UAM Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

All students at UAM must conform to the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s definition of Satisfactory Academic Progress, even if no financial aid was previously received.  All Satisfactory Academic Progress notices will be sent to the student’s official UAM e-mail account.  The standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress at the UAM are as follows:

Qualitative Standards:

A student must earn a cumulative and term grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 consistent with the institution’s academic standing policy, as stated in the UAM catalog, to receive student financial aid. A student who is suspended (by academic policy) because of failure to maintain the minimum GPA is not making satisfactory academic progress and will not be eligible for financial aid. NOTE: PERMISSION FROM THE ACADEMIC APPEALS COMMITTEE FOR A SUSPENDED STUDENT TO ENROLL DOES NOT REINSTATE THAT STUDENT’S FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY.

Quantitative Standards:  

There are two quantitative requirements that a student must meet in order to remain eligible for financial assistance:

1. The student must complete 67% of the hours in which they enroll each semester. The chart below shows the hours that must be passed for the number of hours enrolled.

2. The maximum number of hours a student will be eligible for Title IV aid is limited to 150% of the hours required for their program of study. A student will lose eligibility for Title IV aid when they have attempted more than 150% of the hours required for their program of study.  Attempted hours include hours earned, transfer hours and grades of W, F, AU, or I.  For example, most bachelors degrees at UAM require 120 hours; therefore, eligibility is limited to 180 (120 x 1.5) attempted hours.  Associate Degrees and Technical Certificates require less hours, so eligibility for those programs will be limited to fewer attempted hours.  All hours attempted for degrees earned at other institutions are considered to be posted to the student’s transcript.  If at any point, it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to complete their program of study within the 150% timeframe, the student will lose eligibility for Title IV aid.  Pursuit of a second degree will not increase the maximum timeframe for Title IV eligibility.  All enrollment periods count toward the maximum time frame, regardless of a change in degree or major.  Courses that are repeated will count towards attempted hours each time the course is repeated but will be counted as hours earned only once. 

• The following grades will not be considered as hours earned W, I, AU, or F. Any student who earns a 0.00 GPA for a term due to earning all F's, completely withdrawing or a combination thereof will be placed on Financial Aid Denial immediately with no warning period.

• Grade Changes will be evaluated at the next scheduled SAP review unless the grade change will positively affect a student’s SAP status.  Grade changes that positively affect a student’s SAP status will be reviewed at the time the change is made.  It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of any grade changes.

• Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated at the end of the Fall, Spring and Summer terms.  All sessions within the summer term will be evaluated as one term.  Those students not meeting the requirements stated above will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. The student may continue to receive financial assistance during the warning period. If the satisfactory academic progress standards have not been met at the end of the warning period, the student will be DENIED assistance from federal and institutional sources. 

• A student admitted to UAM on Conditional Academic Standing will be placed on Financial Aid Warning.

Appeal Process:

• A student who has been placed on Financial Aid Denial will NOT receive any types of federal or institutional aid until one of the following conditions is met: (1) The student comes into compliance with the policy; or (2) The Financial Aid Appeals Committee reinstates the student’s financial assistance due to mitigating or extenuating circumstances for which there is supporting documentation.

• Appeals for reinstatement of financial assistance must be submitted in writing with supporting documentation attached to the Director of Financial Aid by the deadline stated on the denial notice. Appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final and there is no further avenue of appeal. 

• An appeal may be approved only if the student will be able to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards after the subsequent payment period, or the student is placed on an academic plan that, if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards by a specific point in time. 

• Students who have a successful appeal will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.