Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy


  • Gardner-Webb University is required to establish minimum academic standards that students must meet to be eligible, or maintain eligibility, for Federal and State financial aid, including grants, loans and college work-study.

  • Students who are receiving financial aid or who seek financial aid in the future are required to meet these minimum standards.

  • Financial aid recipients are required to be in good standing and to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree requirements for each semester/term in which they are enrolled.

  • Satisfactory academic progress, as described below, is evaluated annually at the end of the Spring semester.

  • Failure to maintain satisfactory progress, as described below, could result in Financial Aid Probation, or Financial Aid Suspension.

Minimum Standards for Undergraduate Students


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 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.

-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?



-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.

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 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.