Satisfactory academic progress

London Metropolitan is required to make sure that all students receiving U.S. financial aid are registered on an eligible programme of study and maintaining a minimum level of academic progress. This policy outlines a number of specific points which applies to all students in receipt of Federal loans (also known as “financial aid” and “Title IV aid”). In registering, students agree to be bound by the Academic Regulations and associated policies and procedures. These Regulations incorporate the key progression criteria and are summarised below. Full Regulations are available hereIn addition, U.S. Federal regulations (34CFR 668.16, 668.32, 668.34, 446.42) require that all students, who are in receipt of U.S. Federal Student Aid, must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Failure to do so can result in the loss of eligibility to receive further funding. SAP will be checked at the end of the term.

Measuring SAP Qualitative requirement (Grades)

To access quality of academic work using standards measurable against a norm. Students must achieve minimum standard as required by the Academic Department. Minimum standards should be equivalent of at least a Lower Second-Class degree for undergraduate courses (40%), at least a pass for postgraduate taught courses (50%) and at least at the level to allow a postgraduate research student to progress to the next research degree stage, it is cumulative. These minimum grades will need to be achieved to ensure that students are compliant with SAP and eligible to receive Title IV aid / Financial aid. Academic progression requirements can be found here for undergraduate students and here for postgraduate students.

Quantitative Requirement (Pace)

Students must progress through their course at a pace which ensures that they will graduate within the maximum timeframe. The maximum timeframe for completion is 150 per cent of the published length of the course as measured in credit hours. The School takes each year of full-time undergraduate study to equal 120 UK credits and 180 UK credits for postgraduate study according to the Higher Education Credit Framework for England.

Reassessment opportunities

Students are entitled to one opportunity to re-sit each module that they have failed (obtained a mark less than 40%). Reassessment/re-sits will normally take place during the summer re-sit period (July) following the academic session in which the module was taken. In order to regain eligibility for financial aid, students will be required to re-sit and pass each module with a minimum of 40%.
 
Eligibility for financial aid will not be restored until there-sit grade for each module is published and the student is able to progress to the next level of study.
 
If a student does not pass a module at the second attempt, then he or she will need to retake the module and all relevant components again. Re-sits and retake periods are not eligible for further financial aid. If students have failed a particular module the student would have failed SAP for that particular payment period (qualitative requirement.) If re-sits are undertaken and passed during the break /school holiday this will not have any effect on the pace (quantitative requirement), however if the student undertakes a repeat module during the following term or academic year this will affect the pace (quantitative requirement) of the course and students are required to complete the course at a maximum time frame of 67% pace.
 
Non-EU nationals are subject to British immigration regulations, which stipulate that all international students must be enrolled on a full-time course of study or possess appropriate UKVI permission to retake modules. Consequently, any resulting part-time study status may compromise a student’s Tier 4 student visa status.
 
Please find the full SAP policy here - Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - US Federal Aid 2025/26 .