UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Policies and Procedures

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

 


Financial Aid Appeal Forms
IMPORTANT:

Appeals must be submitted before the appropriate deadline each semester in order to be considered for financial aid for that semester. Late appeals may be considered at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid.

SAP Appeal Deadlines for each Semester (your form must be received on or before):
  • Spring 2024: March 29, 2024
  • Summer 2024: July 12, 2024

Estimate the semester GPA you will need to earn to bring your cumulative GPA back up to the required minimum for financial aid eligibility using the Registrar's GPA Calculator: https://www.uwrf.edu/Registrar/GPACalculator.cfm

To receive grant, scholarship, waiver or student loan funds, and to remain eligible to work on campus, your academic performance must meet or exceed certain minimum standards each semester. These academic progress standards (listed below) are stricter than what is required to remain eligible to re-enroll for courses each semester. (See Academic Suspension and Probation policy.) You may be allowed to enroll and attend classes even though you are not eligible for the financial aid you need to pay for them! If you are receiving financial aid take extra care to plan your classes to give you the best opportunity to meet or exceed these academic progress standards.

The following is a summary of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Find the full policy statement here.

Academic Progress Standards
 
At the end of each semester (Fall, Spring and Summer semesters) associate's or first bachelor's degree-seeking students must:
  1. Be in good academic standing or probation status as determined by the Registrar
  2. Have a grade point average over all semesters ("cumulative") of 2.0 or better.
  3. Have a credit-hour completion rate percentage (earned credit hours divided by attempted credit hours and multiplied by 100) which meets or exceeds:
    • 50% - for students with 36 or fewer attempted credit hours.
    • 67% - for students with more than 36 attempted credit hours.

In addition, associate's and first bachelor's degree seeking students must

  1. Earn a baccalaureate degree within the first 180 attempted credit hours (including transfer credits and credits by exam).
  2. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better at the end of the student's fourth semester of enrollment (including attendance during summer semester).
The minimum academic progress standards for second and subsequent bachelor's degree students are the same as those for first bachelor's degree students except for:
  1. Credit hour completion rate: Minimum rate is 67%.
  2. Maximum attempted credit hours: 90, not including transfer credits and credits by exam.

The minimum academic progress standards for master's degree and graduate certificate program students are the same as those for first bachelor's degree students except for:
  1. Cumulative Grade Point Average: Minimum of 3.0 required.
  2. Current Grade Point Average: Minimum of 2.0 required.
  3. Maximum attempted credit hours: no more than 150% of the credit hours normally required to earn the degree or degree with license as stated by the graduate program (does not include credit hours earned towards a prior degree.)
Consequences of failing to meet one or more of these standards
  • Financial Aid Warning: A student on financial aid warning status is eligible to receive financial aid for one additional semester of enrollment. The student must be meeting the academic progress standards by the end of the warning semester.
  • Financial Aid Suspension: A student on financial aid suspension is no longer eligible to receive financial aid. To receive financial aid again a student must return to meeting all academic progress standards or must submit an appeal and be approved to receive additional financial aid by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

The following table shows the consequences for each academic progress standard:

Academic Progress Standard Financial Aid Warning Financial Aid Suspension

Academic Standing

 

Immediately upon being academically suspended

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average

After first semester of not meeting standard

After two consecutive semesters of not meeting standard

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average after 4th semester of enrollment

 

Immediately after first semester of not meeting standard

Minimum Credit Hour Completion Percentage

After first semester of not meeting standard

After two consecutive semesters of not meeting standard

Maximum Number of Attempted Credit Hours

Approximately 1 - 2 semesters prior to reaching maximum allowed attempted credits

Immediately after first semester of not meeting standard

 

Appealing a Financial Aid Suspension

A student who has been suspended from receiving financial aid may appeal to have the decision reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. If the committee finds that the student's failure to meet the published academic standards was due to circumstances beyond the student's control that negatively affected the student's ability to succeed at UWRF and that the student has taken steps to change the situation, then the committee may restore the student's financial aid eligibility with conditions. A student granted reinstatement of financial aid eligibility by the committee will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

To appeal the suspension of financial aid eligibility a student must fully answer all questions on the Financial Aid Appeal Form and provide independent third-party documentation which supports the student's description of the circumstances encountered.

Decisions by the Financial Aid Appeals committee are final.

Receiving Financial Aid While on Financial Aid Probation

When the Financial Aid Appeals committee reinstates a student's financial aid eligibility by placing the student on Financial Aid Probation, the committee will set conditions on the student's financial aid eligibility. The student on probation is expected to meet those conditions at the end of the next semester. The conditions set by the committee will supersede the academic progress standards. A student who is meeting the conditions set by the committee will remain eligible for financial aid probation, for up to a maximum of three consecutive semesters, even though the student is not meeting one or more of the academic progress standards. A student can remain on Financial Aid Probation until:

  • The student again meets all academic progress standards, after which the Probation status is removed, and the student regains full eligibility for financial aid; or
  • The student fails to meet the conditions set by the committee and is not still meeting all of the academic progress standards. The student in this situation is again suspended from further financial aid eligibility.

Example of a successful appeal:

Student A experienced a lengthy illness over the last half of Fall and the beginning of Spring semester which affected the student's grades and ability to successfully complete classes. The student has a cumulative grade point average of 1.20 and has earned only 40% of the credit hours attempted. The Financial Aid Appeals committee reviews the student's appeal explaining the situation and the student's third party documents which consist of a note from the student's doctor and hospital statements showing the periods during which the student was hospitalized. The committee approves the student's appeal and places the student on Financial Aid Probation. The committee requires the student to earn a semester grade point average of 2.66, complete all attempted credits and retake a previously failed class until the student's cumulative grade point average and credit-hour completion rate return to meeting the academic progress standards.

Resuming Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who have their eligibility for financial aid suspended can regain eligibility for financial aid by bringing their grade point average or credit hour completion rate back above the minimum academic progress standards. A student who is found to be back in good academic standing at the end of a semester resumes eligibility for financial aid for the following semester.

Notification of Financial Aid Eligibility Status

Shortly after all grades are due for a semester, the Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of all students who remained enrolled in at least one class after the 6th date of the semester. Students who are found to not be meeting at least one of the academic progress standards will be sent an email to their official UWRF email account notifying them that they have been placed either on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Suspension Status. Students who were suspended or on Probation status and who have resumed good academic standing will be notified that they have returned to good academic standing for financial aid purposes.

Students who continue to meet the academic progress standards will not receive any notification from the Financial Aid Office.