Student Services Manual (SSM)

Effective: 6/1/2004

Revised: 3/1/2007

SSM 301–04: Satisfactory Academic Progress

Purpose

To monitor satisfactory academic progress of students using quantitative and qualitative measures as mandated in federal regulations

Source

34 Code of Federal Regulations §§ 668.16(e), 668.32(f), 668.34

Policy

To be eligible for federal, state, and some institutional aid programs, a student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress policy standards, regardless of whether the student has received financial aid previously. Violation of any one of these standards will result in loss of financial aid eligibility (not including scholarships and employee tuition benefits). These standards represent minimum performance requirements based on federal statutes and regulations and do not necessarily coincide with academic program requirements. In addition to meeting these standards, a student must fulfill all other requirements to receive financial aid.

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Student Standards

Scholastic Standard

A student must be in compliance with ASU scholastic standards. A student on ASU academic disqualification is not eligible for financial aid.

Percentage (Pass Rate) Standard

Students must pass at least 67 percent of the total institutional credit hours attempted in their degree level at ASU. Passed credits include letter grades of A, B, C, D, P, RC, Y, or Z and law grades of 65 to 99, H and HH. Passed credits do not include courses for which no grade was received (NR) or grades of I (incomplete), E (failure), W (withdraw), RN (remedial no credit), or law grades of 59 (Failing F89-SS01) and 64 (Failing F01).

Attempted credits for the percentage standard include all ASU courses for which a student was registered at each census. If a student’s passed courses for any given semester are higher than his or her attempted credits, attempted credits will be changed to reflect the student’s passed hours for that semester.

A passed course, if retaken, will be considered passed only once, yet attempted twice. Audited courses are considered neither attempted nor passed for purposes of this measurement.

Measurement of each student’s pass rate will occur at the completion of each spring semester. Upon first measurement, students who do not meet the percentage standard will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. A student on financial aid probation will have until the next spring measurement to raise his or her cumulative institutional pass rate to the 67-percent standard. If this standard is not met at this measurement, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be ineligible for financial aid (not including scholarships and employee tuition benefits) for subsequent semesters.

Students will be notified if a financial aid probation or suspension violation occurs. However, it is the student’s responsibility to know a violation has occurred, whether or not the student receives notification.

Maximum Credit-Hour Standard

Students who have cumulatively attempted credits in excess of the credit hours indicated in the table below are ineligible for financial aid (not including scholarships and employee tuition benefits) for subsequent semesters. Transfer credits are included in this measurement. This requirement is measured at the end of every fall, spring, and summer semesters and will include both ASU credits and transfer credits taken in the student’s current degree level.

Note:

Any credits taken while a student is classified as a graduate student, even credits for non-graduate-level courses, will count against the graduate-level totals.

Attempted credits for the maximum credit-hour standard include up to 64 community college transfer credits with a grade of “C” or higher, all transfer credits from a four-year postsecondary institution with a grade of “C” or higher, and all ASU courses (other than audited courses) in which the student was registered at each census. ASU attempted summer credits are also included. If a student’s earned hours are higher than his or her attempted hours, attempted hours will be changed to reflect the earned hours for that semester.

In general, the following standards will be applied:D

Undergraduate Maximum Credit-Hour Limits*
Prebaccalaureate Students (students seeking their first bachelor’s degree)	180 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Aeronautical Management Technology (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Computer Engineering Technology (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Computer Science	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Construction (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Engineering (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S.D. in Interior Design	225 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Manufacturing Engineering Technology (all concentrations)	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology	192 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.M. in Music Education	188 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
B.M. in Music Education (Music Therapy concentration only)	194 cumulative credits taken while classified as an undergraduate student
Postbaccalaureate Students (students seeking a second bachelor’s degree)	240 cumulative undergraduate credits
*Measurement is based on all cumulative undergraduate credits attempted. All undergraduate courses, including minors, dual majors, dual/concurrent degrees, and prior degrees, must be completed within the applicable limit to avoid a violation.

Graduate Maximum Credit-Hour Limits
Master’s Degree Students	90 cumulative credits taken while classified as a graduate student
Doctoral (Ph.D.)	168 cumulative credits taken while classified as a graduate student
Juris Doctor	174 cumulative credits taken while classified as a graduate student

endtable

Measurement of total cumulative credits attempted will occur at the completion of each semester. Students who exceed the credit-hour standard due to a maximum credit-hour violation will be placed on Financial Aid Termination (the student will lose aid eligibility for subsequent terms).

Students will be mailed written notification if a maximum credit-hour violation occurs. However, it is the student’s responsibility to know a violation has occurred, whether or not the student receives notification.

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Regaining Eligibility

Students on Financial Aid Suspension (Percentage Hour Violation)

A student can regain eligibility by doing one of the following:

1. enrolling at ASU without financial aid and passing sufficient credits to meet the required cumulative institutional percentage pass rate standard (a student must submit written notification to the Student Financial Assistance Office or Financial Aid Services at the West campus when this has been accomplished before aid eligibility will be reinstated)

   or

2. submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress Review Form (with required documentation of circumstances) and approval of the appeal. Appeal approval is only granted for extenuating circumstances. A committee will review appeals on a case-by-case basis. All decisions made by this committee are final.

   Note:

   Inability to master course material is not an extenuating circumstance.

Students on Financial Aid Termination (Maximum Credit-Hour Violation)

A student can regain eligibility by submitting:

1. a Satisfactory Academic Progress Review Form (with required documentation of circumstances)

   and

2. approval of the appeal.

   Note:

   Appeal approval is only granted for extenuating circumstances (inability to master course material is not an extenuating circumstance). A committee will review appeals on a case-by-case basis. All decisions made by this committee are final.

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Appeal Content Requirements

Students must submit the following:

1. a completed Satisfactory Academic Progress Review Form
2. a personal statement explaining in detail extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from making satisfactory academic progress that addresses all of the following:
   
   1. the nature and timing of the circumstances (injury or illness, death of a relative, etc.)

      Note:

      A student with a maximum credit-hour violation must address the circumstances that prevented his or her graduation within the applicable credit limit and be specific when referring to credit amounts and time periods.

   2. how the circumstances affected the student’s ability to meet the standards (if more than one enrollment period was affected, each enrollment period and the relevant circumstances must be specifically addressed)

      and

   3. how the circumstances have been resolved or managed to permit the student to meet the standards.

   and

3. supporting documentation verifying the circumstances in the personal statement (see item 2 above).

   Note:

   Medical circumstance documentation must be from an authorized medical representative.

If a student feels it is impossible to document his or her circumstances, the personal statement must explain why. Documentation must be in written form. The Student Financial Assistance Office will not contact references on a student’s behalf.

Supporting statements from an individual must specify the relationship of the individual to the student and be signed and dated. A statement from a third party may be deemed more credible than one from an individual who could benefit from the outcome of the appeal decision, depending on the circumstances.

In all cases, the outcome of any appeal will depend on the nature of the circumstances causing the violation, the quality of the documentation provided, and how well the student has demonstrated the ability to progress towards degree completion within a reasonable timeframe.

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Appeal Deadlines

Written appeals for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility must be received in the Student Financial Assistance Office no later than the 21st calendar day of the fall and spring semesters. The summer appeal submission deadline is the last summer session add/drop date. These deadlines will apply regardless of the date the student was notified of the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students submitting appeals after this deadline will have their appeals reviewed for consideration for the next semester. Appeals can take between 10 to 12 business days to process.

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Additional Information

For more information, contact the Student Financial Assistance Office at 408/965–3355. For academic policy and graduation requirements, refer to the ASU General Catalog.

Note:

This is effective beginning with the summer semester 2004 and replaces previous published academic progress policies. Exceptions or amendments to any of the specific provisions regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy standards may be made at any time, without publication, due to changes in federal, state, or institutional regulations or polices.

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