Satisfactory Academic Progress & Your Financial Aid

To maintain financial aid and student employment eligibility, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. To receive financial aid and/or to work as a student employee:

• Maintain a 2.0 or above grade point average
• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 67 percent of all classes attempted each semester
• Maintain a cumulative completion rate of 67 percent or higher
• Stay within the maximum number of credits for your program

These standards apply to all periods of enrollment at WNC, including Summer, whether or not you have received financial aid.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to receive financial aid and some scholarships and to work as a student employee. A student must meet these standards of progress regardless of whether he or she has previously received financial assistance. The student's satisfactory academic progress will be reviewed and evaluated at the end of each semester. Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for individual scholarships may be designated by the donor and may be different from the standards above.

BASIC STANDARDS:

Grade Point Average: All students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA for all attempted credits. A student whose cumulative GPA drops below 2.0 will be ineligible for financial aid and placed on financial aid suspension, even if all credits were completed. Only credits attempted at WNC will be considered in this calculation.

Academic Completion Rate: At a minimum, a student must satisfactorily complete 67 percent of all classes attempted each semester. In addition, a student must maintain a cumulative completion rate of 67 percent or higher. Only credits attempted at WNC will be considered in this calculation. Additionally, all repeated courses are included in determining the 67 percent completion requirement.

Degree and Credit Maximums: For financial aid purposes, a student will be allowed a maximum of two associate degrees and/or a maximum of 90 attempted credits, whichever comes first. All attempted credits (including repeated classes) must be completed within that period. Payments for degrees or classes beyond these limits will be at the student's own expense.

IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE COURSES REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE ALLOTTED NUMBER OF ATTEMPTED CREDITS ALLOWED.

Rare exceptions to the maximum limits may be considered on an individual basis if extenuating circumstances exist. Appeals should be addressed to the Financial Assistance Appeals Committee with an Financial Assistance Appeals Form obtained from the Financial Assistance Office or from our website.

Degree/Certificate Programs: To be eligible for financial aid, a student must declare with the Office of Admissions and Records the intent to obtain a degree or certificate in an eligible program at WNC.

For Transfer Students: Credits taken at other post-secondary education institutions will not be counted toward the 90-credit maximum limit unless they are accepted for credit into the student's program of study at WNC. Transfer credits will not be considered when calculating GPA and academic completion rates.

Unacceptable Grades:

• "F" = Failure of the class.
• "W" = Failure of the class or official or unofficial withdrawal.
• "I" = Incomplete, cannot be evaluated for satisfactory progress; but will be considered as evidence the student did not officially withdraw.
• "X" = In progress, cannot be evaluated for satisfactory progress.
• "AD"= Audit, for financial assistance a student may not take a class for audit. Any aid received for an audited class must be repaid.
• "NR" = Grade not reported, cannot be evaluated for satisfactory progress.

Repeated Courses: Courses may be repeated for financial assistance if taken for credit. All repeated courses will be counted as attempted credits when calculating the maximum credit limit. Additionally, when credits are repeated, the grade earned in the latest class will be used to determine the student's GPA. If it is discovered that a student has converted from credit to non-credit (audit) status after receiving aid, the student may be required to repay all or a portion of the aid received.

Receiving all "W" or "F" grades: If a student receives all "W" or "F" grades for a semester the Financial Assistance Office will determine the last date of attendance and calculate any repayment the student may owe for funds received.

Financial Aid Suspension: If at any time the student's semester or cumulative completion rate drops below 67 percent and/or the cumulative grade point average drops below a 2.0 the student's eligibility for financial assistance will be suspended.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid: If a student has been denied receipt of financial aid due to unsatisfactory academic progress, he or she, at their own expense, must achieve the minimum completion rate of 67 percent for all courses attempted before aid eligibility is reinstated. If the cumulative completion rate remains at or above 67 percent but the semester average drops below 67 percent, the student must complete, at their own expense, the same number of credits for which they received an "F" or "W" grade in the prior term to re-establish their eligibility, The cumulative grade point average must also be 2.0 or higher.

Appeal Process: A student who is placed on financial aid suspension may appeal to the Financial Assistance Appeals Committee. The student must complete a Financial Assistance Appeal Form obtainable from the Financial Assistance Office or downloadable from our website. An appeal is typically based on an unforeseen medical or family emergency which resulted in the student not achieving the credits or grade point average. The appeal may be strengthened with supporting documentation written by a third party on letterhead that verifies the student's situation. Third party documentation may also include instructor's verification of the student's last date of attendance, letters from doctors, statements from hospitals, etc. The Financial Assistance Appeals Committee will review the appeal and all supporting documentation, and the student will be notified in writing of the committee's decision. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final.

Financial Aid Probation: If an appeal is approved for probation, a student must complete 100 percent of the courses attempted until the cumulative completion rate reaches 67 percent or higher. Also, the student must maintain a 2.0 GPA during the probationary period. Once the cumulative rate reaches 67 percent the student will be removed from probation. A student may generally be allowed one probationary period, but may, due to extenuating circumstances, appeal for consideration for a subsequent probationary period.

Failure to satisfactorily meet the terms of a probationary period will result in the immediate suspension of financial aid eligibility.