Graduate Academic Progress for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients

Wilmington University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients is comprised of two components:  A qualitative and a quantitative. The qualitative component is measured by the student’s GPA; whereas, the quantitative component is measured by the successful completion of credits. Both components are described in detail below.

Qualitative Measure for Graduate Students (GPA Minimum)

The Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Federal Financial Aid (Title IV) Recipients mirrors the University’s academic policy with regard to GPA. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students who do not meet the required minimum will be placed on financial aid probation and must sign a Financial Aid Warning Letter, which indicates students:

• are aware that they are not making satisfactory academic progress based on cumulative GPA;
• understand that they are on financial aid warning;
• understand the consequence of not improving their GPAs;

Graduate students who do not attain the required 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA by the end of the next term of attendence will immediately become inelgible for financial aid.

Quantitative Measure – Maximum Time Frame (Maximum Number of Attempted Credits Allowed)

In addition to GPA standards, students are restricted to the maximum number of credits for which they can receive financial aid. All students are expected to complete degree requirements within 150% of the number of credits required by the program. For example, if a graduate program requires 36 credits, students must complete it within 54 credits (36 x 150% = 54).

Maximum Time Frame

• The 150% Maximum Time Frame is based on credits earned.
• All transfer credits are included in the calculation.
• Students who complete degree requirements are considered to have reached their Maximum Time Frames and are no longer eligible for financial aid.
• Students who complete degree requirements and apply for and are accepted into a subsequent undergraduate or graduate degree program will receive a “new” 150% calculation. However, all credits attempted at Wilmington University and all transfer credits that can be included in the new degree will be counted.

Completion Rate

In addition to GPA standards, students must progress at a 67% completion rate. This also includes all withdrawals and repeated classes, each one counts once. (Example: ENG 101 is taken and student withdraws, student takes the class again and fails; then the student takes the class and passes, for federal financial aid purposes, this equals attempted 9 credits and passed 3 credits). That is, on a cumulative basis, students must successfully complete 67% of the credits attempted. Successful completion is defined as earning an “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” in a course.

• Students who fall below the 67% rate will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for a semester and will remain eligible for aid if the student signs an academic Financial Aid Warning Letter, which details the academic requirements the student is expected to meet.
• Students who do not adhere to the Warning Letter contract may lose financial aid eligibility or may be placed on Warning for an additional semester.
• If obligations are not met after the latest Warning Letter, students will lose financial aid eligibility.