Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Students receiving U.S. Financial Aid will be evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Student records are reviewed at the end of the fall, winter and summer terms for academic progress. Students’ academic standing is assessed once per year when winter semester results become available. Academic standing is determined on the basis of Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) that is, the average grades earned in all courses.
ACADEMIC STANDING:
Students with a CGPA of less than 1.7 and greater than or equal to 1.0 who have completed at least three full units of credit will be placed on academic probation until the next assessment period. Students who have a CGPA of less than 1.0 who have completed at least three units of credit will be dismissed for a 12-month period.
Academic Probation … Students on academic probation are required to meet with the Student Academic Advisor to have their program of studies approved. Students on academic probation will normally be restricted to registering in a maximum of 4 full units of credit and be required to complete the Student Success Course, UNIV 0001.
Following the winter term, student records are reassessed.
· Students on probation are permitted to continue to register on probation provided their Term Grade Point Average (TGPA) during the probation year is at least 1.7.
· Students who achieve a CGPA of 1.7 or higher will be returned to “in good standing”.
· Students on probation who do not achieve a GPA of 1.7 will be academically dismissed for a 12-month period.
Academic Alert … Students who achieve a TGPA below 1.7 in their Winter semester grades will receive a letter, considered an Academic Alert, from the Deans’ Office. Academic Alert is not an academic standing, and is not recorded on the student’s transcript, but is an early warning that a student may be in academic jeopardy if their grades do not improve and indicates that academic advising should be sought.
Dismissal … Student will be dismissed for the following:
· Students on probation whose TGPA is less than 1.7 will be academically dismissed for a 12-month period.
· Students whose CGPA is less than 1.0 and who have completed at least three full units of credit will be academically dismissed for a 12-month period.
· Students who have been academically dismissed will not be eligible for financial aid until they sit out their suspension and, upon re-admission, are able to secure a 1.7 GPA.
Re-admission … Students who seek re-admission at the end of the first dismissal period are required to meet with the Student Academic Advisor prior to any re-admission. Students will be re-admitted on academic probation and special conditions of re-admission may apply. Students who have been academically dismissed for the second time will not be permitted to apply for re-admission for at least two academic years, and must meet with the student Academic Advisor prior to any re-admission.
MAXIMUM TIME FRAME:
An undergraduate student is entitled to receive aid for 150% of the allocated course time frame:
· 1 year certificate - eligible for aid for 1.5 years
· 2 year diploma - eligible for aid for 3 years
· 3 year degree - eligible for aid for 4.5 years
· 4 year degree - eligible for aid for 6 years
· 5 year degree - eligible for aid for 7.5 years
Students should be advised that, while federal eligibility may allow them to continue, individual academic progress rules and student visa restrictions may impact on the students’ ability to continue in their program.
Non-credit courses and distance courses will not be counted in assessing full-time hours.
FINANCIAL AID PROBATION AND SUSPENSION:
The policy for Financial Aid Probation and/or Suspension is as follows:
1. Students who have been placed on academic probation will continue with their financial aid eligibility.
2. Students who fail to achieve the required GPA level and are academically dismissed will not be eligible for financial aid funding until they are taken off academic dismissal and achieve a minimum 1.7 GPA.
3. Students who transfer into a new academic program will also transfer any SAP warning or sanction. They will still need to meet the specified criteria in the new program before receiving financial aid.
4. Students may appeal their suspension of financial aid via a written appeal. (form to follow)
APPEALS:
Students who have their eligibility for U.S. financial aid suspended may appeal the suspension if one or more of the following circumstances exist:
· Death of an immediate family member.
· Extended illness of the student – extended illness as defined as a documented chronic or recurring medical or emotional illness that causes the student to be absent from class at least 15 days or more.
· Extended illness of a family member that places hardship on the student – medical documentation required.
· Mitigating circumstances as determined by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.
All appeals must be received within ten days of receipt of the Notice of Suspension. (Form found here)
Students should submit an appeal to:
Financial Aid Manager
Mount Saint Vincent University
Halifax, NS
B3M 2J6
Students must indicate in writing the reason(s) for failure to meet the necessary Financial Aid SAP requirements and why financial aid should not be suspended. All documentation to support the appeal is required at time of appeal submission.