Financial Aid |

Student Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Undergraduate Programs

Financial aid is intended to meet the financial needs of the student who otherwise could not or would not consider continuing their education. Students who receive financial aid must not only demonstrate financial need, but must also make satisfactory progress as determined by University of Maryland University College in accordance with Federal Regulations.

Financial aid recipients are required to be in good standing and to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree requirements for each semester/term in which they are enrolled. Satisfactory academic progress, as described below, is evaluated three times annually, in January, June and August. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress, as described below, may result in cancellation of financial aid awards, and the student may have to repay any funds already received.

Basic Standard for Undergraduate Students: UMUC's institutional requirements for minimum satisfactory performance for financial aid recipients are defined as follows:

1. Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA).

The student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0

2. Minimum completion rate.

The student must maintain a minimum cumulative completion rate of two-thirds of credits attempted (67%).

3. Federally mandated maximum timeframe to complete the program/degree.

The student must complete his or her educational program within a time frame no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program (for example, complete his or her program after attempting a maximum of 180 credits for a 120 credit program).

Federal regulations require that we track the academic progress of financial aid recipients from the first date of enrollment at UMUC, whether or not financial aid was received. Credits transferred from all other credit sources will be considered as attempted and completed credits in the evaluation of the completion rate standards.

Students whose attempted credits, including transfer credits, exceed the 150% timeframe for any reason will be placed on Financial Aid Denial, not Financial Aid Probation. No financial aid will be disbursed for the student during subsequent semesters/terms unless the student has made an appeal of the Financial Aid Denied and the appeal is granted.

Treatment of W, I, AU, F, & S Grades, No Grade Reported, and Repeated Course Work:

1. Course withdrawals (W) after the drop/add period are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non?completion of attempted course work.
2. Incomplete (I) grades are not included in the GPA calculation, and are considered a non-completion of attempted course work until the Incomplete grade is replaced with a permanent grade and academic progress can be re-evaluated.
3. An audit (AU) grade is not considered attempted course work. It is not included in the GPA calculation or completion rate determinations.
4. A satisfactory grade (S) is treated as attempted credits which are earned, but is not included in calculation of GPA.
5. F-grades will be treated as attempted credits that were not earned, and so will be included both in the calculation of GPA and minimum completion rate.
6. If no grade is assigned, for any reason, it will be treated as an "I" grade in determination of satisfactory academic progress.
7. The highest grade earned in a course that is repeated will count in the GPA computation, but every repeated attempt will be included in the completion rate determinations. No financial aid can be disbursed for a repeated attempt if the student already has achieved a passing grade for that course, and UMUC's policy allows students to receive aid for only one repeat of a course where no passing grade has previously been received.

Financial Aid Probation Status:

Students who fail to meet the minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average standard or fail to complete at least two-thirds of cumulative credits attempted will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the subsequent semesters/terms of enrollment until the next evaluation of SAP (January and July). Financial aid can be received during the semesters/terms of probation. Financial aid disbursements for the next period of enrollment will be held until the grades and course completions have been reviewed for the semesters/terms of Financial Aid Probation.

Students receiving financial aid for the first time will be placed on Financial Aid Probation if they do not meet the minimum grade point average or course completion standards as noted in this policy in a previous semester/term of enrollment at UMUC.

Financial Aid Denied Status:

Students who, while on Financial Aid Probation or on Financial Aid Denied status, fail to maintain the minimum completion rate of 67% and/or fail to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better, will be placed on Financial Aid Denied status for subsequent semesters/terms of enrollment. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters/terms until the student is removed from Financial Aid Denied status.

Students who fail to satisfy the 150% requirement will also be placed in Financial Aid Denied status. No aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters/terms unless the student has made an appeal and the appeal is granted for that semester/term. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Students in a 120 credit bachelor degree program who have attempted in excess of 180 credits including transfer credits are no longer eligible for financial aid. There is no probationary period, once you have exceeded the 150% standard.

Reinstatement of Aid After Financial Aid Denied Status:

Reinstatement of financial aid after a student is placed in Financial Aid Denied status is achieved in one of the following ways:

1. The student submits a written letter of appeal in accordance with the appeal process and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee grants the appeal. The student is placed on Financial Aid Probation for the semester/term rather than in Financial Aid Denied status.

2. The student attends UMUC, pays for tuition and fees without the help of student financial aid, and does well enough in the course work to satisfy all the satisfactory academic progress standards. The student regains aid eligibility in a probationary status. Students who are in Financial Aid Denied status for failure to meet the 150% requirement cannot regain eligibility this way. Students whose attempted credits have exceeded 150% of their program cannot regain financial aid eligibility except on a semester by semester or term by term basis through the appeals process.

Appeal Process:

The student must submit an appeal of Financial Aid Denied status in writing to the Associate Director of Financial Aid by the date specified in the Financial Aid Denied notification letter. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing of their decision within 14 working days after the Appeals Committee meets and makes its determination. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final.

Last updated: 17 January 2008