Satisfactory Academic Progress

Saint Paul College is dedicated to providing all students with the opportunity to reach their educational goals. Students are responsible for maintaining an acceptable level of academic progress. To support their efforts to meet academic standards, students should attend class regularly and actively engage in the learning process. Students are also expected to monitor their own academic progress.

Federal regulations require that a college develop a standard of satisfactory academic progress. This satisfactory academic progress standard must have both a qualitative standard (grade point average) and a quantitative standard (course completion). Students bear primary responsibility for their own academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty. The following standards are used to determine a student’s academic and financial aid standing. Satisfactory Academic Progress is reviewed at the end of the Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Term of each academic year.

Qualitative Standard

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for all coursework including withdrawals, incompletes and non-credit courses. For repeated courses, the highest grade achieved will be used for the GPA. Transfer credits do not affect the student’s GPA.

Quantitative Standard

Students must complete 66.67% of the cumulative credits attempted based on their enrollment status. All college-level credits attempted will be calculated using the completion percentage. This includes courses that are designated with a withdrawal, incomplete, non-credit courses and courses that have been repeated. Any coursework that has been accepted as transfer credit toward current program completion will also be included in progress made toward the current program.

Academic and Financial Aid Warning

Students who do not meet the cumulative standards at the end of a semester of enrollment will be placed on Academic and Financial Aid Warning for the next semester of enrollment. When the warning is issued a registration hold is placed on the student’s account. Students must complete the online Academic Warning Agreement Form to have the registration hold removed and are strongly encouraged to meet with their assigned advisor to develop a success plan to improve their academic standing. Students are eligible for financial aid while on warning. Students who successfully earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA and cumulative 66.67% completion rate while on warning will return to good standing.

Academic and Financial Aid Suspension

Students on warning who fail to meet the cumulative standards at the end of their following term of enrollment will be placed on Academic and Financial Aid Suspension for two semesters. Students on suspension are not allowed to register for future terms. Any registered courses for future terms will be dropped from the student’s account. Students on suspension are not eligible to receive federal Title IV aid or Minnesota aid programs. All students placed on suspension must appeal to be reinstated.

Transfer Suspension

A transfer suspension will be added to a new applicant’s records if their previous college transcripts indicate they have an Academic Suspension. Per Saint Paul College policy, a student must complete an appeal with Saint Paul College.

A transfer suspension is no longer valid if:

• If it is more than 10 years past the date the transfer suspension was applied to the transcript
• If there is a record of completion of a successful semester after the suspension has been applied to the transcript

This only applies to academic suspensions added to transcripts from other institutions and not to a suspension applied by Saint Paul College.

Suspension for Extraordinary Circumstances

The College may immediately suspend a student in certain circumstances, such as but not limited to:

• A student who was previously suspended and whose academic performance falls below acceptable levels during a subsequent semester.
• A student who registered for but does not earn any credits in their first semester by earning all FN/FW/F grades.
• A student who demonstrates an attendance pattern that abuses the receipt of financial aid.

Academic and Financial Aid Suspension Appeal

Students who believe they failed to achieve satisfactory academic progress due to extenuating circumstances may file an appeal prior to waiting two semesters. However, students must provide documentation supporting their claim of extenuating circumstances interfering with their ability to be successful in school. Students who have served their two semester suspension period must appeal for reinstatement by completing the Academic and Financial Aid Suspension eForm, which can be obtained via the Saint Paul College website. Students with approved appeals will not be allowed to register until meeting with their assigned advisor to develop an academic success plan.

Probation

Students who have successfully appealed their suspension will be placed on probation for the next enrolled semester. During probation, students must meet the college’s 2.0 cumulative grade point average and cumulative 66.67% completion rate requirement to return to good standing at the end of the semester. Students who fail to meet the cumulative requirements for GPA and completion will be placed back on suspension. Students who fail to meet the conditions specified in their academic plan will also be placed back on suspension.

Maximum Time Frame Suspension

All students are expected to complete their program within an acceptable period of time. Financial aid recipients meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements must complete their program before reaching the maximum timeframe of their program. The maximum timeframe for each program is calculated as 150% of the required credits for the student’s declared major. All credits attempted at the college count toward maximum time frame. This includes withdrawals, incompletes, non-credit courses, and courses that have been repeated. Credits taken under a previous major and transfer credits will count toward maximum time frame. Students who have exceeded maximum timeframe for their declared major or will not be able to complete their program before reaching maximum timeframe will be placed on suspension from financial aid.

Maximum Time Frame Suspension Appeal

Students with a Maximum Timeframe Suspension Hold on their account can register for courses. Still, they cannot receive financial aid for courses unless approved for appeal. Students interested in receiving financial aid for courses required for their declared major or program should submit a Maximum Timeframe Suspension Appeal eForm request. Appeals are only approved for one semester of enrollment, and the student must be registered for the courses at the time of appeal. Students are encouraged to meet with their assigned advisor and submit a copy of their academic plan and the appeal.

Notification of Status and Appeal Results

Results of Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations at the end of a semester are sent to the student’s official college email account. Appeal results are sent to the email address the student lists on their appeal. 

Additional Academic Progress Standards Information

Audited and Credit by Exam Courses: Audited and credit by exam courses are not eligible for financial aid.

Consortium Agreements: Credits for which financial aid is disbursed under a consortium agreement will be recorded as consortium agreement credits and included in the calculation of Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid.

College Readiness and EAP Courses: College Readiness and EAP courses are included in the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and excluded from the completion rate. EAP courses and up to 30 credits of College Readiness coursework are excluded from the 150% maximum time frame calculation.

Repeated Courses: Repeated courses are included in the completion rate for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Repeated courses are also included in the 150% maximum time frame calculation.

Transfer Credits: Credits taken at previous schools accepted for current program requirements will be included in the 150% maximum timeframe calculation.

Withdrawals: Coursework designated with a​ Withdraw (W) are included in calculations for the cumulative completion rate and maximum timeframe. Coursework designated with a Failure to Unofficially Withdraw (FW) are included in calculations for Grade Point Average (GPA), cumulative completion rate, and maximum timeframe.

Developmental Credits

Credits awarded for coursework below 1000 level. These credits are included in the GPA measurement, and excluded from the completion percentage measurement for satisfactory academic progress. For the maximum timeframe calculation, 30 developmental credits are excluded.