Satisfactory Academic Progress

Quantitative Criteria: Attempted vs. Successfully Completed

All Arkansas State University-Mountain Home students must successfully complete at least 67% of the all hours attempted. Attempted hours include all hours attempted during every term of enrollment at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home and hours accepted in transfer. Hours accepted in transfer by Arkansas State University-Mountain Home are included as attempted and successfully completed hours.

Pace Criteria:

All Arkansas State University-Mountain Home students must be able to show they will successfully complete all required courses in their program of study within 150% of the hours it takes to complete their program of study. A student that meets all other components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy must appeal if he or she will exceed the 150% limit during the next term. Only this criterion is reset each time a student is accepted into a new program of study. All attempted hours that can be used to satisfy a requirement of the student's current program of study apply to the Pace Criteria. Only the attempted hours that do not apply to the student's program of study are excluded in the Pace Criteria.

Qualitative Criteria: Grade Point Average

All ASUMH students must maintain a Grade Point Average cumulatively of a 2.0 or higher. Transfer hours are not included in the Grade Point Average for determining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Transfer Hours

All hours accepted in transfer to Arkansas State University-Mountain Home are included when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Hours accepted in transfer to Arkansas State University-Mountain Home that satisfy a course requirement for a student's chosen program of study are included in determining the Pace Criteria. Transfer hours are not included in the Grade Point Average for determining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Grade Changes and Late Posted Grades

It is the student's responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of grades that should be taken into consideration when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress that are posted or changed after the publicized deadline.

Summer

All courses taken during summer are combined into one term and Satisfactory Academic Progress is checked after all summer courses have ended.

Aid for seeking an additional emphasis under a Technical Certificate or Associate Degree

Students that have already completed the requirement to receive a Technical Certificate or Associates Degree under one emphasis are not eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid to complete requirements for the same Technical Certificate or Associates Degree under a different emphasis.

Repeating Coursework

All attempts at repeating a course are included as attempted hours in determining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Aid intended for repeating a course that has been previously successfully completed will only be paid once. Aid intended for repeating a course that was not previously successfully completed will be paid for each attempt if the student is meeting this Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Remedial Coursework

Federal Title IV Financial Aid is available to students enrolled in Remedial Coursework, also known as College Preparatory (CPT) courses, as long as the student is fully admitted into a Title IV Aid eligible program at or before the time the courses are being taken. All Remedial Coursework hours attempted at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home are used in determining every Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home except Grade Point Average.

Academic Clemency

Academic Clemency does not appy to Financial Aid.  Hours given academic clemency by Arkansas State University-Mountain Home are used in determining every Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria.

Financial Aid Warning

Students not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria outlined in this policy are allowed to receive Federal Title IV Financial Aid for the first term of attendance following a term in which they were maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home without an appeal.  Students placed on Financial Aid Warning will be informed in writing of their status.

Appeals

Students not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria outlined in this policy who do not meet the criteria to be placed on Financial Aid Warning status must appeal to receive Federal Title IV Financial Aid and assistance through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education for attendance at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home.

The appeal should strive to demonstrate why a student has had difficulty maintaining the criteria outlined in this Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. The explanation of the student’s circumstances should not only explain why the criteria was not met, but should include any relevant unforeseeable activity that may have had a negative impact on their academic success during their entire academic career at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Include an explanation and any relevant evidence that illustrates the issue(s) being explained that are not expected to continue. Any such extenuating circumstance that could be considered to be out of the student’s control will be taken in consideration in determining if a student will be denied, placed on Financial Aid Probation and given financial aid for the next term, or placed on an Academic Plan and given financial aid. All appeals must be submitted in writing and legible.

Academic Dismissal

A student dismissed from Arkansas State University-Mountain Home or their program of study for academic reasons are not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress and must submit an appeal to receive assistance during their next term of attendance at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home.

Financial Aid Probation

Students placed on Financial Aid Probation are expected to be able to meet the criteria of this Satisfactory Academic Progress policy by the end of their next term of enrollment. Students placed on Financial Aid Probation that do not meet the criteria outlined in this policy by the end of their next term of enrollment are considered to not be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Appeals for students who were previously placed on Financial Aid Probation must be able to demonstrate that a new extenuating circumstance has occurred as a reason for not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress since the previous appeal was approved.

Academic Plan

A student placed on an Academic Plan will be given specific expectations that they will be required to meet to be considered eligible for Title IV aid in a future term or terms. Failure to meet the expectations outlined in an Academic Plan will result in ineligibility for assistance through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and Federal Title IV Financial Aid Programs. Ineligibility for assistance resulting from not meeting an academic plan cannot be appealed. An Academic Plan is based upon an individual’s ability to complete their program of study within 150% of the hours it takes to complete that program of study.

Policy Terms

Successful completion is receiving a letter grade on an academic transcript of A, B, C, D or P. All other outcomes are not considered to be successful completion. Every outcome of withdrawal, incomplete, and letter grades of F are not successful completion.

Attempted hours are all hours taken at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home regardless of the outcome of the course posted on the transcript and all hours accepted in transfer by Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. All attempted hours are considered in determining Satisfactory Academic Progress even if no aid was received for the hours attempted.  This includes courses taken while still in high school.

Program of Study is coursework designed to a lead to a degree or certificate at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Not every Program of Study offered at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home is eligible for Federal Title IV Financial Aid.

Term or Term of Enrollment refers to a period of attendance in academically related activities that result in a grade on the student’s academic transcript.