Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid | Undergraduate Students
Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined quantitatively and qualitatively to continue to receive federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Quantitatively, students must complete a minimum number of credits each term and must not exceed a maximum number of attempted credits for their programs. Qualitatively, students must achieve and maintain certain term and cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). The following provides specific information for each program:
College of Arts & Sciences (undergraduate) | students must successfully complete at least 67% of their attempted credits per term. Students must also achieve a minimum 2.0 GPA each term and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Bachelor of Health Science | students must successfully complete at least 67% of their attempted credits per term. Students must also achieve a minimum 2.5 GPA each term and maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
College of Business (undergraduate) | students must successfully complete at least 67% of their attempted credits per term. Students must also achieve a minimum 2.0 GPA each term, and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Dental Health Sciences | students must complete 100% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a minimum 2.0 GPA each term, and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Education (undergraduate) | students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must also achieve a minimum 2.0 GPA each term, and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Speech/Language Pathology (post baccalaureate) | students must complete at least 67% of their attempted credits each term. Students must achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each term, and maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
Letter Grades
| A | 4.0 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.7 | Excellent |
| B+ | 3.3 | Good |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| B- | 2.7 | Good |
| C+ | 2.3 | Satisfactory |
| C | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| C- | 1.7 | Substandard |
| D+ | 1.3 | Substandard |
| D | 1.0 | Substandard |
| F | 0 | Failure |
Letter Grades are calculated in both the qualitative and quantitative measurement.
Audited Courses
With the consent of the instructor, students may attend any class. Students auditing classes may participate in discussion with the instructor's consent but will not receive credit or evaluation of papers or tests. To receive notation on their transcripts, students must register as auditors and pay the auditing fee. All audits must be declared by the end of the Add-Drop period. Once you declare the audit option you may not revert back to the graded option. Audited courses do not count toward qualitative or quantitative measurement.
Course Withdrawals
Students may add courses through the first ten class days of the semester (first three days of a three week term). Students may drop a class through the first ten class days of the semester (first three days of a three week term) without having the class appear on the transcript. Students may withdraw through the tenth week of the semester (second week of a three week term) and receive a W on the transcript, with no grade penalty. Late adds, drops, or withdrawals are normally not permitted unless approved by the appropriate Academic Standards committee. If a student receives a W on their transcript it is counted towards the quantitative measurement.
Incompletes
An instructor may issue a grade of Incomplete (I) only when the major portion of a course has been completed satisfactorily but health or other emergency reasons prevent the student from finishing all requirements of the course. Prior to submitting an incomplete grade, the instructor and the student complete an Incomplete Grade Contract detailing the completion and submission of all remaining work. After submission of the work, the instructor completes a Grade Change form and submits it to the associate dean for Student Academic Affairs for approval; the form is then processed by the Registrar.
Latest Completion/Expiration Dates
- Fall Incompletes: Dec. 31 of the following year
- Winter Incompletes: Jan. 31 of the following year
- Spring and Summer Incompletes: May 31 of the following year
If agreed-upon work is not completed and no grade change submitted in the allotted period (and an extension has not been granted), when the Incomplete expires the grade becomes an F or N. Faculty may request an extension of an Incomplete (before the expiration date of the Incomplete) by notifying the Registrar’s office.
Incompletes (I) are quantitative. After the grade is submitted it is both quantitative and qualitative.
Pass/No Pass
Students must declare the pass/no pass option before the end of the 10th week of the course, by completing the appropriate form in the Registrar's Office. Once students declare the pass/no pass option they may not revert back to the graded option. Pass/No Pass are quantitative.
Repeated Courses
If a course taken at Pacific University in the College of Arts & Sciences or the College of Education is repeated at Pacific University, only the higher grade is used in computing the grade point average. If a course taken at Pacific is repeated at another institution, the Pacific grade will still be counted in the GPA. No course may be counted more than once toward graduation requirements. Financial aid is available for the first repeat of any previously passed course. Each attempt is factored into quantitative measurement. The higher grade is factored into qualitative measurement.
Students’ satisfactory academic progress is monitored and evaluated by the Financial aid Office at the end of each semester.
Financial Aid Warning
Students will be placed on financial aid warning if satisfactory academic progress standards are not met during any semester. Students will be eligible for financial aid the following semester; however, if they fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for a second consecutive semester, their financial aid will be suspended.
Financial Aid Suspension
If students fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for a second consecutive term, their financial aid will be suspended. Students may appeal if they are placed on financial aid suspension.
Financial Aid Appeal
Students may appeal their financial aid suspension. To appeal, students must submit a written letter to the Financial Aid Office, which details why they failed to make satisfactory academic progress and explains what has changed in their situation that will allow them to meet satisfactory academic progress standards by the end of the next semester. If an appeal is approved, financial aid will be reinstated for one semester and the student will be placed on financial aid probation for that semester. Students may appeal each suspension. If an appeal is not approved, a student must complete--using non-financial aid resources--the coursework required to regain compliance with both quantitative and qualitative satisfactory academic progress standards.
Financial Aid Probation
If students fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for a second consecutive term, they may appeal their financial aid suspension. If approved, the student is placed on financial aid probation and they must successfully complete satisfactory academic progress at the end of the next semester or their aid will be suspended.
Academic Plan
If students fail to meet satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary period, they may appeal the Financial Aid Suspension. If approved, the students must complete an Academic Plan with the Director of Academic Advising. The Academic Plan must outline a multi-semester plan that requires students to successfully meet satisfactory academic progress requirements by a stated point in time.
Suspension of Financial Aid Due to A Drug Conviction
Students who have been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving federal financial aid may have their eligibility for further federal financial aid suspended.
Students convicted of possessing illegal drugs are ineligible for federal financial aid for the following time periods:
- One year for a first offense
- Two years for a second offense
- An indefinite period for a third offense
Students convicted of selling illegal drugs are ineligible for federal financial aid for the following time periods:
- Two years for a first offense
- An indefinite period for a second offense
Students who have lost their financial aid eligibility due to such a conviction may regain it by passing two unannounced drug tests conducted by a drug rehabilitation program that complies with criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education, or by having their conviction reversed, set aside, or otherwise rendered nugatory. Students can call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) for additional information.