Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Undergraduate

At St. Thomas, there are two distinct policies that govern a student’s academic progress and success. There is an academic policy and a financial aid policy.

The financial aid policy is stated here. Please note that the financial aid policy is required to be “as strict or stricter than” the academic policy.

Academic Plan: A positive response to an appeal which includes a written expectation of student performance designed to ensure that the student is able to meet the institution's satisfactory academic progress standards and within a certain timeframe.

Appeal: A process by which a student who is not meeting the financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy standards and has extenuating circumstances petitions the financial aid office for reconsideration of the student's eligibility for financial aid.

Attempted Credit: An attempted credit includes any credit for which a student is registered at the beginning of the term. Any attempted credits that are subsequently canceled and removed from a transcript are still considered attempted credits for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid under this policy.

Completion Rate: The cumulative number of the credits satisfactorily completed divided by the cumulative number of the credits attempted this includes all courses accepted for transfer to St. Thomas (this must be greater than 67%.)

Extenuating Circumstances: Events or situations beyond the student's control that negatively affected the student's ability to meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress.

Financial Aid Warning: A status assigned to a student who fails to meet the minimum GPA and/or the minimum completion rate standard. A warning is a status in which a student may receive financial aid for a single term without submitting an appeal. This warning term allows the student one term to return the GPA and/or the completion rate to the minimum standard required.

Financial Aid Suspension: A status assigned to a student who is not meeting one or more of the standards of the satisfactory academic progress policy standards following a Financial Aid Warning period or the status assigned a student at the point where the remaining credits needed for the degree exceed the remaining attempts allowed under the 150% standard for maximum timeframe. A student in a suspension status is not eligible for financial aid.

Good Standing: Meeting or exceeding all of the satisfactory academic progress standards.

Grade Point Average: The weighted average of the grades earned for all of your earned credits completed at the �ƹ��Ƶ.

Maximum Timeframe: The total number of credits typically required for your degree program multiplied by 150%.

Satisfactory Grades: Grades of "A", "B", "C", "D", "S" and all plus or minus variations on these grades.

Unsatisfactory Grades: Grades of "F", "R", "I", "NR" and "W".

To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. In accordance with federal regulations, satisfactory academic progress for Associate’s Degree students at the �ƹ��Ƶ Dougherty Family College is defined such that the student must:

Satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all attempted credits
Maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA
Obtain the Associate’s Degree within 96 attempted credits

Students and Programs Covered by This Policy

All students, regardless of the types of aid they receive, are subject to this policy for maintaining aid eligibility. All federal, state and institutional grant, loan and work-study programs are covered by this policy. Institutional scholarships and awards are covered by this policy and also are subject to the criteria defined for the specific scholarship/award (for example, full-time, continuous enrollment).

General Eligibility Requirements

Students must have a high school diploma or GED in order to receive financial aid. Students must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens to qualify for federal aid and some state aid programs. Minnesota Residents who do not qualify to file a FAFSA may qualify for some state aid through the MN Dream Act.

Monitoring Progress

A student’s progress will be monitored at the end of each semester, including summer term. Admission or re-admission to the �ƹ��Ƶ and academic standing as defined by the Registrar’s office may allow for a student’s continued enrollment at the university. However, admission, re-admission or continued enrollment does not exempt the student from meeting the terms of this policy with regard to financial aid eligibility. Financial aid policy is required to be the same as or stricter than academic standards for satisfactory progress.

Repeated Coursework

A student may choose to repeat courses in order to improve a grade. While repeating a course may improve the GPA calculation, all credits are counted as attempted regardless of whether the credits are for the initial or repeated course. Once a student has received a passing grade in a course, a student can receive financial aid for only one repeat of that course.

Zero Credit Pre-requisite Coursework

Enrollment in zero-credit coursework (MATH 005 and MATH 006) does not affect your eligibility for financial aid. These courses do not count in your GPA calculation nor do they count as either attempted or completed credits. These courses are graded as pass/fail. A failing grade will not allow you to take the next mathematics course required for your program.

Remedial Coursework

At this time, the university does not offer any remedial coursework.

Transfer Credits

All �ƹ��Ƶ level courses taken outside of the �ƹ��Ƶ and accepted for credit at the university are counted as transfer credits. Transfer credits include those earned during regular enrollment at another post-secondary institution as well as those earned during the completion of a student’s high school diploma or G.E.D. (e.g. AP, IB, PSEO, CIS, and CLEP). All transfer credits count as attempted and completed credits when measuring completion rate and are included in the maximum time frame calculation. Transfer credits do not count in the GPA calculation.

Maximum Time Frame

Undergraduate Associate’s Degree students are eligible to receive financial aid for a maximum of 96 attempted credits. Attempted credits include all satisfactorily graded courses as well as courses with grades of "F", "R", "W" and "I" and “NR”. In addition, if a student begins a semester and withdraws from all courses for the semester during the 100 percent tuition refund period, the courses from which they withdrew count as attempted. Courses in which a student is allowed to withdraw without grade notation after the institutional refund period due to special circumstances are also counted as attempted credits. Courses that are repeated are counted each time they are attempted. All transfer credits accepted by the university are counted as attempted. Audited courses are not counted. As soon as it is clear that the number of credits remaining to complete the degree program exceeds the number of attempts available to reach the 96-credit threshold, your aid will be suspended and you will be notified by email using your UST email account.

Completion Rate (pace of progression toward a degree)

Students must satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all credits attempted. Satisfactory grades are "A", "B", "C", "D" and "S". Unsatisfactory grades are "F", "R", "I" and "W" and “NR”. Failure to maintain a 67 percent completion rate will result in a warning semester. Failure to bring the overall completion rate up to 67 percent during the warning semester will result in unsatisfactory status. Incomplete grades are counted as attempted but not passed. Incomplete grades, if not otherwise changed beforehand, change to F after a given date in the following enrollment term. If incomplete grades are later changed, those credits will be evaluated at the next SAP review.

Minimum Institutional Grade-Point Average

Students must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. The GPA used is the student's institutional calculated GPA which is based solely on courses taken at the �ƹ��Ƶ and does not include grades from transferred work from other institutions. Incomplete grades do not count in the students GPA. Incomplete grades, if not otherwise changed beforehand, change to F after a given date in the following enrollment term. If incomplete grades are later changed, those credits will be evaluated at the next SAP review. Failure to maintain a 2.0 Institutional GPA will result in a warning semester. Failure to bring your Institutional GPA back up to a minimum of 2.0 during the warning semester will result in unsatisfactory status. You will be notified by email using your UST email account.

In accordance with federal regulations, satisfactory academic progress for Baccalaureate degree students at the �ƹ��Ƶ is defined such that the student must:

Satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all attempted credits;
Maintain an institutional GPA of 2.0.
Obtain a first Baccalaureate degree within 150% of the required credits for the degree program.

Students and Programs Covered by This Policy

General Eligibility Requirements

Students must have a high school diploma or GED in order to receive financial aid. Students enrolled in non-degree programs are not eligible to receive financial aid. Students must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens to qualify for federal aid and some state aid programs. Minnesota residents who do not qualify to file a FAFSA may qualify for some state aid through the MN Dream Act.

Monitoring Progress

A student’s progress will be monitored at the end of each semester, including summer semester term. The assessment will be based on the student’s entire academic record, including any coursework taken in the two-year program through the Dougherty Family College. Admission or re-admission to the �ƹ��Ƶ and academic standing as defined by the Registrar’s office may allow for a student’s continued enrollment at the university. However, admission, re-admission or continued enrollment does not exempt the student from meeting the terms of this policy with regard to financial aid eligibility.

Repeated Coursework

A student may choose to repeat courses in order to improve a grade. While repeating a course may improve your GPA calculation, all credits are counted as attempted regardless of whether the credits are for the initial or repeated course. Once a student has received a passing grade in a course, a student can receive financial aid for only one additional repeat of that course.

Zero Credit Pre-requisite Coursework

Enrollment in zero credit coursework (MATH 005 and MATH 006) does affect your eligibility for financial aid. These courses do not count in your GPA calculation, nor do they count as either attempted or completed credits. These courses are graded as pass/fail. A failing grade will not allow you to take the next mathematic course required for your program.

Remedial Coursework

At this time, the university does not offer any remedial coursework.

Transfer Credits

Maximum Time Frame

Undergraduate Baccalaureate students may receive financial aid for a number of attempted credits not to exceed 150% of the required number of credits for their degree program. Attempted credits include all satisfactorily graded courses as well as courses with grades of "F", "R", "W" and "I" and “NR”. If a student begins a semester and withdraws from all courses for the semester during the 100 percent tuition refund period, the courses from which he/she withdrew count as attempted. Courses in which a student is allowed to withdraw without grade notation after the institutional refund period due to special circumstances are also counted as attempted credits. Courses that are repeated are counted each time they are attempted. All transfer credits accepted by the university are counted as attempted. Audited courses are not counted. As soon as it is clear that the number of credits remaining to complete your degree program exceeds the number of attempts available to reach the 150% threshold, your aid will be suspended, and you will be notified by email using your UST email account.

Completion Rate (pace of progression toward a degree)

Students must satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all credits attempted. Satisfactory grades are "A", "B", "C", "D" and "S". Unsatisfactory grades are "F", "R", "I" and "W" and “NR”. Failure to maintain a 67 percent completion rate will result in a warning for the next semester. Failure to bring the overall completion rate up to 67 percent during the "warning semester" will result in the student being ineligible to receive financial aid until the overall completion rate is at least 67 percent. Incomplete grades are counted as attempted but not passed. Incomplete grades, if not otherwise changed beforehand, change to F after a given date in the following enrollment term. If incomplete grades are later changed, those credits will be evaluated at the next SAP review.

Minimum Institutional Grade-Point Average

Students must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. The GPA used is the student's institutional calculated GPA which is based solely on courses taken at the �ƹ��Ƶ and does not include grades from transferred work from other institutions. Incomplete grades do not count in the student’s GPA. Incomplete grades, if not otherwise changed beforehand, change to F after a given date in the following enrollment term. If incomplete grades are later changed, those credits will be evaluated at the next SAP review. Failure to maintain a 2.0 Institutional GPA will result in a warning semester. Failure to bring your Institutional GPA back up to a minimum of 2.0 during the warning semester will result in unsatisfactory status. You will be notified by email using your UST email account.

Students seeking a second Baccalaureate degree are only eligible for federal loans (if they have not reached the aggregate limits of the loan program) and private loans. Such students are expected to receive their second degree within the maximum time frame as outlined in the Baccalaureate Degree Policy and will be held accountable for all other measures of progress outlined therein. Exceptions to the maximum time frame policy may be made on an individual basis. An appeal to extend the maximum time frame must include a full degree evaluation and graduation plan (see below) approved by an academic advisor and supporting statement from the advisor. Classes taken each semester will be monitored to match with the plan submitted. Revisions to the plan are to be made with the academic advisor and submitted in writing to the financial aid office. Financial aid eligibility is subject to the review of the revised plan by the financial aid office.

Unsatisfactory Status and Your Right to Appeal

Unsatisfactory Status

A student whose status is determined to be unsatisfactory is not eligible to receive financial aid. A student placed in financial aid suspension will be sent an email after term review is complete.

Regaining Eligibility

The student whose aid has been suspended will remain in that status until he or she meets one of the following conditions:

Continues to attend St. Thomas at his or her own expense and returns to full compliance with all parts of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy;
Submits a successful appeal (see below) documenting any extenuating circumstances which contributed to non-compliance;
Attends another institution and have credits transfer to St. Thomas to improve completion rate. It is recommended that you consult with academic counseling to ensure the courses you select will transfer and help you fulfill degree requirements. Attending another institution will not assist in the minimum GPA calculation, so this is not a strategy to use to regain eligibility in cases where the minimum GPA is not met.

Right to Appeal

Students who have had financial aid suspended due to unsatisfactory academic progress may appeal to the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office. The appropriate appeal form should be submitted within 15 days of receipt of notification of unsatisfactory progress and all relevant associated documentation should be received within one week of the submission of the appeal form. Students may appeal due to a special circumstance such as illness or injury of the student, death of a relative or other circumstance that results in undue hardship to the student as documented by a third-party professional such as a healthcare provider, counselor, cleric, lawyer, etc. The appeal in general should map the circumstances that caused low academic performance, and systems or support now in place that will help to mitigate the impact of these conditions if still present. Students should explain clearly why they failed to make satisfactory progress and what has changed (or will change) to allow them to meet SAP.

If the appeal for continuation of financial aid is approved, the student is placed on an academic plan. An outline of the approval and terms of the academic plan are provided to students using the student UST email account. The plan will outline expectations for course completion and/or GPA performance moving forward. These academic plans will be reviewed at each progress review point (at the end of each semester/summer term). If the terms of the plan are met, but the student is not yet back in compliance, they will be allowed to continue to receive funding in the next term on a continued plan- until back in compliance. However, if during end of term review, we determine that the student has not met the plan terms, aid will once again be suspended, and the student is notified by email using the student's UST email account.

Students can submit a subsequent appeal if they have failed to meet the initial plan terms and are once again in a suspension status. Subsequent appeals will only be considered if the student outlines entirely different circumstances (than outlined in first appeal) that impacted academic performance during the period covered by the plan and specify what has changed in their situation to address these new challenges.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form

Graduation Plan Form for Maximum Timeframe Appeals

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