Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Regulations of the United States Department of Education require that colleges establish specific standards of satisfactory academic progress for students receiving federal financial aid. All students receiving assistance through the Federal Title IV Aid programs must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by their college in order to remain eligible for these aid programs.
At the University of Saint Mary, students receiving aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to a scale for minimum progress. Progress for part-time students will be measured on a full-time equivalency basis.
A student’s satisfactory academic progress will be monitored on a per semester basis. If the student has not maintained satisfactory academic progress he or she will be placed on Financial Aid Warning, but may still receive aid for the following semester. If after a semester on Financial Aid Warning a student does not make minimum progress, his or her financial aid will be suspended and will not be reinstated until satisfactory academic progress has been made.
If extenuating circumstances have prevented a student from maintaining satisfactory academic progress, the student may submit to the Office of Financial Aid an appeal in writing explaining the circumstances in sufficient detail. If the circumstances are due to health problems, the student must submit, along with his/her own letter, a note from his/her qualified health professional that verifies the problem was sufficient to interfere with satisfactory academic progress. The Director of Financial Aid will review the appeal and may consult with the student’s academic advisor and the Director of Student Success or Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs in determining whether Financial Aid will be reinstated. The result and conditions of the appeal will be communicated back to the student in writing.