Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

All students at Huntingdon College must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their degrees within a reasonable period of time. Huntingdon College has approved the following standards defining satisfactory progress, in accordance with regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education. At the end of each semester, the academic record of each enrolled student is reviewed. The standards apply to all students, regardless of full-time or part-time enrollment status. Huntingdon College’s satisfactory academic progress policy is comprised of two standards: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative standard measures the cumulative Huntingdon College grade point average. The quantitative standard measures the percentage of courses successfully completed (completion rate). For the full Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, please see the Huntingdon College catalog.

Qualitative Standards

First-term at Huntingdon Cumulative Standards

At the end of a student’s first term of enrollment at Huntingdon, the student will be evaluated in relation to the Satisfactory Academic Progress based on the student’s first-term grade point average (GPA) and the student completion rate (CR) of courses taken at Huntingdon during the first term. The following table indicates the results of the review.

First-Term Student Academic Sanctions
	1.75 ≤ GPA	1.25 ≤ GPA <1.75	GPA < 1.25
67% ≤ CR	Good Standing	Academic Warning	Academic Probation
50% ≤ CR < 67%	Academic Warning	Academic Warning	Academic Probation
CR < 50%	Academic Probation	Academic Probation	Academic Probation

Post First-term at Cumulative Standards

A student must be in “good academic standing” based on the cumulative grade point average of all courses taken at Huntingdon College to meet the qualitative standard. Good academic standing is as follows: a student with fewer than 24 earned hours must maintain a minimum of a 1.75 cumulative GPA; a student with at least 24, but fewer than 40 earned hours must maintain a 1.90 cumulative GPA; a student with 40 or more earned hours must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Quantitative Standards

Cumulative Completion Rate

A student must demonstrate measurable progress toward the completion of the degree program by maintaining a cumulative completion rate at Huntingdon College of 67 percent for all classes leading toward the intended degree. Attempted hours are those credit hours for which the student is registered on or after the conclusion of late registration (drop/add). Earned hours are successfully completed courses in which grades of A, B, C, D, or P are awarded, as long as credit is earned. Grades of F, I, N, W, WF, or WP, do not count as successful completion of a course. The formula for calculating a completion rate is: earned hours divided by attempted hours. For example, the completion rate for a student who attempts 30 hours and successfully passed 24 credit hours is 80 percent – 24 earned hours divided by 30 attempted hours. The following are considered when evaluating the completion rate standard:

Failed courses (F), Incompletes (I), No Credit (N), and Withdrawals (W, WF, WP) are considered attempted hours, but not earned hours. Frequent failed courses, incompletes, no-credit, or withdrawals from courses could jeopardize SAP.
Audited (Y) or Non-credit (Z) courses are not considered attempted or earned credit hours.
Transfer credits, including courses taken as a transient student, do count in the calculation of the Huntingdon College cumulative completion rate.
Repeated courses are included in attempted hours but not earned hours, unless specifically noted otherwise.

Any student whose cumulative completion rate at Huntingdon College is less than 67 percent will be considered not to be making satisfactory academic progress.

Consortium

Classes/hours/courses attended in the financial aid consortium program will be calculated in both the qualitative and quantitative calculations to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress.

How Failing to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress may affect Financial Aid eligibility

For All Students, Regardless of Program:

In order for a student to receive awards from the Federal PELL Grant Program, the Federal SEOG Program, the Federal TEACH Grant, the Federal Work-Study Program, the Federal Direct Loan Program, the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program, the Alabama Student Grant Program (ASGP), Alabama National Guard Educational Assistance Program (ANGEAP) and the Alabama Student Assistance Program (ASAP), a student must be determined to be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) section of the Academic Policies and Procedures in the Huntingdon College catalog. A student who fails to meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress is placed on Financial Aid Warning. After the second consecutive semester of not making SAP, is ineligible for Federal Title IV Aid and is placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Process for Appealing Suspension of Financial Aid

Huntingdon College permits appeals of Financial Aid Suspension based upon mitigating circumstances. These mitigating circumstances include events that have occurred which the College deems beyond the student’s control, including but not limited to, the impact of natural disasters, medical illnesses and emergencies, or family tragedies. Documentation of these events will be required. The appeal must address why the student failed to make SAP, and what has changed in the student’s situation to enable the student to regain SAP. Students must petition and submit all necessary documentation to the Director of Financial Aid in writing within one month from the date of the financial aid suspension letter sent to the student if he/she wishes to have reinstatement of his/her eligibility for federal Title IV funds considered. In order to approve an appeal, the College must determine that the student should be able to make SAP by the end of the next payment period or develop an academic plan, that if followed, will ensure the student is able to meet overall SAP by a specified point in time, with interim progress points. If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next payment period or by the dates specified in the academic plan. The Director of Financial Aid will respond to the appeal within a period of 15 days once the appeal and all applicable documentation are received.

Probationary Status

During this conditional Financial Aid Probation period of time, the student may continue to receive Federal Title IV and state funds, provided the student is allowed to continue enrollment by the College’s Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. At the end of that conditional Financial Aid Probation period, the student must meet SAP, or he/she will be ruled ineligible to receive Title IV and state funds for any future semesters of attendance. A student who is deemed ineligible for a Federal PELL Grant, a Federal SEOG, a Federal TEACH Grant, Federal Work-Study, a Federal Direct Loan, a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, an Alabama Student Grant (ASGP), Alabama National Guard Educational Assistance Program (ANGEAP) or an Alabama Student Assistance Grant (ASAP) because of failure to meet the College’s Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, may reestablish his/her eligibility under these programs by subsequently meeting the College’s Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, provided the student is allowed to continue enrollment. Students must attend classes at Huntingdon College to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress. The time frame for full-time student completion of an undergraduate program cannot exceed 150% of the published length of that program. All students who exceed the 150% maximum time frame are considered to be ineligible for Title IV financial aid. This may not be appealed. **Note that not all Federal Aid above is available to students in all programs.