In
order to receive Title IV financial aid, students must
be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Federal
regulations require that the school set a SAP policy for
all undergraduate students. The policy must have
both quantitative and qualitative components and the policy
must be at least as restrictive as the university retention
policy.
QUANTITATIVE COMPONENTS
- Undergraduate
students must complete at least 70% of all attempted
WCU hours.
- No
student can receive funding from Title IV programs
after she/he has attempted 150% of the required hours
for the enrolled degree program.
QUALITATIVE
COMPONENTS
- Students
who have attempted fewer than 24 semester hours at
WCU must have a cumulative GPA of at least 1.5.
- Students
who have attempted between 24 and 59 semester hours
at WCU must have a cumulative GPA of at least 1.8.
- Students
who have attempted 60 or more hours at WCU must have
a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
FREQUENCY OF REVIEWS
Student grades will be reviewed at the completion of
the spring term to determine eligibility for the following
academic year, regardless of the number of semesters
the student attended since the last review*. Any student
who does not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress
guidelines at the time of the May review each year will
be ineligible for federal financial aid for the following
academic year and will be sent a notification of their
ineligibility. Being ineligible for the following academic
year will not prevent a student from receiving financial
aid for the adjacent summer term.
A student may regain eligibility for financial aid
after any academic term if his/her grades meet the guidelines
listed above. Students should notify the Financial Aid
Office and request a review of their SAP standing.
Students who receive a notice of ineligibility for
federal aid based on the SAP guidelines may send a written
letter requesting aid under a contractual basis if the
student can document any of the following circumstances:
1. Student suffered an illness that necessitated that
the student miss 5 consecutive days of class.
2. Student suffered a loss in his/her immediate family.
Immediate family is defined as parents, grandparents,
and siblings for a dependent student. Immediate family
for an independent student also includes his/her spouse
and children.
3. Student has been absent from the university for one
or more semesters and can document that the time away
from the university was spent in pursuit of activities
that should make the student better prepared to succeed
academically.
4. Student was the victim of a natural disaster that
caused him/her to miss school for at least 5 consecutive
days.
* Students who are currently under a financial aid
contract will continue to be reviewed at the end of
each academic term. Students who fail to meet the terms
of their contract will be ineligible for further aid
after the term in which they break the financial aid
contract unless they meet regular SAP guidelines. Also,
students who withdraw form the university will be reviewed
at the time of withdrawal and the calculated Satisfactory
Academic Progress status will apply immediately after
the withdrawal.
GRADUATE
STUDENT POLICY
WCU has also instituted a formal SAP policy for graduate
students. The SAP policy for graduate students requires
that students complete at least 66% of attempted hours,
lose eligibility after attempting more than 150% of
required degree hours, and maintain an acceptable cumulative
GPA as defined by The Graduate School.
SATISFACTORY
ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEAL PROCESS AND SAP APPEAL FORM
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