Two criteria must be met to maintain satisfactory progress - an academic standard and a rate of progress standard. Procedures to process reinstatement requests from dismissed students are discussed in the section called "Satisfactory Academic Progress". Causes and procedures for petitions related to the required 2.00 cumulative grade point average and the rate of progress standard follow:

A.         Failure to Maintain the Required Cumulative GPA

1.       Students who fail to meet the minimum institutional cumulative grade point average after the third semester of attendance will be placed on probation and continue to receive Title IV financial aid until compliance is reviewed at the end of the next monitoring period.

2.       Students who are not in compliance after the probationary period because of mitigating circumstances that are verifiable may petition for a review of this determination.  Normally, such a petition must be filed within thirty days of the date of the letter of notification of failure to meet this academic standard.

B.         Exceed Maximum Time Frame

1.       Students who have attempted 140% of the maximum time frame standard will be placed on probation and continue to receive Title IV financial aid.

2.       Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame standard are placed on financial aid suspension and are in ineligible for Title IV aid. Students who fail to meet this rate of progress standard because of mitigating circumstances that are verifiable may petition for a review of this determination.  Normally, such a petition must be filed within thirty days of the date of the letter of notification of failure to make satisfactory progress.

C.         Failure to Maintain the Minimum Percentage of Completed Hours

1.       Students who are not in compliance because of mitigating circumstances that are verifiable may petition for a review of this determination.  Normally, such a petition must be filed within thirty days of the date of the letter of notification of failure to make satisfactory progress.

D.       Students who fail to meet the rate of progress standards and/or the cumulative GPA requirement may petition, following a 36-month period of non-enrollment at UND, for a review of this determination.  Normally such petitions will be approved.

Petitions will be handled on an individual basis. The students first step shall be to complete the:

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Petition Form

This form must be completed and returned to the Student Financial Aid Office. If the petition is approved, the student will be deemed to be making a satisfactory rate of progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Documentation Form - an attachment to the SAP Petition form

This form is completed by an academic advisor, a credible professional such as a member of the clergy or other college or university official, or a person involved in or aware of the situation described in the SAP Petition.

APPEAL PROCEDURES

         Appeal of a petition which has been denied by the Student Financial Aid Office may be made in writing to the Vice President for Student and Outreach Services within 15 days of notification of denial. The Vice President for Student and Outreach Services shall assemble a quorum which shall consist of at least four members of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Appeal Board within 30 days of receipt of the written appeal. A student’s appeal for reinstatement of student financial aid will not be heard following the last day to drop a course each semester without a grade. For all students that is the Friday five weeks preceding Reading and Review Day each semester.

          This Board shall be a standing body, appointed annually by the Vice President for Student and Outreach Services, composed of the following: Registrar (or designee), two student representatives recommended by Student Government, four representatives (at least two of them faculty) representing Academic Affairs recommended by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and two Student and Outreach Services staff members recommended by the Associate Vice Presidents for Student and Outreach Services of which one shall act as chair. If the appeal is approved by the Board, the student will be deemed to be making a satisfactory rate of progress. The decision of the Appeal Board shall be final.

          There are many reasons for dropping a class such as the suggestion or recommendation of an academic advisor, receiving an unacceptable grade, or part-time employment being too demanding on class schedule, etc. To remain eligible for financial aid, two-thirds (2/3’s) of all hours attempted at UND must be successfully completed. An exception to this policy can be requested through an appeal process but is granted only when acceptable extenuating circumstances exist. Reasons such as those listed above are not sufficient for granting an exception to the policy because financial aid was dispersed based on the total number of credits enrolled in as of the census date (eighth instructional day).

          Federal regulations state that for all enrolled students all credits must be counted as attempted even if no aid was received for the semester that the courses were dropped.  Repeating a course can adversely affect the percentage of courses completed. If a student retakes a course, credits for the repeated course are counted as attempted but not completed.

Questions relative to the policy can best be answered by an advisor or administrator in the Student Financial Aid Office.