Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal financial aid funds are awarded with the understanding that students will make progress toward their chosen degree. The University of Cincinnati, as directed by the U.S. Department of Education, has established guidelines (Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress) to follow in order to meet this goal.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress apply for the following types of federal financial aid: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National SMART Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Nursing Loan, Health Professions Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal Parent PLUS Loan.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT STANDARDS
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for undergraduate students have four components.

1. Matriculation: Students must be formally accepted into a degree-granting program at the University of Cincinnati.
2. Grade Point Average: After the second year of enrollment, a minimum of a 2.0 college GPA must be maintained.
3. Maximum Timeframe: The maximum timeframe may not exceed one-and-a-half times the length of the program for a full-time student (i.e., students have the equivalent of three full-time years to complete an associate degree and the equivalent of six full-time years to complete a bachelor's degree).
4. Progress Toward a Degree: To ensure that students earn a degree within the maximum timeframe allowed, the students' progress will be monitored yearly. To ensure students are making progress, the following guidelines are used:
   • After one full-time equivalent year, students must have completed at least 18 credit hours.
   • After two full-time equivalent years, students must have completed at least 54 credit hours.
   • After three full-time equivalent years, students must have completed at least 90 credit hours or earned an associate degree.
   • After four full-time equivalent years, students must have completed at least 126 credit hours.
   • After five full-time equivalent years, students must have completed at least 162 credit hours.
   • After six full-time equivalent years, students must have earned a bachelor's degree.

Notes:

• I's (incomplete), T's (audit), Y's or UW's (unofficial withdrawal), W's (official withdrawal), X's or WX's (non-attendance/participation), N's, NG's or blanks (no grade reported), U's (unsatisfactory), NP's (not proficient), IP's (in progress), UP's (unsatisfactory progress), I/F's (failed incomplete), IP/F's (failed in progress), and F's (failing grade) do not count toward meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
• All quarters of attendance are reviewed including quarters no federal financial aid was received. If students fail to meet one of the four components, they will lose their eligibility for federal financial aid funds.  

GRADUATE STUDENT STANDARDS*
Graduate students must also meet Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. There are two components to the policy for these students.

1. Maximum Timeframe:
   1. Master's degree - 6 years
   2. Doctoral degree - 10 years
   3. Yearly increments for full-time students:
      • successful completion of 24 credit hours per academic year
   4. Yearly increments for less than full-time students:
      • successful completion of 18 credit hours per academic year
2. Grade Point Average: As determined by individual colleges or departments.

Also see information on IP grades for graduate students in addition to the notes above.

* M.D. students in the College of Medicine are excluded from the policies set forth for graduate students. An appropriate policy for the College of Medicine defines Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid eligibility for medical (M.D.) students and addresses the unique academic measures and practices in the College of Medicine.

DEFINITION OF FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT YEAR

• Students are full-time when they carry at least 12 credit hours per quarter. Students who attend 3 quarters and carry at least 12 credit hours each of those three quarters will have carried 36 credit hours or one full-time equivalent year.

• Students who carry 9 credit hours each quarter will reach a full-time equivalent year in 4 quarters. Nine credit hours is 75 percent of a full-time quarter. Therefore, 9 credit hours times 4 quarters equals 36 hours or one full-time equivalent year.

• Students who carry 6 credit hours each quarter will reach a full-time equivalent year in 6 quarters. Six hours is 50 percent of full-time quarter. Therefore, 6 credit hours times 6 quarters equals 36 hours or one full-time equivalent year.

• Students who alternate full- and part-time attendance will have their full-time equivalency calculated accordingly. For example, a student takes 12 credit hours autumn quarter, 6 credit hours winter quarter, 9 credit hours spring quarter, 3 credit hours summer quarter, and 6 credit hours the following autumn, at the end of the second autumn quarter, the student would have reached one full-time equivalent year.

EXAMPLE
Quarter	Credit Hrs	% of Full-time Qtr
Autumn	12	100%
Winter	6	50%
Spring	9	75%
Summer	3	25%
Autumn	6	50%
Total	36	300%
= 3 full-time equivalent quarters
= 1 full-time equivalent year

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEAL PROCEDURES
At the end of spring quarter each year, the academic records of all students who are receiving or applying for federal financial aid will be reviewed. Those students who fail to meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress will be sent a letter notifying them that they are no longer eligible to receive federal financial aid funds. This letter will also outline steps students can take to restore their eligibility.

Students have the following options available:

1. Complete 12 credit hours with a 2.0 GPA without the use of federal funds. The 12 credit hours may be taken in more than one quarter (for example, a student may choose to take six credit hours autumn quarter and the remaining six credit hours winter quarter). Students would then need to submit a letter to the Academic Progress Appeals Committee. At that time, the committee would review the request to determine if aid will or will not be restored.
   -or-
2. Submit a written appeal to the Academic Progress Appeals Committee at academic.progress@uc.edu if the failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress was due to extenuating circumstances.
   -or-
3. Make up any deficient hours and/or bring up college GPA to a 2.0 without the use of federal funds.

If the appeal is approved, the student's eligibility for federal aid will be restored. The student's record will then be reviewed quarterly. If the student's grades indicate possible failure to meet Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, a warning letter will be sent after fall and winter quarters. If the student fails to make Satisfactory Academic Progress by the end of spring quarter, he or she will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid until they once again meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

If the appeal is denied, the student may submit additional written documentation to the Academic Progress Appeals Committee or follow option "1" or "3" above.