Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Undergraduates
-If you have failed to meet one or both (quantitative or qualitative) of the minimum standards at the time of review (end of spring semester), you will be placed on financial aid probation and continue to receive aid during your semester of probation. -You can enroll for and attend a new semester without financial aid. You must however, enroll for the same number of credit hours as the semester which resulted in suspension. We will recheck your status at the end of the semester to see if you have regained financial aid eligibility. Students withdrawing from Gardner-Webb University (GWU) prior to completing 60% of the semester will have their financial aid prorated. A refund/repayment formula developed by the federal government is used to determine which sources of aid may be retained by the student. The formula considers the number of days in the semester compared to the number of days the student attended classes. Aid is “earned” based on the number of days the student was considered enrolled and disbursed accordingly. It is entirely possible to withdraw and owe GWU a balance.
Gardner-Webb University’s institutional requirements for minimum satisfactory performance for financial aid recipients are defined as follows:
1) Meeting the Quantitative Requirement
-The quantitative requirements for undergraduate students are based upon your enrollment status (full-time, part-time, half-time) at the end of drop/add week at the start of each semester. You must complete 67% of all Gardner-Webb University credit hours attempted. (Hours attempted includes repeat courses, dropped courses, withdrawals, and incomplete courses
Hours Attempted Hours earned to meet 67% requirement
3 2
6 4
9 6
12 8
15 10
2) Meeting the Qualitative Requirement
-The qualitative requirements (minimum GPA) for undergraduate, second bachelor’s degree and initial teaching certificate students are as described below:
· Freshmen (0-29 hrs earned) 1.5 on a 4.0 scale
· Sophomore (30-59-hrs earned) 1.7 on a 4.0 scale
· Junior (60-89 hrs earned) 1.9 on a 4.0 scale
· Senior (90 or more hrs earned) 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
3) Maximum Timeframe to Completion
-A reasonable length of time for the completion of a degree program is defined as no more than 150 percent of the normal time required to complete a degree program, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.
Example: If your degree requires that you complete 128 credit hours, your maximum time frame would be 128 hours x 150% = 192. Your maximum time frame to complete your degree would be 192 hrs of attempted course work.
There is no probationary semester for students who exceed the maximum time frame requirement. Students will be suspended from financial aid eligibility the semester following the semester their attempted hours exceed 192 hrs.
What happens if I fail to meet the minimum standards of academic progress?
-If you meet the minimum standards the subsequent semester, you will be placed back in good standing.
-If you fail to meet one or both of the standards again in the subsequent semester, you will be placed on financial aid suspension. Financial Aid suspension means that you will no longer be eligible for any financial aid, including loans. In this case you will be notified in writing.
If my Financial Aid is suspended, how can I regain eligibility?
or
-If you feel there were mitigating circumstances (death of a family member, injury, illness, etc.), you may appeal the suspension. To request an appeal you must: Submit a letter of appeal to the Assistant Director of Financial Planning requesting reinstatement. Your letter must include:
• the reason(s) why satisfactory progress is not being made, with detail surrounding the mitigating circumstance
• documentation which supports the rationale for the appeal
Once received, the Financial Aid Appeals Committee will notify the student in writing of their decision within 14 business days after the Committee meets and makes its determination. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final.
Return of Title IV Aid
Please note if a student is determined by the Registrar’s Office to have stopped attending classes during the semester they are considered an unofficial withdrawal. Any financial aid received during the semester will be reduced accordingly. If this occurs a student will be placed on financial aid suspension for the upcoming semester.