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Satisfactory Academic Progress
A. Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for Financial Aid
Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to retain eligibility for federal and institutional financial aid. Satisfactory academic progress is comprised of three areas as required by federal regulations. A student must complete their degree within a specified period, demonstrate they are making progress towards the completion of their degree by earning a minimum number of credits hours each semester and achieve a GPA that is consistent with meeting graduation requirements. Some institutional scholarships (i.e. Honors and Merit Scholarships) and federal grants (i.e. ACG and SMART) may require higher academic achievement than the standards outlined below.
Financial Aid satisfactory academic progress standards are separate from Academic Standing determinations. A student who is on academic warning, academic probation, or has been approved to continue after separation retains financial aid eligibility provided the financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards as outlined below are met.
The credits and minimum GPA must be earned by the beginning of the term in which the financial aid is to be disbursed.
B. Financial Aid Waiver
Students who do not meet the cumulative quantitative and qualitative standards after the financial aid probationary period lose their eligibility for federal and institutional aid until the standards are met. Students may appeal to the University for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver. Waivers may be issued for students who have experienced exceptional or extraordinary circumstances “beyond the student’s control” that resulted in the failure to satisfy the requirements and where there is a reasonable expectation that the student will meet these requirements in the future. A student may be approved for only one waiver.
Circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the death of a student’s relative or a student’s personal illness or injury.
Students will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid in the event of the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students will also be informed of the opportunity to submit a one-time Financial Aid Waiver and will be issued a waiver form.
C. Repeated Courses
Courses in which a D, D+ or F is earned may be repeated. The highest grade is included in the qualitative GPA calculation. The earned hours are counted once. The attempted hours are counted each time.
D. Regaining Eligibility
A student can regain eligibility for federal and institutional aid by:
E. Academic Grade Changes and Incompletes
For purposes of determining student eligibility for federal and institutional financial aid, all grade changes including incompletes must be submitted to SAS prior to the 10th day of the subsequent semester. The student must contact their SAS rep to request a review of their financial aid.
F. Total Withdrawal from the University – Federal Title IV and Institutional Aid Refund Policy
G. Readmitted Students
Students who have left the University for one or more semesters and have been readmitted will have their financial aid satisfactory academic progress reviewed. If the student is determined to be making progress they will regain their eligibility for federal and institutional aid. If the student is determined not to be making progress, the student will be placed on financial aid probation provided they have not already utilized their two probationary terms. If both probationary terms have been utilized and the student has extenuating circumstances, the student may file an appeal for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver. There is no guarantee that a readmitted student will receive the same type or amount of institutional aid they received during prior semesters.
Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to retain eligibility for federal and institutional financial aid. Satisfactory academic progress is comprised of three areas as required by federal regulations. A student must complete their degree within a specified period, demonstrate they are making progress towards the completion of their degree by earning a minimum number of credits hours each semester and achieve a GPA that is consistent with meeting graduation requirements. Some institutional scholarships (i.e. Honors and Merit Scholarships) and federal grants (i.e. ACG and SMART) may require higher academic achievement than the standards outlined below.
Financial Aid satisfactory academic progress standards are separate from Academic Standing determinations. A student who is on academic warning, academic probation, or has been approved to continue after separation retains financial aid eligibility provided the financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards as outlined below are met.
1. Maximum time frame for degree completion
- Federal regulations specify that a student must complete his/her degree within 150% of the published length of the program. The maximum time frame at Clarkson is measured in attempted hours. A student must earn 120 credits to receive a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, the maximum time frame to complete the program for full time students cannot exceed 180 attempted credit hours, 6 years, or 12 semesters, which ever comes first. Part-time students cannot exceed the 180 attempted credit hours. There are no appeals to the maximum time frame regulation.
- Credits counted in the maximum time are all attempted credits (even when not a financial aid recipient) Attempted credits include:
-Earned hours – Passed (A-D), Pass (P)
-Repeated Courses – both attempts
-Withdrawal (LW) and (W)
-Failure (F)
-Incomplete (I)
-All accepted transfer credits (including consortium agreements and Study Abroad courses) toward the
degree program (T)
- Federal regulations do not allow for the exclusion of courses in which a student has remained past the drop period and earned a grade of ‘W” from its calculation of the maximum time frame.
2. Quantitative Standards
- Federal regulations require that a student make steady progress toward degree completion by earning a minimum number of credit hours each semester. In order to earn 120 credit hours and graduate from Clarkson University in 4 years, a student must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester. In order to graduate within the maximum time frame (180 attempted credit hours or 6 years) a student must earn at least 10 credits per semester.
- Earned credit hours include:
Grades of A, B, C, D or P (with credit)
Transferred credits – provided they meet degree requirements
Credits earned from a Consortium Agreement or Study Abroad Program.
- Student records are evaluated at the end of each semester.
- Students who do not earn the minimum number of credit hours before the beginning of the next semester are placed on financial aid probation.
3. Qualitative StandardsThe following chart is used to determine quantitative and qualitative progress
- Federal regulations require the student to meet minimum cumulative GPA standards to retain eligibility for aid.
- Review of student records occurs at the end of each academic semester.
- Students who fail to meet these standards are placed on financial aid probation.
| Prior to the start of semester: |
1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
6 | 7 |
8 |
9 | 10 |
11 |
12 |
| Minimum cumulative GPA: | 0 | 1.0 |
1.5 |
1.75 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
| Minimum credits earned: | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
60 |
70 |
80 |
90 |
100 |
110 |
The credits and minimum GPA must be earned by the beginning of the term in which the financial aid is to be disbursed.
4. Financial Aid Probation
- Students who do not meet the qualitative and/or quantitative standards are placed on financial aid probation. Students on financial aid probation retain both federal and institutional aid eligibility. Students are allowed two probationary periods.
- If the student does not earn the minimum number of credits after the probationary period(s) they will no longer be eligible for federal or institutional aid until that standard is met. Probationary periods may be consecutive or non-consecutive.
- Students who have utilized both probationary semesters and experience extenuating circumstances are eligible to submit a request for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver. Refer to the Financial Aid Waiver section for further information.
B. Financial Aid Waiver
Students who do not meet the cumulative quantitative and qualitative standards after the financial aid probationary period lose their eligibility for federal and institutional aid until the standards are met. Students may appeal to the University for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver. Waivers may be issued for students who have experienced exceptional or extraordinary circumstances “beyond the student’s control” that resulted in the failure to satisfy the requirements and where there is a reasonable expectation that the student will meet these requirements in the future. A student may be approved for only one waiver.
Circumstances may include, but are not limited to, the death of a student’s relative or a student’s personal illness or injury.
Students will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid in the event of the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students will also be informed of the opportunity to submit a one-time Financial Aid Waiver and will be issued a waiver form.
- Students wishing to appeal the loss of their financial aid eligibility must complete and submit a Financial Aid Waiver form with supporting documentation to Dean of Students prior to the start of the semester they wish to return.
- Students must authorize the release of pertinent information as part of an investigation of the facts concerning the failure to meet academic progress regulations. Appeals will be investigated and reviewed by the Dean of Students in conjunction with faculty members from the student’s program of study as well as other Clarkson University personnel as necessary.
- The Dean of Students will notify the Office of Financial Aid of the decision via the Financial Aid Waiver form.
- The Office of Financial Aid will notify the student by letter of the decision.
- Eligibility is reinstated for one semester. If the student does not meet the standards at the end of the semester, they will no longer be eligible for federal or institutional aid until the standards are met.
C. Repeated Courses
Courses in which a D, D+ or F is earned may be repeated. The highest grade is included in the qualitative GPA calculation. The earned hours are counted once. The attempted hours are counted each time.
D. Regaining Eligibility
A student can regain eligibility for federal and institutional aid by:
- Taking courses at Clarkson without receiving federal or institutional aid that raises their GPA to the minimum standards and/or increases earned hours to the minimum requirements.
- Transferring in courses. A transferred course must count toward degree requirements. A minimum of a “C” is required for transfer credits. Transfer credits are included in both attempted and earned hours. Transfer credits have no effect on the GPA.
E. Academic Grade Changes and Incompletes
For purposes of determining student eligibility for federal and institutional financial aid, all grade changes including incompletes must be submitted to SAS prior to the 10th day of the subsequent semester. The student must contact their SAS rep to request a review of their financial aid.
F. Total Withdrawal from the University – Federal Title IV and Institutional Aid Refund Policy
- Students earn financial aid by attending classes. Federal regulations require Clarkson to pro-rate financial aid amounts if the student officially or unofficially withdraws, is dismissed or otherwise leaves the University. The formula is based upon the number of days the student has attended as a percentage of the total number of days in the semester. A student must attend classes through 60 percent of the semester to be fully eligible for his/her total financial aid package.
- Refunds calculations are performed on the following funds:
- All Federal Direct Loans – Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS
- Perkins Loans
- Pell Grants
- SEOG
- Academic Competitiveness Grants
- SMART Grants
- The Title IV and Institutional Refund Procedure are separate and distinct from the refund policy for tuition, fees and other charges at Clarkson.
- The percentage earned of Federal Title IV funds will also be used to determine the amount of institutional grants, loans and/or scholarships that a student may retain upon withdrawing from the University.
- Satisfactory academic progress for students who return to the University for a subsequent semester will be reviewed. If the student meets the financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards their aid will be reinstated. Students who do not meet the standards will be placed on financial aid probation. Students who have already used both semesters of financial aid probation and have extenuating circumstances are eligible to file an appeal for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver.
G. Readmitted Students
Students who have left the University for one or more semesters and have been readmitted will have their financial aid satisfactory academic progress reviewed. If the student is determined to be making progress they will regain their eligibility for federal and institutional aid. If the student is determined not to be making progress, the student will be placed on financial aid probation provided they have not already utilized their two probationary terms. If both probationary terms have been utilized and the student has extenuating circumstances, the student may file an appeal for a one-time Financial Aid Waiver. There is no guarantee that a readmitted student will receive the same type or amount of institutional aid they received during prior semesters.