Satisfactory Academic Progress

The purpose of federal and institutional financial assistance is to help students reach their academic and career goals. All students receiving financial assistance are expected to make reasonable progress toward graduation each semester. The guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Education make it possible to define and evaluate satisfactory academic progress. Enrolled students will be expected to complete their educational objectives within a reasonable time frame. The maximum time frame allowable by the institution is determined by the student's degree or certificate objectives and enrollment classification, and is depicted by the following:

A student will be evaluated based on his/her cumulative GPA in relationship to his/her student classification. Students will be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they maintain the following appropriate cumulative GPA at the end of the spring semester each academic year. Summer school will be considered separately.

Regardless of a student's degree objective, the student must successfully complete 70 percent of attempted credit hours for each academic year. Along with Fs and Es, Incompletes, Withdraw Passing or Failing and No Credit will be treated as credits unearned. A student may repeat any course in an attempt to better a grade and improve her/his grade point average; however, the credit hours will be counted in the total credit hours attempted time frame.

If a student has failed to earn his/her degree or certificate within the maximum allowable time frame prescribed by this policy, he/she will not be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and will be ineligible for continued financial assistance.

The evaluation of satisfactory progress for an incoming transfer student will be considered without regard to his/her transfer credits. However, upon completion of each academic year, transfer students will be evaluated with those transferable credits applicable to meeting graduation requirements.

All students must maintain the required level of academic progress prescribed by this policy, as evaluated by its quantitative and qualitative standards. If a student's satisfactory academic progress falls below an acceptable level, the student will be suspended from receiving aid. The student's ineligibility will remain in effect until an appeal is granted and the student is put on satisfactory academic progress probation for the following academic year. The student will then need to maintain the same academic progress stipulated in these satisfactory academic progress rules.

If a student believes there are extenuating circumstances for his/her failure to comply with these policies, he/she may write a letter to the director of financial aid for an appeal of suspension. The director of financial aid, in consultation with appropriate university authorities, may grant a deferment or waiver of suspension based upon certain hardship situations. Each appeal will be decided on a case-by-case basis.