Satisfactory Academic Progress Reviews

The Office of Financial Aid will review all financial aid applicants at the end of each academic year after the grades have been posted. All elements of satisfactory academic progress will be evaluated: maximum time frame, cumulative grade point average and overall course completion. Those students not meeting the requirements stated above will be placed on Financial Aid Probation during the next semester of enrollment and will receive a letter of probation.

Probation

The probationary period will be for one semester. At the end of the probationary period the student will:

Be removed from probationary status because both cumulative GPA and cumulative completion rate standards are met, or
Be suspended from receiving assistance from federal, state, and institutional sources and will receive a Financial Aid Suspension letter.

Suspension

Students who fail to meet the minimum progress requirements after completing their probationary semester become ineligible to receive Title IV Aid until such time as the progress requirements are met. Students who become ineligible to receive financial aid must arrange for alternative payment with the bursar by the appropriate tuition due date. Students may appeal for a one-term extension of aid.

Appeal Procedure

To appeal the financial aid suspension, a student must, within 30 calendar days of notification, submit to the Financial Aid Office the online Appeal Form explaining why he or she should not be suspended. SAP Appeal Forms may be obtained at http://www.mountainstate.edu/forms/financialaid/default.htm. A student may appeal due to extenuating or mitigating circumstances. Examples of mitigating circumstances can include, but are not limited to: serious illness of the student, death of a close relative or undue hardship (i.e. loss of employment, divorce). Documentation verifying the situation may be requested. The SAP Appeals Committee will consider the appeal and render a decision, which the Director of Financial Aid will convey in writing to the student. A student may appeal a suspension one time.

Reinstatement

You can raise your GPA and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional course work at Mountain State University without receiving financial aid. You can eliminate credit deficiencies, but not GPA deficiencies, by successfully completing course work at another institution without receiving aid at that institution; that course work must be transferable to MSU. Transfer credits used to satisfy credit deficiencies cannot be credits that were earned prior to the term in which you incurred the deficiencies. You can also submit a copy of your MSU transcript and a SAP Appeal Form to verify grade changes, including the removal of incompletes, if this will result in the removal of your deficiencies.

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