Academic Standards for Financial Aid

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward their degrees. This page describes the standards which Gallaudet students must meet in order to receive federal financial aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work Study.) **The policy has been revised to accommodate new federal regulations. The updated policy goes into effect July 1, 2011 and will be used to determine SAP beginning with Fall 2011 grades.** Please Note: these standards apply to all students, regardless of whether or not the student previously received financial aid. Read this information carefully.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards are measured at the end of each semester of attendance (including summer) and they include two parts: 1) Qualitative standard: Grade Point Average (GPA), and 2) Quantitative standard: percentage of cumulative earned hours to cumulative attempted hours within a maximum timeframe. These two parts are explained in detail below.

1. Qualitative Standard: Cumulative GPA

The GPA standards for financial aid are the same as those required by Gallaudet as its minimum standards of scholarship (see Gallaudet Catalog). Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA* of 2.00 to be considered in “good standing”.

Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to be considered in “good standing”.

*The cumulative GPA that is reviewed for this standard includes all degree credit courses and remedial/conditional courses if applicable.

2. Quantitative Standard: Maximum timeframe and Percentage of degree credits earned

In order to meet the quantitative standard each semester of attendance, students must successfully earn a minimum degree credit completion rate each time SAP is assessed, and complete their degree program within the maximum timeframe outlined below.

To quantify overall academic progress the FAO has set a maximum timeframe in which students are expected to complete a program. For undergraduate programs the maximum timeframe cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in credit hours attempted.

The majority of undergraduate programs at the University require that students earn a minimum of 120 degree credit hours.

The maximum timeframe for these programs is 180 attempted hours (120 x 150%).

Institutional scholarship funding is extremely limited. Please note that regardless of the 150% maximum time frame for Federal financial aid eligibility, undergraduate students may only receive institutional funds for a maximum of five/ years. After the 5th year of attendance, undergraduate students will no longer be considered eligible for institutional funds such as scholarships and Grant-in-Aid.

Graduate students are allowed a 3 year full time maximum to complete their degrees. Doctoral students are allowed a 6 year maximum timeframe (4 years for coursework, 2 years for dissertation activities).

At the end of each semester of attendance the ratio of cumulative degree credit earned hours to cumulative degree credit attempted hours* (student pace) must be at least 70% (this includes transfer credits accepted by the University).

*Attempted hours are those hours for which students are still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester’s Add/Drop period.

Academic Probation (AP):

Students placed on Academic Probation by the Registrar’s office are not considered to be meeting SAP standards and will be placed on the appropriate SAP status (warning or ineligible) based on prior SAP performance.

Second Year GPA Requirement:

Undergraduate students are required to have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of their fourth semester of attendance at Gallaudet (including summer and/or any remedial year). If the second year requirement is not met, the student will be considered ineligible for financial aid until such time as he/she once again meets the established standards for at least one full semester of attendance.

No warning/probationary period will be granted for failure to meet this qualitative standard at the end of the second year, regardless of prior SAP status.

Failure to meet SAP standards:

Students who do not meet the SAP requirements (explained above) or placed on AP by the Registrar will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester, during which aid may be received.

If, at the end of the warning semester, a student once again does not meet the SAP requirements or is again placed on AP by the Registrar, he or she will be ineligible for federal financial aid unless he or she successfully appeals (see Appeals below) for reinstatement of federal aid, at which point the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester.

Appeals:

Students who do not meet the required standards and who are ineligible for financial aid (except in the scenarios of ineligibility outlined below), may file a written appeal with the Financial Aid Office, if there were circumstances which affected academic progress and which were beyond the student’s control (such as illness, death in the family, or other mitigating factors). Course failures or unsuccessful attempts to complete condition courses are NOT valid reasons for appeal.

Appeals must include the circumstances under which the student did not meet the SAP requirements and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to meet SAP standards by the next evaluation.

SAP Ineligibility

1.Students on probation who continue to not meet the SAP requirements in a subsequent semester OR students who have been granted probationary status two times during their academic career and again do not meet the SAP requirements cannot receive financial aid. In this scenario, no further warning/probationary semesters will be granted and the student will be considered ineligible for financial aid until such time as the student once again meets the established standards for at least one full semester of attendance.

2. Students who fail ALL coursework in a semester (excluding WD and AU grades) will be considered ineligible for financial aid until such time as the student once again meets the established standards for at least one full semester of attendance.

No warning/probationary semester will be granted regardless of prior SAP status.

3. Students who do not formally withdraw from the University, but who fail their classes due to non-attendance will be considered ineligible for financial aid until such time as the student once again meets the established standards for at least one full semester of attendance.

No warning/probationary semester will be granted regardless of prior SAP status.

4. Students who have completed all degree requirements but choose not to graduate OR students who have attempted more than 180 degree credits but have not yet completed their degree requirements will be ineligible for all future federal financial aid.

Academic Information

Course Withdrawals (WD, WP, WF): Courses from which a student withdraws after Add/Drop will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe.

Incomplete Grades (INC): Incomplete grades will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe. Students who end a semester with incomplete grades will be re-evaluated for financial aid eligibility at the University deadline for INC grades. If the incomplete grades are not completed within the University published deadline the student will automatically be placed on the appropriate SAP status (warning or ineligible) based on prior SAP performance and the student is responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office to have financial aid eligibility re-evaluated again once the incomplete grades are updated. If a student is placed on warning for INC grades at the University deadline and then the final grades become WD or all F’s at a later date, any federal aid released for the subsequent semester will be rescinded (including loans).

No Grade (NG): Courses receiving NG will be treated similar to INC grades and will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe. Students who end a semester with NG will be re-evaluated for financial aid eligibility at the University published deadline for INC grades.

If a grade is not posted within the University deadline the student will automatically be placed on the appropriate SAP status (warning or ineligible) based on prior SAP performance and the student is responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office to have financial aid eligibility re-evaluated again, once the NG is updated. If a student is placed on warning for NG at the University deadline and then the final grades become WD or all F’s at a later date, any federal aid released for the subsequent semester will be rescinded (including loans).

Transfer Credits: Course credits transferred from other institutions will be considered hours earned and attempted for the purpose of determining the 70% earned credits completion rate (student pace) and maximum timeframe. Transfer students are permitted to drop excessive transfer credits once, after meeting with an Academic Advisor to evaluate transcripts and determine degree requirements at Gallaudet University. Transfer students are NOT permitted to drop excessive transfer credits in an attempt to extend their financial aid eligibility.

Repeated Courses: Students may repeat courses, to attempt to achieve a higher passing grade, one time without penalty. Any course, in this scenario, repeated more than once will not count toward enrollment. Students receiving a failing grade (F) may repeat the course as many times as necessary until it is passed. Repeated courses will be considered hours attempted for the purpose of determining the 70% earned credits completion rate and maximum timeframe.

Audited Courses: Students do not earn any academic credit for audited courses. They do not count toward enrollment, in the calculation of student pace, or toward maximum timeframe unless a course was changed to Audit status after Add/Drop. In this case they will be treated the same as WD courses.

Double Majors and/or Minors: Students pursuing a double major/minor will be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching maximum timeframe.

Change of Major/Degree Program: Students who change their major and/or degree program will be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching maximum timeframe.