Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility
Federal Regulations require that students must be making measurable academic progress towards completion of an eligible degree or certification. This requires evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative academic progress as well as completion of degree objectives within 150% of the normal timeframe. The policies described in this section pertain only to the awarding of financial aid.
Students failing to meet the University’s satisfactory academic progress requirements will be ineligible for Federal Financial Aid which includes: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. Students will be notified by mail and their WINS account should they need to appeal. A student will remain ineligible until such time the student meets the SAP requirements or has an appeal granted. Important: The W.Va. Higher Education Grant, W.Va. PROMISE Scholarship and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Grant (PHEAA) each have a distinct set of academic renewal requirements. WLU will make these awards in accordance with the respective agencies’ requirements.
All periods of enrollment will be included in the measurement of satisfactory academic progress including terms in which the student enrolled but did not receive financial aid. Progress will be measured once per academic year at the end of the spring term. A student who is deemed ineligible and does not successfully appeal may have his/her SAP status reviewed on an individual basis at the end of any payment period. This request must be made to the WLU Financial Aid Office in writing.
Qualitative Standards
Students must meet a qualitative standard of academic progress measured through grade point average. The required G.P.A. is based upon the total number of credit hours earned. Freshman students who have earned between 0 and 29 hours must have an accumulative G.P.A. of 1.6. Students who have earned between 30 and 59 hours must have an accumulative G.P.A. of 1.8. Students who have earned 60 or more hours must have an accumulative G.P.A. of 2.0. Graduate students must have an accumulative G.P.A. of 2.5.
Quantitative Standard
Students must meet a quantitative standard of academic progress measured by a percentage completion rate. Students must successfully complete 70% of all attempted credit hours. The calculation is made as follows: earned credit hours/attempted credit hours = completion rate. Courses with grades of “W”, “WP”, “WF” “I”, “F”, “FI”, “N” and courses taken under the WLU class repeat regulations are included in attempted credit hours but are not included in earned credit hours. All credit, including transfer work, included on the student’s academic transcript is also included.