Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations require that all student financial aid recipients make satisfactory academic progress toward achieving a certificate or degree. Progress is measured by the student’s cumulative grade point average and credits earned in relation to those attempted and the length of the academic program. That standard applies to ALL terms regardless of whether or not the student received financial aid. NOTE: This policy should be read in conjunction with the university’s policy on Academic Good Standing and Academic Probation/Suspension in this catalog. A student’s academic eligibility and financial aid eligibility are closely related.

Progress will be measured at the end of each Spring semester for degree-seeking students and at the end of each semester for students in certificate programs. Progress will also be checked at the end of any semester the student is on probation.

I. Progress Standards
Progress Per Semester:
Students must, at a minimum, satisfactorily complete 75% of all courses attempted in each semester. Satisfactory grades consist of A, B, C and D. Unsatisfactory grades are F, DF, W, I or any other grade that does not result in credits completed.

Cumulative Progress:
In addition to the above, students must meet the academic standards of TLU as outlined in the TLU Student Handbook. Students are expected to complete their degrees within 8 semesters when attending college full-time. However, no student will receive financial aid once 125% of the required hours to complete the program have been attempted.

Students are also expected to maintain a minimum GPA as follows:

Cumulative Hours Completed	Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
0-26 hours	1.8
27+ hours	2.0

Withdrawals (W grades) which are recorded on the student’s permanent academic transcript will be included as credit hours attempted and will have an adverse effect on the student’s eligibility to meet the requirements of the credit progression schedule for financial aid.

Incomplete grades – Courses that are assigned an incomplete grade are included in the cumulative credits attempted. These cannot be used as credits earned in the progress standard until a successful grade is assigned.

Repeated Courses – Repeated courses enable the student to achieve a higher cumulative GPA. However, repeating courses adversely affects the student’s ability to meet the requirements of the credit progression schedule. Note: Financial aid will pay for one repetition of a class.

Transfer Students: Only credits officially accepted in transfer and specifically applied toward a student’s certificate or degree will be counted toward the maximum credits allowed. If the student is required to take hours above the maximum number allowable as a result of transfer from another institution, the student may submit a written appeal to the Office of Financial Aid requesting an extension.

Second Degree Students: Only officially accepted credits which are specifically applied toward the student’s current certificate or degree program will be included in the maximum number allowed.

Part-time Students: Cumulative GPA requirements are the same as for full-time students. The number of semesters required to complete the program will depend on hours registered. Students must successfully complete the majority of hours attempted each semester. However, no student will receive financial aid once 125% of the required hours to complete the program have been attempted.

II. Financial Aid Probation
Students will be placed on financial aid probation if they fail to meet either standard as outlined. Students will be placed on probation for two semesters during which they must come into compliance with the standard. (See Financial Aid Disqualification for exceptions to this rule.) Students not meeting the Standard at the end of the second semester of probation will be disqualified from receiving financial aid.

III. Financial Aid Disqualification
Students on financial aid probation who fail to meet the standards as outlined above will be ineligible for financial aid beginning with the next semester of attendance.

Students will be automatically ineligible for financial aid regardless of whether they have previously been placed on financial aid probation beginning with the next semester of attendance when one of the following occurs:

1. Student receives grades of “F” in all courses attempted in any semester. In evaluating satisfactory progress, a grade of “I” will be considered an “F”.
2. Student is academically dismissed.

Students who pre-register for a subsequent semester before grades are evaluated and who use financial aid to defer tuition and fees may owe a financial aid repayment if they do not maintain satisfactory academic progress and have been disqualified from financial aid once grades are posted and reviewed.

A student who is disqualified from financial aid more than one time for failure to meet these standards must meet with a financial aid counselor to discuss plans for re-establishing financial aid eligibility. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, a student in this category should expect to enroll for at least 12 semester credits without financial aid and successfully pass all courses with a minimum of a 2.00 GPA to be reconsidered for financial aid.

Disqualification from financial aid does not prevent a student from enrolling without financial aid if he or she is otherwise eligible to continue their enrollment. However, the student should be aware that the college’s policies for academic eligibility and financial aid eligibility closely mirror one another, since both are measures of satisfactory academic progress intended to encourage behavior which leads to academic success.

IV. Appeals to Regain Eligibility
Students who fail to meet these standards and have lost eligibility for financial aid may appeal this decision. Appeals must be in writing and must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documents. Appeals should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid within 30 days of the student’s receiving notice of disqualification. Reasons that may be acceptable for the appeal are: (1) serious illness or accident on the part of the student; (2) death, accident or serious illness in the immediate family; (3) change in academic program; (4) other extenuating circumstances. The reasonableness of the student’s ability for improvement to meet the appropriate standards for the certificate or degree program in which the student is enrolled will be taken into consideration.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee in conjunction with the Director of Financial Aid and will be approved, denied or approved for a probationary period not to exceed one academic year.

V. Regaining Eligibility
Students who failed to meet these Standards and who choose to enroll without the benefit of financial aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they are enrolled without the receipt of financial aid. If the standards are met, eligibility is regained for subsequent terms of enrollment.

Students should consult with a financial aid counselor to determine what must be done to regain eligibility.