Undergraduate Standards

1. Completion Rate

At the end of each academic year, a student’s academic progress will be measured by comparing the number of attempted credit hours with the credit hours earned (i.e. received a grade of A, B, C, or D).  This includes any course for which the student has remained enrolled past the Add/Drop period.  A student must meet the following criteria to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress:

The following are considered when evaluating a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress:

• Withdrawals, incompletes, or failures are considered attempted but not earned hours.
• Passing credits for pass/fail courses are considered attempted and earned hours; failing grades in pass/fail courses are considered attempted but not earned.
• Repeated courses and courses for which the student has been granted academic amnesty are included in the calculation of both attempted and earned hours.
• Audited courses and those taken in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program are not considered credits attempted or earned.
• Only transfer work of a “C” or better that apply to the program of study will be accepted at MSU.  Any transfer credits of W, F, or D on a student’s transcript do not count in the calculation of either attempted or earned hours. 
• Credits taken during a consortium agreement with another institution will not be considered as attempted unless transferred into MSU.  Any student taking consortium credits at MSU from another institution will be considered in Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

2. Cumulative GPA

At the end of each academic year (including Summer sessions, Fall, and Spring terms), a student’s academic progress will also be measured reviewing the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA).  This includes any course for which the student has remained enrolled past the add/drop period. Financial aid recipients are governed by the same academic performance standards of Mountain State University. 

You must maintain a cumulative minimum grade point average of:

• 1.7 (1-26 credit hours),
• 2.0 (27+ credit hours),

The following are considered when evaluation a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress:

• The first attempt of a repeated course will not be counted toward a student’s cumulative GPA.
• Incomplete grades will not be counted toward a student’s cumulative GPA until an actual grade is awarded for the course.
• Grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be used to calculate a student’s cumulative GPA.

3. Maximum Time Frame

You will not be able to receive financial aid once you have attempted more than 150% of the normal credits required for your degree.  This applies to Undergraduate students only.  At Mountain State University, this means that students in programs requiring 124 hours for graduation will be eligible for financial aid during the first 186 attempted hours as an undergraduate.  All attempted hours are counted, whether or not financial aid was received or the course work was successfully completed.  This section of the Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines is checked at the end of each academic year.  Students who have changed majors, are pursuing a double major, or are pursuing a second degree can appeal this suspension within the 30 day time frame explained below.