SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
FOR FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS

All regular students must maintain satisfactory academic progress in an eligible program of study in courses leading toward a degree or certification. A student’s cumulative grade-point average (G.P.A.) and the number of hours attempted and earned are used to evaluate their academic progress.

Grade point requirements: All regular students must meet the appropriate G.P.A. as published in the University catalog, Standards of Progress towards Graduation.

Maximum Time Frame: The maximum time frame in which a student is eligible to receive financial assistance is as follows:

TABLE OF MAXIMUM SEMESTERS OF AID ELIGIBILITY

Degree	Full Time	3/4 Time	1/2 Time
Bachelor	12	18	24
Associate	6	9	12
Certificate	3	5	6

Students who do not indicate the degree program will automatically be assumed to be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree.  The maximum number of credit hours attempted for a degree is as follows:

Graduate      48

Bachelor     186

Associate      96

Certificate    36

Minimum Hours per year: All financial aid recipients must complete the appropriate number of hours depending on the categories in which they enrolls, attends, and received payment.

Students who have attempted the maximum number of credit hours are ineligible for any type of federal aid at that degree level.  A double major or change of degree does not extend the number of credit hours that maybe attempted.

 

TABLE OF MINIMUM HOURS PER YEAR TO MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY

Category	Hours	Hours Must Complete
Full Time	12 or more	21 Hours per Year
3/4 Time	9 to 11	15 Hours per Year
1/2 Time	6 to 8	9 Hours per Year

Annual review of academic progress: The period of time at which the student’s academic progress shall be checked will be in May of each year.  If the student falls below the standard of hours or G.P.A. they will be placed on probation for one semester.

After the probationary semester, grades will be checked and the number of courses will be verified to see if a minimum standard of work toward their degree has been successfully completed. If students fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree, they will be placed on suspension until the required G.P.A. or course work is made up.

Summer school: Students who fail to complete the minimum number of required hours during the academic year (fall and spring) or whose grades are below the minimum, may make up their deficiencies in summer school, however, they must complete all the hours in which they are enrolled.  If they are on financial aid suspension, they will not be eligible for federal financial aid for summer school.

Note: In calculating the minimum hours completed per year, the following will not be counted: incompletes, repetitions, non-credit remedial courses, audited courses, and withdrawals. However, if a student withdraws from a class which results in a change in enrollment status, they must complete the originally required payment enrollment status.

Automatic termination of aid: The following situations will necessitate the automatic and immediate termination of aid eligibility:

1.       Withdrawal from all classes.
2.       Failure to meet special requirements of academic progress imposed by the Financial Aid Committee.
3.       Default of any federally funded student loan or an overpayment of any Title IV fund.
4.       All "F" grades or “I” incompletes in a semester

Appeal procedure: At suspension, a student may appeal to the Financial Aid Committee. The student must put in writing any special circumstances and document these circumstances for the Financial Aid Committee to assist them in determining whether or not any to place the student on probation.  All appeals forms and supporting documentation must be received by the Financial Aid Office within 30 days from the end of the semester in which the suspension occurred.  The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the written appeal, supporting documentation and notify the student in writing of the appeal decision within 10 business days from the date received.

 Note: Upon review of the student’s appeal and documentation by the Director of Financial Aid, the Director may reinstate the student if the failure was due to medical circumstances or circumstances beyond the student’s control. These appeals need not be taken to the Financial Aid Committee unless denied by the Director. The Financial Aid Committee will review the student’s records along with any written comments submitted on behalf of the student. The decision of the Financial Aid Committee will be final with no appeal and shall contain the general specific requirements placed on the applicant in order to receive aid or to regain their eligibility.

It should be noted that transfer students will be assumed to be making satisfactory academic progress when they begin unless otherwise documented (they may be placed on Probation) and shall be evaluated for satisfactory progress in May.

DEFINITION AND EFFECTS ON SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

For the purpose of the satisfactory academic progress policy the following definitions apply to aid programs.

Probation - means that the student has failed to complete either the appropriate grade point average or the appropriate hours in their first academic year. Probation requires the student to make up the difference of either grade points or course work that they did not meet and are eligible to receive federal aid.

Suspension - means that the student did not make up the appropriate grade point or course work during the probationary semester, therefore, the student will not be allowed to receive federal financial aid until all deficiencies are complete.

Incompletes - The effect of incompletes in courses shall be considered the same as the university academic policy. "Both credit and grade points are suspended until the incomplete (I) is converted to either a passing grade or an (F)." Therefore, incompletes will be counted in the semester or academic year in which they are converted.

Withdrawals - The effect of withdrawals from courses shall be considered on the basis of partial or complete. When a student partially withdraws from the university, the earned G.P.A. will count in the academic year increment, but the hours dropped will not count. The credit hours counted toward the academic year will be counted on the basis of the status paid (Full, 3/4, 1/2). At complete withdrawal from college, the G.P.A. will not count toward the academic year if "W" is received. However, the status paid, (Full, 3/4, 1/2), will be counted towards the required hours and the student will be automatically terminated until deficiencies are completed. Finally, if the student withdraws from the university and receives no credit or pay from aid programs, these hours will count part of the maximum credit hours attempted.

Repetition - The effect of repetitions of coursed is such that the G.P.A. may be adjusted, but the credit hours received do not count as new hours. However, repetitions will count in the maximum credit hours attempted.

Non-credit Remedial Courses - As non-credit remedial courses receive no credit and do not count towards a degree, they will not be counted in hours or G.P.A. in the measurement of academic progress, however they will count in the maximum credit hours attempted.

 

Missouri Southern State University
3950 East Newman Road   Joplin, MO   64801-1595
created Wednesday, November 9, 2006
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