Satisfactory academic progress policy
To be eligible for Title IV financial aid, a student must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward completion of a degree or certificate as follows:
Grade Point Average requirement
To graduate, all master’s students are required to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 with no more than two C+, C, or C− grades. Certificate program students are required to have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 with no more than one C+, C, or C− grade, and a grade of B or better in internship courses.
A student’s cumulative GPA is defined as the total quality points earned (refer to Erikson’s grading system details in the Student Handbook for quality points earned for grades included in GPA calculations) divided by total hours attempted.
Incomplete, Withdrawal, and missing grades: Grades of I (Incomplete), W (Withdrawal) and missing grades are not included in the calculation of the GPA. Grades of WF (Withdrawal, fail) and NG (No grade submitted) are included in the calculation of the GPA and earn 0 quality points, therefore negatively impacting Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations.
Repeated Courses: Only the grade earned in the most recent repeated course is used in the calculation of the GPA.
Transfer credits: Erikson rarely accepts transfer credits from another institution, and in such cases transfer credits are recorded and calculated in the GPA.
To ensure that this requirement will be met, students must achieve the minimum cumulative grade point averages below according to the student’s program length:
Program Option | 1st year | By the end of 2nd year | 3rd year |
Master’s | |||
2-year student | 3.0 | 3.0 | N/A |
3-year student | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Certificate | 3.0 | 3.0 | N/A |
Credit hour completion requirement
Students must make progress toward completion of the degree by satisfactorily completing a minimum number of credit hours per academic year as follows:
Program Option | 1st year | By the end of 2nd year | 3rd year |
Master’s | |||
2-year student | 18 | 38 | N/A |
3-year student | 9 | 18 | 38* |
4-year dual degree | 9 | 18 | 37 |
Certificate | 6 | 18 | N/A |
*37 for dual degree students
If a student changes program options, she/he is required to have completed the minimum number of credit hours for the program in which she/he was enrolled at the end of the period that is being monitored.
Erikson Institute rarely accepts transfer credits from another institution, and in such cases transfer credits are counted toward the credit hour completion requirement. If a student repeats a course, both enrollments are calculated in the credit hour completion rate. If a student withdraws from a course after the add/drop period, the student will receive a grade of ‘W’ or ‘WF’ depending on the date of withdrawal. Grades of ‘W’ and ‘WF’ are considered an unsuccessful attempt in the credit hour completion rate. If a student has a grade of ‘I’ or ‘NG’, the grades are considered an unsuccessful attempt in the credit hour completion rate until the course has been successfully completed and a final passing grade has been posted.
Maximum time frame for program completion
Students must complete the master’s degree program within five years of entering the program. Certificate programs must be completed within three years.
Schedule for monitoring progress
Each Title IV aid recipient’s progress relative to credit hours earned, cumulative grade point average, and maximum time frame for program completion will be monitored once per academic year at the end of the summer term.
Denial of financial aid
Students who do not meet the minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress will be notified in writing and will be ineligible for Title IV financial aid for subsequent enrollment periods, even if the student is allowed to register for classes.
Regaining eligibility
If a student is denied Title IV assistance because she/he has not maintained satisfactory academic progress, courses must be taken at the student’s expense until the student’s progress meets all requirements of this policy.
Repeated course work
If a student retakes a previously failed course, the repeated course will be included in the student’s Title IV enrollment status and Title IV funds will be available to pay for the repeated course. If a student retakes a previously passed course, one repetition of the repeated course will be included in the student’s Title IV enrollment status and Title IV funds will be available to pay for the repeated course.
All repeated courses affect financial aid satisfactory academic progress calculations. A repeated course along with the original attempt must be counted as attempted credits.
Appeals
If a student has experienced unusual circumstances that have negatively affected his or her academic progress, a written appeal may be submitted to the Dean of Students. The appeals process is reserved for situations outside the student’s control, such as family catastrophe, illness, and other special circumstances. In order for the appeal to be considered, a student must submit information regarding why she/he failed to make satisfactory academic progress and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation.
Appeals will only be approved if the SAP review committee determines that:
- The student will be able to meet SAP standards after the subsequent payment period; or
- An academic plan is developed with the student and the faculty advisor that, if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet SAP standards by a specific point in time.
If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for the specified period and will have her/his Title IV financial aid eligibility reinstated.