Financial Aid: Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid

Contents:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
  • Minimum GPA
  • Pace
  • Maximum Time Frame
• Additional Information Regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Consortium Agreement Credits
  • Withdrawals
  • Repeated Courses
  • Transfer Credits
  • Incomplete Courses
  • Remedial Courses
  • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Courses and Test Credits
  • Audited Courses
  • Suspended Students
  • Courses Taken for a Third Time

Students must maintain all components of satisfactory academic progress in order to receive financial aid. The satisfactory progress standards for financial aid are slightly different from the University’s Academic Standing and Progress policy. Students are expected to understand and meet the standards of both policies.

UW-Eau Claire’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is detailed below.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Minimum GPA

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

Pace

Students must successfully complete 67% of total attempted credits.

A student’s total number of attempted credits consists of all the credits that a student has enrolled in after the tenth day of any academic term as well as any post-secondary credits the student has accumulated outside of the institution. A grade of F, W, XF, U, or IN is not considered successfully completing the class. Test credits and non-GPA credits (remedial, retro, and pass/fail) will be counted as attempted and earned credits.

Maximum Time Frame

Students must complete a degree within 150% of the published length of the degree program. Most undergraduate degrees require 120 credits, which means most students must complete a degree within 180 attempted credits, since 120 credits x 150% = 180 credits. 

Once students reach 130 cumulative credits, which includes resident credits and transfer credits, they receive a warning letter about their maximum time frame. At 150 or more credits, aid is put on hold and the student must file an appeal explaining the extenuating circumstances that have required the student to attempt so many credits in the pursuit of a degree.

For degree programs that require more than 120 credits, the maximum time frame is increased proportionately. Students must notify the Financial Aid Office about their increased degree requirements through the appeal process.

Undergraduates pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree, meaning those who have already graduated with a baccalaureate degree, may attempt 90 additional resident credits. Graduate students may attempt 54 resident credits.

Additional Information Regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress

Consortium Agreement Credits

Credits taken at other institutions while on consortium agreement through UW-Eau Claire will be counted as transfer credits in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal credits count as enrolled credits in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and will be considered attempted credits when determining the student’s pace of completion. Withdrawals that occur after the tenth week count as an F, and will also impact GPA.

Repeated Courses

Credits for courses that are repeated will count as attempted credits each time the course is taken, but will count only once as earned credits. The new grade will replace the previous grade in calculating the grade point average. Courses taken a third time are typically not funded with financial aid – even with special approval to repeat the course.

Transfer Credits

Credits from other institutions will be added to resident enrolled credits to determine the total number of enrolled credits when calculating the maximum time frame, pace, and GPA for the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Incomplete Courses

Incomplete coursework will not be considered as being successfully completed, but it will be considered as attempted for pace and maximum time frame. Completed courses will be replaced with an official grade and earned credits by the end of the tenth week of the first regular semester following the granting of the incomplete. Courses never completed will then be officially replaced by the grade initially reported with the request for the incomplete by the Registrar’s office. In either case, the new official grade will be considered during the next review of the student’s satisfactory academic progress when determining pace and maximum time frame. A student who wants their completed incomplete grade considered sooner than the next review is required to notify the Financial Aid office of the new grade.

Remedial Courses

Noncredit remedial courses are allowed and will be funded. These courses will be subject to review under all aspects of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Courses and Test Credits

These courses are not counted in GPA requirements, but are included in the maximum time frame and pace determinations.

Audited Courses

Audited courses are not funded by financial aid.

Suspended Students

Students who are suspended will be notified by the institution of their suspension. Students who are not allowed to enroll because of their suspension will be systematically prevented from receiving financial aid.

Courses Taken for a Third Time

Students enrolled in a course for a third time after receiving a passing grade (any grade above an F) will not be able to receive aid for that course and financial aid will be awarded as if you were not enrolled in that course.
Example: A student is enrolled in 12 credits (minimum number of credits to be considered full-time) but one of the courses the student is taking for a third time and has already received a passing grade. The course is a three-credit course. Aid will be adjusted as if the student was enrolled in nine credits, which is considered 3⁄4 time enrollment.