for high school advanced placement courses. Since the liberal arts requirement for a Juilliard bachelor’s degree is minimal (one course per semester), it is important that this requirement be fulfilled with courses taken during residency at Juilliard so that students are able to participate in an interdivisional learning experience.

The federal regulations indicate that financial aid may be paid for repeated coursework previously taken in the program.  However, this will only apply to courses in which a student has received a failing grade.  The Juilliard School does not permit students to repeat a previously passed course.

Students are evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress every semester by the Scholastic Standing Committee.   Students who fail to meet the School’s quantitative and qualitative evaluations will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester.  Students will still be eligible for federal student aid during this period.   If the student does not meet the standards by the end of the semester during which they are on Financial Aid Warning, the student will then be placed on Federal Financial Aid Suspension as determined by the Scholastic Standing Committee, and will not be eligible to receive Title IV funding. 

If a student is placed on Federal Financial Aid Suspension, that student is entitled to appeal his or her suspension.  An appeal must be submitted in writing within 15 days of notification of suspension and addressed to the Scholastic Standing Committee.   In the written appeal, students should detail their present circumstances that allowed failure of the School’s SAP standards, what progress will occur/what changes will be made to ensure that they meet SAP standards for the next semester,  a detailed academic map or plan that demonstrates the intent of graduating within reasonable time, and how SAP can be successfully achieved.   There are many factors that will be considered during the appeal process, some of which include; death of a family member, illness, serious injury, and other special circumstances.

If a student is granted an approval of their appeal, the student will become eligible to receive federal financial aid again under the condition that they are placed on Financial Aid Probation.  The student will then have the opportunity during the semester to make SAP.   At the end of the semester, the Scholastic Standing Committee will re-evaluate the student’s progress and will determine if the student can be removed from Financial Aid Probation or if he or she will be placed back on Financial Aid Suspension.  There is no limit to how many times a student may be placed on Financial Aid Probation and Federal Financial Aid Suspension, nor how many times they may appeal during the entire course of the student’s academic program.   The Scholastic Standing Committee’s decision for all appeals is final.  

It is important to note that taking a leave of absence (regardless of the type of leave, including medical, professional, financial, etc.) will not affect or change a student’s academic or financial aid SAP status.

All scholarship decisions are made by the Scholarship Committee based on a combination of the financial need of the student and his or her parents (when applicable) and the student’s artistic merit. Scholarship awarding policies at the Juilliard School are considered “need-based, merit-informed.” This means that although assisting students with financial need remains our top priority, students may receive varying levels of scholarship awards based on their audition results.

In order for a student to continue to be eligible for Juilliard Scholarship, the student must apply for Financial Aid and must be enrolled full-time. Scholarship awards are generally renewable at the same level provided students reapply on time and remain in good academic standing. Students who fall below full-time lose their eligibility to receive Juilliard Scholarship.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Chart

If the student is a recipient of the NYS TAP program, the student must keep in mind that these standards below must also be met along with federal Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to maintain NYS TAP eligibility.

Effective 2010-11 for non-remedial students receiving first NYS award payment in 2010-11 and thereafter. Remedial students and students enrolled in an approved certificate program will use the 2006 SAP charts.

The chart below is applicable to students who received NYS TAP prior to the 2010-2011 academic year.

Standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress for the Purpose of Determining Eligibility for State Student Aid

Effective 2006-07