Financial Aid Withdrawal Policy

Students who are out of class for 29 days will be withdrawn from the University on the 30th day of non-attendance. After the 30th day, loan and grant funds will be returned. Before the student returns to class, they must be approved by Financial Aid in order to receive future loans and grants. Upon return, the student may be required to reapply for financial aid and/or pay any balance on their account.

Satisfactory Academic Policy

Students who are receiving Title IV financial aid funds (Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, and Secondary Education Opportunity Grants) must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 towards their degree program, as well as make satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of their degree.
Academic progress will be measured after each 24 hours of attempted credit. In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, students must successfully complete 16 hours or 2/3 of the attempted credits. Each class that the student attends is considered an attempted credit. Only courses that are completed with a passing grade (D or better) will count as completed. In cases when classes must be repeated, only the most recent grade will be figured in the student’s total attempted hours.
Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress upon review will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will have nine credit hours in which to raise their GPA and/or reach the satisfactory completion of 2/3 of the attempted credits. If the student fails to meet the qualifications, they will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification and all Title IV funding will cease.
Students who are disqualified may appeal to the Financial Aid Office to have special circumstances reviewed for the potential of regaining Title IV eligibility and reaching satisfactory academic progress guidelines. Student appeals will be reviewed only in the following circumstances:
1) Mathematical impossibilities make reaching satisfactory academic progress unachievable. In this situation, the Financial Aid department will review the student’s performance in the 9 credit hour probationary period to determine if an extension will be granted.
2) The student provides written documentation of unforeseen circumstances that may include, but are not limited to, medical and family emergencies, business travel, and/or natural disasters. The Financial Aid department may then use that documentation to eliminate classes from the 2/3 completion calculation and/or grant the student an extended probationary period.
All students who are determined ineligible for Title IV funding will be responsible for charges to their account until satisfactory academic progress is met.

Leave of Absence Policy

A leave of absence (LOA) is considered a temporary interruption in a program of study that is planned prior to a class start date. By completing the following process, students may maintain their in-school enrollment status.
1. The University may grant a leave of absence to students who complete the official Leave of Absence form with Student Services prior to the first scheduled class meeting. If unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from completing the form in a timely manner, the University may grant the request if all paperwork is received within 15 days of the student’s last date of attendance. Unforeseen circumstances may include, but are not limited to, medical and family emergencies, business travel, University course cancellation and/or natural disasters.
2. Students may be approved by the University for up to two nonconsecutive leaves of absence in a calendar year. Each leave may not exceed 90 days in length (for a total of 180 days during a 12 month period).
3. Students who wish to take a second leave of absence during the calendar year may do so only for special circumstances which include, but are not limited to the following: military reasons, circumstances covered by the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, ADA accommodations, jury duty, University course cancellation and/or faculty closure, and natural disasters.
4. Students returning from a first leave of absence must successfully complete one course, with a grade other than “W” or “F” prior to requesting a second leave.
5. Students who do not return to the University on the date specified on the Leave of Absence form will be moved to a withdrawn status and loan funds and grants will be returned. The last date of attendance will be determined by the last date that the student attended the University prior to the leave of absence.