Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - Page 2 of 3

General Policy Requirements

1. Maintain the required grade point average (GPA);
2. Successfully complete the minimum number of credits associated with the enrollment status for which aid was received;
3. Maintain pace: successfully complete at least 80 percent of cumulative, attempted credits; and
4. Complete your degree or certificate within the maximum allowable attempted credits.

1. Grade Point Average Requirements

Students must meet the scholarship standards of the University to remain eligible for financial aid. University scholarship standards include maintaining at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA. The GPA requirement is monitored quarterly. Scholarship standards allow for a limited number of quarters during which a student may improve his or her cumulative GPA to the 2.00 minimum requirement. Students dismissed from the University for not meeting the scholarship standard will also have their financial aid eligibility placed in suspended status. There is no financial aid warning period after university dismissal. Scholastic standards for undergraduate and graduate students are fully described in the University Catalog.

2. Quarterly Credit Completion Requirements

The Financial Aid Department reviews academic progress at the end of each quarter for all students. To establish and maintain financial aid eligibility, all students must successfully complete the minimum number of credits associated with their enrollment level at lock (see Changes in Enrollment). The following grades do not indicate successful completion of academic credit: F, Z, U, NP, K, W, I, X, XM, NX, SW, audited classes, or absence of a grade.

If a student's coursework does not meet minimum requirements, the student will be placed on financial aid warning or suspension, depending upon the extent of the deficiency.

Students with a revised grade must first confirm that the Registrar's Office has made the grade change and then notify the Financial Aid Department of the change in writing. Correspondence courses must be completed within the term for which they were registered to count toward completed credits. Credits earned for repeated coursework may count toward current quarter academic progress requirements in some cases. Contact the Financial Aid Department if you plan to repeat a course. In general, you may receive aid for repeating a previously passed course once and receive aid for repeating a failed course that fulfills degree requirements until it has been passed.

Students who fail to meet the minimum credit requirement for a given quarter will be placed on financial aid warning or suspension for the next quarter, depending on the extent of the deficiency. Students whose appeals for financial aid reinstatement have been approved will be placed on aid probation.

3. Pace

Students must successfully complete at least 80 percent of their cumulative attempted credits to meet financial aid pace requirements. Attempted credits are defined as all credits that appear on the academic history record. These credits include repeated, failed, incomplete, withdraws, and transcripted transfer credits. The pace requirement is monitored on a quarterly basis. Students failing to meet the pace requirement will be placed on financial aid warning and are allowed one quarter to successfully complete sufficient credits to meet the pace requirement and regain good satisfactory academic progress standing. Students failing to meet the pace requirement at the end of the warning period will have their financial aid eligibility placed in suspended status.

4. Maximum Attempted Credit Requirements

Students receiving aid are allowed to attempt a specified number of credits in order to complete their degree or certificate program. As soon as it is clear that a student will not graduate within this period, the student becomes ineligible for aid. Western determines whether students have reached or exceeded their maximum attempted credits limit by totaling the number of credits they have attempted. Attempted credits are defined as all credits that appear on the academic history record. These credits include repeated, failed, incomplete, withdrawals (including XM), and accepted transfer credits. If the Financial Aid Department learns that graduation is imminent, aid eligibility must be calculated and limited solely to enrollment in courses required for graduation. Students are expected to notify the Financial Aid Department when they have completed all the coursework required for their degree or certificate program. Failure to do so may result in the student having to repay a portion of the aid they received. Second majors and elective minors are not eligible to be funded with financial aid unless they are included in the official university registration record.

Undergraduate Students:

• May attempt up to 125% of the minimum credit requirements for their baccalaureate program of study, as defined in the University Catalog. No additional allowance is granted for concurrent completion of a double major or an elective minor, unless it is included in official university records.
• Thesis credits: Although academic departments may allow a variable number of thesis credits, funding for thesis credits is limited to the first twelve thesis credit attempted.

Graduate Students:

• May attempt up to 125% of the number of credits required by their graduate plan of study. Graduate students are advised to limit their enrollment to the courses appearing on their plan of study. Courses not on the plan of study generally are not fundable with financial aid. Also, additional coursework beyond the 125% limitation cannot be funded and may jeopardize continued financial aid eligibility under the maximum attempted credit requirement.
• Thesis credits: Although academic departments may allow a variable number of thesis credits, funding for thesis credits is limited to the first twelve thesis credit attempted.

Postbaccalaureate Students Pursuing a Second Undergraduate Degree or a Certificate Program:

• May attempt up to 125% of the credits required for completion of the degree or certificate program.