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 are required to be included for satisfactory academic progress determination. Evidence of progress includes grades, work projects, and/or other factors that are measurable 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 Earned | Required Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| 0 to 24 hrs | 1.6 |
| 25 hrs and higher | 2.0 |
Bachelor Degree
| Credit Hours Earned | Required Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| 0 to 24 hrs | 1.6 |
| 25 to 58 hrs | 1.8 |
| 59 hrs and higher | 2.0 |
Graduate Degree
| Credit Hours Earned | Required Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| 0 to 15 hrs | 2.5 |
| 16 hrs and higher | 3.0 |
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 is the maximum attempted hours, maximum time frame, that will be allowed for any particular degree program:
| Degree | Credit Hrs Required for Degree | Credit Hours Attempted |
|---|---|---|
| Associate of Arts | 61 | 91 |
| Bachelor of Arts | 120 | 180 |
| B.A. Special Ed Early Dual | 125 | 187 |
| B. A. Middle Childhood Special Ed | 124 | 186 |
| B.A. Public Accounting | 150 | 225 |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | 120 | 180 |
| Bachelor of Music | 120 | 180 |
| B. M. in Music Therapy | 129 | 193 |
| Bachelor of Science | 120 | 180 |
| B.S. in Petroleum Engineering | 138 | 207 |
| B.S. in Environmental Engineering | 137 | 205 |
| M.C.M.H.C. | 57 | 85 |
| M.A.P. | 36 | 54 |
| M.S.P.A.S. | 102 | 153 |
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 credit 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
- 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.
- 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 notification if they fail SAP by email communication to their Marietta College email address. There is no financial aid warning. Students may appeal a financial aid loss.
- 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 attention SAP Appeal. The appeal must be received by the date directed in the communication the student will receive notifying of 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:
- Death of a member of the immediate family
- Serious injury or illness
- Other serious circumstances beyond the student’s control
When the Committee has made its decision, 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 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