Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility

As required by Federal law, The Touro College of Pharmacy has established the following standards of “Satisfactory Academic Progress” for financial aid eligibility applicable to all students receiving federal, state or institutional financial assistance and veterans educational benefits administered by the College:

-a minimum grade point average of at least 2.0 per semester.
-all academic requirements must be completed within six calendar years from the date of the student’s first term of enrollment.
-all  students must successfully complete a cumulative minimum of 67% of all attempted credits at the end of each semester.

Monitoring Academic Enrollment/Satisfactory Academic Progress

Verification of enrollment and eligibility will be made prior to all disbursements of financial aid. The academic records will be reviewed at the end of each semester to determine if the student is maintaining “Satisfactory Academic Progress”  and progressing toward an educational goal. The standards of satisfactory academic progress for maintaining financial aid eligibility apply to all students in The College of Pharmacy.

Policy

1. All students must complete their academic program within six calendar years and must maintain at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the end of  each semester in order to be considered progressing satisfactorily toward their degree. Students enrolled on a less than full-time basis (less than 9 credits) will have their standard time frames for program completion pro-rated based upon the credit hours or contact hours attempted per semester.

2. All students are required to successfully complete at least 67% of their academic program each semester, not including those courses in which grades of incomplete were received, course withdrawals that occurred or remedial coursework which was performed as specified by their academic program. All periods of enrollment will be included regardless of whether or not a student receives financial aid.

3. Students who are not maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and making “Satisfactory Academic Progress” at the end of any semester will be placed on financial aid probation for the following semester. While on financial aid probation, students will be eligible to receive financial aid funds.

4. If a student’s cumulative grade point average remains below a 2.0,  or if the student fails to make “Satisfactory Academic Progress” after the completion of the semester in which he/she is on financial aid probation, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension and no financial aid funds will be awarded until a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 has been achieved and/or the other conditions for making  “Satisfactory Academic Progress” have been fulfilled.

5. Students who are denied financial assistance on the basis of unsatisfactory academic progress may regain financial aid eligibility by satisfactorily completing, at their expense, those courses required to attain the minimum cumulative grade point averages and/or the other conditions for making “Satisfactory Academic Progress”.  This statement does not imply that continuation in any academic program is the prerogative of the student.

6. A student will be allowed  a one semester financial aid probationary period while enrolled at Touro College of Pharmacy, which would allow the student, despite not having met “Satisfactory Academic Progress” to continue to receive financial aid.  A student who does not attain satisfactory academic progress at the conclusion of that  probationary period will be placed on financial aid suspension and no longer eligible for financial aid

7. APPEAL PROCESS:  Any student denied financial aid due to unsatisfactory academic progress may appeal,  in writing,  to the Dean of the College of Pharmacy.  This appeal should, as a minimum, include the  circumstances/reasons for failure to meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress and an academic  plan that demonstrates how the student will  bring his/her academic progress up to the satisfactory standards within a period of one semester.   Additionally, the student must indicate how he/she will be working with his/her faculty advisor to complete the necessary academic plan. If the Dean of The College of Pharmacy determines that allowing a student to continue on financial aid probation for an additional semester will enable the student to meet the “Satisfactory Academic Progress” standards, the appeal may be granted. Students who fail to meet these standards, however, will be placed on financial aid suspension denying them aid, subject to number 5 above.

Procedure

1.The Financial Aid Office will be responsible for assessing the financial aid eligibility status of all students by monitoring their academic progress through documentation received from the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs. At the end of each semester, the Financial Aid Office will send a written notice to students who are not maintaining “Satisfactory Academic Progress”  warning them of the effects of being placed on financial aid probation. A copy of the written notice will also be sent to the academic Dean.

2. If a student is placed on financial aid probation due to not meeting standards of “Satisfactory Academic Progress”, the Financial Aid Office will reinstate his/her financial aid eligibility upon receipt of written confirmation from the Registrar that standards of satisfactory academic progress have been met. The Financial Aid Office will provide written notification to the student of his/her compliance with standards of satisfactory academic progress, cancellation of his/her suspension and reinstatement of aid. This notification will also be provided to the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. Financial aid eligibility will not be reinstated for preceding semesters during the academic year in which the student did not meet standards of satisfactory academic progress.