Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

One of the conditions to maintain eligibility for financial aid (federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants and loans) is to meet the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the federal government. This assessment of a student's academic record measures the student’s progress towards earning a degree. This policy may change without notice.

Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

1. Students must complete 67% of all of the East–West University quarter credit hours the student registered for/attempted towards the degree, earning grades of "A", "B", "C" and “D”. Grades of "F", "I" and "W" do not count towards earned hours, but do count towards the attempted hours. Repeated courses count towards attempted and earned hours when a passing grade is received. Students may receive financial aid for only one repeat of a previously passed class. Remedial courses are counted in hours attempted and counted in hours passed when a passing grade is
2. Students must maintain an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. Remedial courses are included in the grade point average When repeating a class, the highest grade is used in calculating grade point average.
3. All periods of enrollment are included in these calculations whether or not financial aid was received during those Transfer credits are included in the maximum time- frame calculation.

Monitoring Progress

Student progress will be assessed at the end of each term.

Academic/Financial Aid Warning

Students will be placed on warning in the next term of enrollment if component #1 and/or component #2 above are not met. Students will be notified of this status via their EWU email address. Students can only receive aid for one quarter under this warning status. Financial aid warning lasts until the next time academic progress is assessed (at the end of the next

term). Students will continue to be eligible for financial aid while on financial aid warning.

Academic/Financial Aid Probation

Eligibility for future financial aid will continue if the cumulative record does not reflect a

minimum completion rate of 67% AND/OR a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 the first time the student's academic record is assessed after the warning term. Students will be placed on probation and will be notified of the status via their eastwest.edu email address.

The Academic Advisor will contact the student on probation status and develop an achievable Academic Plan with the student. The Academic Plan will reflect how the student can achieve Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and a Completion Rate of 67% or higher.

Academic/Financial Aid Probation- 1 & Probation- 2

Eligibility for future financial aid will continue for the next two quarters after probation if the cumulative record does not reflect a minimum completion rate of 67% AND/OR a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. The status will be called Probation-1 and Probation-2. The student on Probation-1 or Probation-2 must submit a Letter of Appeal to the Office of Counseling and Student Affairs. If the appeal is approved as described (below), students will continue to be eligible for financial aid. At the end of the second quarter, student must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher AND time completion rate of 67% or higher. Otherwise student will be dismissed.

In any term that a student receives all failing grades (grade of "F"), the student will be asked to verify attendance. If all of the instructors indicate that the student never attended the classes in which failing grades were received - financial aid will be cancelled and returned to the appropriate source of that aid (if the student received a financial aid refund for that term - the student will owe East-West University the full balance of that refund and will not be able to attend in subsequent terms until that balance is paid in full). In any term for which a student received no passing grades, the student’s attendance will be investigated and an R2T4 calculation will be performed. This too could result in student owing a balance to East-West University.

Note: Even though a student may have been terminated for financial aid by federal policy, as long as the student remain in good academic standing with the university, the student may still be eligible to continue to attend East–West at the student's own expense. The student may also attend another college or university while trying to bring the student academic record back into compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

Financial Aid Reinstatement

Financial aid eligibility will be reinstated once an assessment of the academic record confirms it to be in compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher AND a completion rate of at least 67% of credit hours attempted). The student may also request a review of eligibility prior to the next assessment date by contacting the Office of Counseling and Student Affairs (CSA). The request will be reviewed within five (5) business days.

Right to Appeal

As mentioned above the student may appeal to the Office of CSA for consideration for a Financial Aid Probation period based upon extenuating circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, illness or injury that the student may have suffered, death of a relative, or other circumstances that result in undue hardship that can be documented by a third-party professional such as a healthcare provider, counselor, cleric, lawyer, etc. It must be shown that there is a reasonable and established plan to prevent failing to meet the Components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy again. A ‘complete appeal’ is one that is written well and submitted with all relevant documentation. Incomplete appeals (appeals without supporting documentation) will not be reviewed nor responded to.

Complete appeals will be evaluated based upon the following criterion:

Documented evidence to support extenuating circumstances that contributed to the inability to meet one or more of the Components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

• Clear and reasonable evidence to support the existence of a plan in place to avoid failing to meet one or more of the Components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in the future.
• If the appeal is to receive financial aid for hours beyond the Maximum Time Frame, CSA advisor will perform a degree audit and include the results and the exact listing of all remaining courses needed to complete the degree with the appeal
• A quantitative assessment of the ability to bring both Components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy back into compliance by the end of an approved Satisfactory Academic Progress Plan.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Plan

If a completed appeal is approved and the student is allowed to receive financial aid during a Financial Aid Probation period, it will be contingent upon the student complying with a Satisfactory Academic Progress Plan. The plan will specify the exact number of hours that must be completed as well, as the exact grade point average that will be necessary, over the Financial Aid Probation periods to bring the academic record back into compliance with the Components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Failure to meet the standards established in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Plan will result in the loss of future financial aid eligibility. The request will be reviewed within five (5) business days.

Financial Aid Grievance

If a student feels that the student’s appeal was not handled properly, a grievance may be filed with the Director of Financial Aid. The student should include all relevant documentation and a written statement of the facts of the case. Response to the grievance will be reviewed within five (5) business days. The decision of the Director of Financial Aid is final.

Readmission

Students who do not complete an appeal or whose appeal is denied must sit out from East-West University for at least one quarter. During this time, the student must attend another college or university and demonstrate academic progress at that institution for at least one quarter prior to applying for readmission at East-West University. Proof of successful completion of one quarter with a GPA of 2.0 (C) or higher from another school will be required at the time of readmission. A readmitted student will be eligible for financial aid and will be placed upon readmission on Good Standing.