Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy governs the eligibility of all Berklee students for enrollment and financial aid at the college.  

Berklee's SAP policy serves as an accurate and honest measure of student success, assessing the completion of coursework toward degree or diploma attainment while providing early identification of students requiring additional academic support.

All students are required to meet or exceed the following three SAP standards each semester:

• A cumulative grade point average (CumGPA) of 2.00 for undergraduate students and 3.00 for graduate students
• A cumulative credit completion percentage (CumCCP) of 70 percent, calculated by cumulative credit hours completed divided by cumulative credit hours attempted.
• Completion of graduation requirements within 150 percent of the published length of the degree or diploma program (e.g., completion of the 120-credit degree program within 180 attempted credits)

Failure to Meet SAP Standards

Students who fail to meet or exceed any one of the SAP standards for the first time will be placed on academic warning. Students in academic warning status are given one additional semester of enrollment and financial aid eligibility to meet SAP standards.

Failure to achieve SAP standards for a second time at any time during the entire course of a student’s undergraduate enrollment will result in academic suspension from the college and a loss of financial aid eligibility.

Right to Appeal Academic Suspension/Financial Aid Eligibility

Students placed on academic suspension/financial aid ineligibility may appeal to the enrollment appeals committee for enrollment and financial aid eligibility reinstatement. To be successfully considered, appeals should be based on extenuating circumstances with written verification included. The process to appeal begins with the SAP appeal process and timeline.

Academic/Financial Aid Suspension

Students placed on academic/financial aid suspension are ineligible to enroll or receive financial aid at Berklee for a period of no less than one fall or spring semester, excluding summer. For example, students suspended after a spring semester are not eligible for enrollment or financial aid until the following spring semester. Suspended students are prohibited from participating in any Berklee class, ensemble, program, or event, and are not eligible to use Berklee facilities while suspended.

Students may appeal for reinstatement after one semester of suspension, provided they have followed the action steps specified on their suspension notice.

SAP Probation

In cases where suspension appeals are granted, students are placed on academic/financial aid probation and must sign and agree to the terms of an academic recovery contract, developed in collaboration with a designated academic advisor. Students are given access to register/enroll for their next semester only after the academic recovery contract is signed.

Post-Probation Review

The Dean's Office for Student Success will review each student’s progress in completing the terms of their academic recovery contract and make one of the following determinations:

• Students who now meet or exceed the three satisfactory academic progress standards and fulfilled all conditions of their academic recovery contract will have their enrollment/financial aid eligibility conditionally restored.
• Students who did not make satisfactory academic progress, but fulfilled all other conditions of their academic recovery contract, may appeal for one additional semester of academic/financial aid suspension probation.
• Students who did not make satisfactory academic progress and did not fulfill all conditions of their academic recovery contract will have their enrollment and financial aid eligibility permanently revoked, resulting in academic dismissal from Berklee College of Music.

Academic Dismissal

Students dismissed from Berklee College of Music are ineligible for future semesters of enrollment and financial aid eligibility at the college. Dismissed students may submit an inquiry about their dismissal status to be reviewed by the enrollment appeals committee. To request a copy of this inquiry form, please contact success@berklee.edu.

SAP and Financial Aid

All students’ financial aid eligibility is determined at the time of their initial application and after each semester of enrollment. To receive federal/Title IV financial aid, a student must meet or exceed the three standards of the satisfactory academic progress policy for enrollment and financial aid eligibility at the end of each assessment period.

SAP and International Student F-1 Visa Status

All students must meet the published satisfactory academic progress requirements. In addition, international students in F-1 student visa status must enroll in two full-time semesters each year to maintain F-1 non-immigrant status. Students in F-1 non-immigrant status must register for and complete a minimum of 12 required credits for two semesters before being eligible for a vacation semester (except for students entering in the spring). Please see the full-time and part-time attendance policy for more information.