SFA Trains UF Advisors on Financial Aid Policies and Petition Process

by Kari Ward

On August 3^rd, academic advisors attended a financial aid presentation hosted by Alicia Keaton, the entertaining new Associate Director of Student Financial Affairs (SFA).  Alicia’s presentation addressed the federal government’s recent revision to their Standards of Academic Progress (AP) Policy.  Effective this fall, new national AP standards aim to get students back on track quickly and prevent those who are not successfully matriculating from acquiring unmanageable debt.  In the presentation, Alicia also spent time training advisors on the financial aid petition process and how to complete the academic advising section of the new Academic Progress Petition form (a.k.a. financial aid petition).  She also gave us a handout that highlights changes to Bright Futures.

Alicia explained that, at the end of each semester, SFA will evaluate students’ records to determine if they meet the new AP criteria, which include the following:

• undergraduate students earning a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA;
• successfully completing 75% of courses attempted; and
• completing the degree within 150 hours (or 160 hours for students whose degree programs require >120 hours). 

Students who do not meet AP requirements will receive a warning from SFA via email, but they will still be eligible to receive aid the following semester and will not have to submit a petition.  Students who do not meet AP requirements at the end of the following term are no longer eligible for financial aid and must petition to have their aid reinstated.  If their Academic Progress Petition is approved, they will be placed on probation and are expected to follow the academic plan advisors create for them.  SFA will terminate students’ financial aid if their petitions are not approved or if they do not meet the terms outlined in their petition by the end of semester.

To petition, students will use the new Academic Progress Petition.  One of the most notable changes to the form is the new chart on the last page which gives very specific guidelines on the issues students need to address in their personal statements and the kinds of support documentation that must be included with the petition.  The new form also includes petition deadlines which were added with the intention of facilitating the petition review process for SFA and to also allow students time to submit additional documentation whenever that’s needed.  The form also requires academic advisors to play a more active role in the financial aid petition process.  Section III of the form has been expanded to allow advisors to provide SFA with greater insight into how students are performing.  For step-by-step instructions on how to complete Section III of the new Academic Progress Petition click here.  To view the entirety of Alicia’s presentation, click here.