2018-2019 Graduate Bulletin > Policies and General Information > Financial Policies and Information > Scholarships and Financial Aid > Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require that Central Michigan University monitor the Satisfactory Academic Progress of all students. There are three distinct criteria which must be monitored and met to maintain eligibility for federal student aid, as well as most state and institutional student aid programs. This rule applies to all students applying for aid regardless if they have received financial aid in previous semesters. These financial aid requirements are separate from students’ academic requirements. Progress is measured at the end of each semester (including the summer semester) to determine a student's financial aid eligibility for the following semester.

Students in graduate programs may not receive financial aid if they have attempted 150% or mo re of the number of credits required of their program. This includes any undergraduate courses the student may sign up for while in a graduate program, as well as all graduate courses taken at CMU or transferred into CMU prior to the program that the student is currently in. Exceptions can be made for this standard if a student has completed the first graduate degree and is working on a second graduate degree.

All students must complete 67 percent of the courses they attempt each semester of enrollment. Attempted hours are based on the number of credits for which the student is registered at the conclusion of the Registrar's posted "Deadline for Dropping a Class with a Full Cancellation of Tuition."

All Graduate students must maintain a 3.00 cumulative grade point average.

Consequences of Unsatisfactory Progress

Students who reach their time limit without completing their degree will be denied further federal and most state and institutional financial aid as a student at that level. If attempting a master's degree and the eligibility limit is reached, the student would be denied further aid until the master's degree is conferred, at which time he/she would regain eligibility for a second master's, doctoral, or professional degree.

Students who fail to complete 67 percent of their attempted courses in a semester will be warned. A failure to bring their completion rate to 67 percent in the next semester of enrollment while maintaining a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or higher will result in suspension of federal and most state and institutional aid beginning with the next semester of enrollment. A student will remain on financial aid suspension until he/she completes 67% of attempted courses within a semester at CMU while maintaining a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or higher. Only credit hours completed are counted as credits earned; grades of I (Incomplete), W (withdrawal), X (audit), and Z (deferred) are not counted as earned credit. Students that are placed on financial aid suspension due to deferred grades while continuing to work on a thesis or dissertation will need to have their advisor email the OSFA to confirm that satisfactory academic progress is being made. This communication is required prior to any additional aid being paid out for the student.

Students who fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher at the end of each semester will be warned. A failure to bring the cumulative GPA to a 3.00 or higher while completing at least 67% of his/her attempted credits for their next semester of enrollment will result in the student being suspended from receiving further aid until he/she brings the cumulative GPA to the required 3.00 or higher and completes 67% of his/her attempted credits for the semester in a semester.

Appeal Process

Students who have faced extraordinary circumstances may appeal the denial of financial aid. Documentation of your circumstances is required, and students are cautioned that appeals are not routinely approved. In most cases a decision will be made within 15 business days of receiving an appeal and the appropriate documentation. Students are notified of appeal decisions through their CMU email account. All SAP appeals and required documentation must be received no later than October 1 for Fall semester, February 1 for Spring semester and June 1 for Summer semester.

Transfer students: Transfer students will be assigned within the maximum time frame, based on the number of credits accepted by CMU.

Repeated courses: Repeat courses for which a student previously received a passing grade will not count toward meeting the academic year new credits earned requirement.

Courses with a grade of Incomplete do not count as credit earned or impact the GPA in the semester in which the course is taken; however, they are counted once they are completed. Based upon a student initiated appeal, and a mitigating circumstance, incomplete courses may be considered.

Withdrawn courses do not count as credit or impact the GPA.

Undergraduate courses taken by graduate students do not normally earn graduate credit or impact the GPA. Undergraduate credits registered for by graduate students will not count toward determination of enrollment status and will not count toward meeting the academic year new credits earned requirement, unless said credits are determined to be a required prerequisite.

Withdrawing from or never attending classes. If you are a financial aid recipient and you drop some of your classes during the drop/add period (or indicate you never attended some of your classes), you may lose some or all of your financial aid eligibility. Before withdrawing, we suggest you speak with a financial aid counselor. Your enrollment status for financial aid purposes is determined as of the 9th day of classes each semester or term (based on file close) for Global Campus students.

If you are a financial aid recipient and you drop all of your classes prior to start of the semester (or indicate you never attended), you are no longer eligible for financial aid for that semester. All scholarship, grant and loan payments (and refunds of financial aid) must be returned to Central Michigan University. If you are a federal financial aid recipient and you completely withdraw from all your classes after the beginning of the semester, the law requires that the amount of federal aid earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you receive more federal aid than you have earned, the excess aid must be returned. The amount of federal aid you have earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. That is, if you completed 30 percent of the semester, you earn 30 percent of the federal aid you received. Once you have completed more than 60 percent of the semester, you earn all of your federal aid. If you are a recipient of University funds and you completely withdraw from all of your classes after the beginning of the semester, your funds will be reduced by the percentage of tuition refunded. Please see additional information at: https://www.cmich.edu/fas/fsr/ student_acct_university_billing/Pages/Withdrawal-Information.aspx.

In accordance with federal and state regulations, the financial aid office must also monitor your academic progress at the end of each semester. If you withdraw from any of your classes, this may cause you to be in unsatisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes. Students not making satisfactory progress may lose financial aid eligibility for future semesters. Reinstatement of financial aid may be considered by filing a Satisfactory Progress Appeal form.

Failing Grades (E and NC). Instructors of any course in which a failing grade is assigned are required to provide the last date you attended the class or that you never attended the class. If the instructor verifies that the final exam was taken, no adjustment will be made to your financial aid for that semester. If the instructor indicates that you never attended the class, the OSFA will review your enrollment status and your eligibility for financial aid may be adjusted if you fall below full time, three-quarter time, half-time or less-than-half-time status.

Continuing at CMU after Aid is Denied

Students denied financial aid generally may continue attending Central Michigan University using private aid sources such as alternative student loans (https://choice.fastproducts.org/FastChoice/home/224300/1) or by funding their education themselves. Please note that on the alternative loan list, some loans listed are NOT available to students on Financial Aid Suspension.