Standards for Measuring Satisfactory Academic Progress for Undergraduate Financial Aid Recipients

Standards of satisfactory academic progress for student financial aid recipients measure both the quantity and quality of course work completed. All credit hours attempted, with the exception of credit hours dropped during the first two weeks of the semester (or corresponding time for summer sessions), are counted to determine placement in the schedule below. In addition, federal regulations require that student financial aid eligibility be terminated once a student has attempted 150 percent of the credit hours needed to complete a degree program. Satisfactory academic progress is measured once each academic year at the end of the spring semester.

Transfer Credits: Credit hours transferred into Rhode Island College are included as credit hours attempted to determine placement in the above schedule.

Treatment of W, I and F Grades: Credit hours earned will be added to credit hours attempted to determine placement in the above schedule.

Repeated Courses: Credit hours earned will be included in the total number of credit hours attempted.

Federal regulations allow repeated courses to be included in determining financial aid enrollment status as long as there is not more than one repeat of a previously passed course.

If a previously passed course is repeated more than once, credits for the course will not count in the determination of financial aid enrollment status or cost of attendance. For example, a student who enrolls for 12 credits while repeating a previously passed 3-credit course for the second time would only receive financial aid as a three-quarter time student. All repeated courses, as well as the original attempt, are included in determining satisfactory academic progress.

Total Limit on Attempted Credit Hours: Rhode Island College does not provide financial assistance to undergraduate students attempting more than 180 credit hours.

Appeals and Reinstatement of Eligibility: If a determination is made that a financial aid applicant is not making satisfactory academic progress, the applicant will be considered ineligible for all student financial assistance programs for the next academic period. If a student believes that there are extenuating circumstances that contributed to the failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the determination of financial aid ineligibility may be appealed to the director of student financial aid. Appeals should be submitted in writing. Appeals not resolved by the director of student financial aid may be further appealed to the assistant vice president for academic affairs.

The above standards of satisfactory academic progress are not designed to replace the standards that Rhode Island College uses for academic dismissal/probation. It is possible for a student to lose financial aid eligibility without losing status as a degree candidate. However, once a student loses status as a degree candidate, he or she will also lose eligibility for financial aid.

Student financial aid eligibility may be reinstated during the academic year once a student successfully completes the required number of credit hours with the required cumulative grade point average.