To insure that recipients of federal, state, and/or institutional funds make qualitative and quantitative (Pace) academic progress, as well as the completion of their degrees within the Maximum Time Limit, Tusculum University has set forth a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy as explained in this document.
A review of SAP will be completed at the end of every semester.
Students are strongly encouraged to monitor their academic progress carefully and they should understand that drops, withdrawals, grades of E (Excused), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), and non-attendance (NR) can affect current and upcoming financial aid eligibility.
Developmental/Remedial courses are assessed in the qualitative (GPA) portion of SAP, but are excluded from the calculations of the quantitative (Pace) portion (qualitative and quantitative explained under Section I, A, & B). Repeated courses may be included in federal and state aid calculations (see the “Repeated Coursework” section for details). A student may receive federal and state aid for a maximum of 30 developmental/remedial credit hours. This includes all failed courses, repeats, and incompletes. Non-credit and audited courses are not included in any federal aid calculations or SAP reviews.
(as defined in the catalog) will be evaluated immediately upon acceptance and registration for ELIGIBILITY pertaining to the Maximum Time Frame of Degree Completion. All hours attempted will be calculated in the Maximum Time Limit of 150% of the degree program. Readmitted students will also be evaluated immediately upon acceptance and registration for the Quantitative and Qualitative Progress. All credit hours that are accepted by the Registrar’s Office will be included in the evaluation of both the qualitative and quantitative areas.
All periods of enrollment are reviewed regardless of whether or not federal and/or state aid was received or if Tusculum University was/was not attended. A break in continuous enrollment does not negate a student from meeting SAP requirements.
Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) as outlined in the charts below.
| Undergraduate GPA Credit Hours | GPA Minimum |
|---|---|
| 0 – 30.99 | 1.8 |
| 31+ | 2.0 |
excludes remedial/developmental courses
| Graduate GPA Credit Hours | GPA Minimum |
|---|---|
| 0 – 18 | 2.75 |
| 19+ | 2.75 |
The percent at which a student is progressing towards degree completion students must pass and/or successfully complete 67% of all credit hours attempted. This is known as PACE.
Degree requirements must be completed within a maximum timeframe. This is generally determined by multiplying the credit hours required to complete the program by 150%. A student becomes ineligible for Title IV funds once it is determined that it is mathematically impossible to obtain the credits needed for degree completion without exceeding the maximum hours. Federal regulations require no federal and/or state aid to be released when a student has exceeded 150% of the published length of their program.
| Program Length | 150% of Program Length | |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate – Associate Degree | 60 credit hours | 90 credit hours |
| Undergraduate – Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credit hours | 180 credit hours |
| Graduate Degree | 30 – 63 credit hours | 45 – 94.5 credit hours |
At the end of the SAP review period, if students are not successfully meeting SAP for Qualitative or Quantitative, students will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and they would have one semester to increase their GPA or PACE.
Students not maintaining the above minimum SAP requirements will be denied all forms of federal, state, and institutional aid by the Office of Financial Aid. In order to regain eligibility, students would need to meet each of the requirements shown above for PACE, GPA, and the Maximum Timeframe for Degree Completion. Students can submit an Appeal to the SAP Appeals Committee as outlined below.
Students may make an appeal of the Notification of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress – Denial of Financial Aid within 30 days of the notification. The appeal form must be submitted in writing to the SAP Appeals Committee. Submitting an appeal is not a guarantee that eligibility will be reinstated. Your appeal must state the reason(s) for having unsatisfactory progress, what has changed about that situation that will allow academic progress, and supporting documentation. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the appeal form and all necessary documentation supporting the circumstances of the appeal within the above timeframe. Any appeal received after the 30 day period is not guaranteed to be heard by the committee.