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Academic policies and procedures allow students to understand their rights and responsibilities clearly. They protect the integrity of the Marietta College degree and provide fair and transparent guidelines for activities related to teaching and learning across campus. Marietta students are expected to familiarize themselves with all academic policies. Students seeking clarity on academic policies relevant to or beyond those stated on this website should consult with the appropriate office. 

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal and state regulations, and Marietta College policy, require students to make satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree in order to maintain eligibility for financial assistance. The policy treats all students within various categories (full-time, part-time, different programs of study, etc.) the same. Progress will include a measurement of all coursework attempted at Marietta College. The quantitative and qualitative standards used to determine academic progress include all periods (fall, spring, and summer terms) that the student is enrolled. Periods of enrollment in which the student did not receive financial aid funding must be included for satisfactory academic progress determination. Evidence of progress includes grades, work projects, and/or other measurable factors against a norm. The College assesses the student’s academic progress at the end of the Spring term.

Qualitative Measure

The qualitative measure of academic progress consists of two parts. The first measures the cumulative GPA required for credit hours earned; the second measures the cumulative GPA required after two academic years. Students must have achieved the stipulated cumulative grade point average for the credit hours specified. Credit hours attempted include all graded courses, transfer courses, pass/fail grades, and repeats.

Associate Degree

Credit Hours EarnedRequired Cumulative GPA
0 to 24 hours1.6
25 hours and higher2.0

Bachelor Degree

Credit Hours EarnedRequired Cumulative GPA
0 to 24 hrs1.6
25 to 58 hrs1.8
59 hrs and higher2.0

Graduate Degree

Credit Hours EarnedRequired Cumulative GPA
0 to 15 hrs2.5
16 hrs and higher3.0

Quantitative Measure

The quantitative measure of academic progress also consists of two parts. First, all undergraduate and graduate students are expected to complete at least 67% of the credit hours attempted to keep pace toward completing their degree. Credit hours attempted include all graded courses, transfer courses, pass/fail grades, and repeats. Second, the total hours attempted may be no greater than 150% of the total hours required for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. Below are the maximum attempted hours, and maximum time frame, that will be allowed for any particular degree program:

 

DegreeCredit Hrs Required for DegreeCredit Hours Attempted
Associate of Arts6191
Bachelor of Arts120180
B.A. Special Ed Early Dual125187
B. A. Middle Childhood Special Ed124186
B.A. Public Accounting150225
Bachelor of Fine Arts120180
Bachelor of Music120180
B. M. in Music Therapy129193
Bachelor of Science120180
B.S. in Petroleum Engineering138207
B.S. in Environmental Engineering137205
M.C.M.H.C.5785
M.A.P.3654
M.S.P.A.S.102153

Students seeking second degrees and students with double majors may reach the maximum time frame standard at an accelerated pace under this policy. Students may appeal for the allowance of additional hours to complete the program.

Incompletes, Course Repetitions, Withdrawals

In each of the above situations, courses will count toward the credit hours attempted when measuring both the quantitative and qualitative components of academic progress. If a student has lost eligibility for financial aid because of failure to make satisfactory academic progress, all incompletes must be resolved prior to determining renewed eligibility for aid.

Transfer Students

To determine the satisfactory progress of a student transferring to Marietta, evaluation of the quantitative and qualitative measures for the terms completed will be based on the point of the student’s entry into the College. For example, a student transferring into the College with 30 credit hours of prior course work will be measured against the standards for those who have completed 30 credit hours at the College. Marietta College is required by federal regulation to consider all transfer credits in the evaluation process of completed credits and pace towards completion. 

Fresh Start

Under the Fresh Start policy, students readmitted to the college after an absence of five or more years may petition the Academic Standard Committee to have their previous grade point average eliminated. Students must appeal their SAP status to be eligible for a probationary term of financial aid. The appeal letter must include the following elements:

  • The student must explain why they failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • The student must also explain what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to meet SAP requirements in the next evaluation.

Students making Satisfactory Academic Progress during that probationary term will continue to have eligibility for financial aid as long as they continue to meet qualitative and quantitative requirements on a cumulative basis. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress in their probationary term or any term thereafter will lose aid eligibility and be treated as any other student, who has already had a probationary term of financial aid and their entire Marietta College record will be considered in determining when aid can be reinstated.

Procedures

  1. Satisfactory academic progress is a condition for receipt of all financial aid resources and recipients, both Title IV and non-Title IV, administered by the College. Students who do meet the required standards will have all of their financial aid terminated. Students can view your current view their current SAP status on Self Service. 
  2. Satisfactory academic progress is reviewed annually at the completion of the Spring term. Students who do not meet the standards will be placed in a financial aid loss status. Students will receive an email notification if they fail SAP to their Marietta College email address. There is no financial aid warning. Students may appeal a financial aid loss. 
  3. Students will be offered the opportunity to appeal a loss of financial aid. A student who has been denied financial aid because of failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may make an appeal based on mitigating circumstances to the Financial Aid Committee on Satisfactory Academic Progress. The appeal must be in writing, either in the form of a letter or an e-mail. It should be sent to finaid@marietta.edu with attention to SAP Appeal. The appeal must be received by the date directed in the communication the student will receive notifying of the loss of financial aid. Each appeal will be considered on an individual basis. 

The appeal letter must include the following elements:

  • The student must explain why they failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • The student must also explain what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to meet SAP requirements in the next evaluation.

Examples of mitigating circumstances that may be considered during the appeal process include but are not limited to: 

  1. Death of a member of the immediate family
  2. Serious injury or illness
  3. Other serious circumstances beyond the student’s control 

When the Committee has decided, the student will be notified via email to their Marietta College email account. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on probation for one term and must complete the required academic plan outlined in the response communication in order to continue receiving aid past the probationary term.

Students who have lost financial aid and have been denied an appeal may choose to continue taking classes at Marietta College while funding their education from non-financial aid resources. (It is important to note that the only way to raise the Marietta College GPA is to take classes at Marietta College. Credits transfer from other schools but grades taken at other schools do not affect the Marietta College GPA.)

If a student is granted a probationary term and withdraws from the college after the first two weeks of that term, that term will be considered the probationary term and the grade point average recorded at the end of the term will be the official grade point average for consideration of continuation of financial aid.

In all cases, if an appeal has been granted and the student does not complete the requirements set by the Committee, financial aid will be lost until the qualitative and quantitative standards for their enrollment status have been met. When the student meets the qualitative and quantitative standards for their enrollment status, financial aid eligibility is reinstated.

Note that the financial aid standards are not the same as those applied by the Academic Standing Committee to determine whether a student is in good academic standing. The financial aid standards are the minimum requirements a student must meet to retain financial aid eligibility, provided the Academic Standing Committee and Provost determine that the student is academically eligible to enroll at the institution. A student may be ineligible to receive aid through failure to meet the SAP standards or may have met SAP standards but be ineligible to enroll at the College.

Revised 05/05/2021

Download the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Study Abroad Financial Aid Policy and Procedure

Purpose

The policy outlines how Marietta College grants and scholarships are awarded when a student chooses to participate in an off-campus study program.  The policy applies to domestic and international off-campus study. This policy became effective in the Fall 2016 semester.

Procedures

  1. The student will provide the Office of Student Financial Services with the following items:
    1. Completed Study Abroad Application
    2. Itemized cost sheet from the program provider which details specific costs for tuition, fees, room and board, travel, and miscellaneous items if applicable.
  2. The Office Assistant will prepare the Consortium/Contractual Agreement between Marietta College and the provider and email the document to the provider for signature.
  3. When the signed agreement has been received, the student’s financial aid package will be adjusted following the policy. Federal and state financial aid will be adjusted based on the program cost of attendance in accordance with all federal regulations and state guidelines.
  4. A new estimated award letter will be mailed to the student’s home address and campus mailbox.
  5. Students must be prepared to pay upfront charges on their own for items such as program deposit, transportation, passport, visa, and immunizations.
  6. The program provider will send an invoice to the Student Accounts Office.  The Office of Student Financial Services will compare the invoiced costs with the estimated award, and any adjustments will be made based on the actual costs.
  7. Once the student is at the destination and attending classes, the program provider will confirm attendance, and then aid will be disbursed. PLEASE NOTE: arrival in the host country or attending orientation programming will not disburse your financial aid. The aid disbursement is based on attendance at classes.

Policy

Students may receive up to 50 percent of their Marietta College grants and scholarships awarded for the semester to apply toward the cost of tuition for the off-campus program. There will be an off-campus fee of $1,261 charged to the student bill for the semester of the off-campus program to cover processing fees which include coordination of consortium/contractual agreements, invoicing, transcription of grades, and other services for off-campus study. The summer term off-campus fee will be $300.00. Federal and state financial aid will be prorated based on the adjusted cost of attendance and can be applied to the remaining tuition costs and/or programmatic costs.

Download the Study Abroad Policy and Procedure

Transfer Credits and Articulation

Transfer Credits

Marietta students who wish to take courses elsewhere for possible transfer of credit to Marietta College should secure advanced approval through the Records Office.

Credit will be allowed for courses equivalent to or similar to those offered by Marietta College and completed with a grade of “C” or better, although transfer credit from non-accredited institutions is not guaranteed. The credit hours transferred in will be shown as transfer credits on the student’s Marietta College transcript and can be used to satisfy the credit hour requirement for graduation, but the grades earned for transferred courses are not included in computing the student’s cumulative grade point average for the Marietta College degree. Transfer hours do not count as hours “in residence” except when part of an approved off-campus study program. Students planning to transfer in credits are reminded of the College’s Residency Requirement for graduation.

Credit hours transferred in from an institution following a “quarter” or a “unit” program will be pro-rated to “semester” hours. Details can be obtained from the Records Office.

Learn more

Transferology