Introduction
Federal and State regulations require that your cumulative academic performance meet three required standards in order for you to stay eligible for financial aid. This "Quick Guide" summarizes the key points of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. To view the full policy, go to archive.metrostate.edu/aid/sat_progress.html.
Academic Progress Standards
The academic progress standards are minimum or maximum limits designed to insure that you are making timely progress toward obtaining your degree. Your academic performance is measured against these standards to see how well you are:
- Performing in your courses (Qualitative Standard)
- Completing the courses for which you register (Quantitative Standard) and
- Proceeding toward completing your degree in a timely manner (Maximum Time Frame Standard.)
We evaluate your academic performance at the end of every term for which you are enrolled.
The Academic Progress Standards for baccalaureate degree students (including post-baccalaureate certificate or licensure students) are as follows:
- Qualitative Standard: Must achieve and maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 or better;
- Quantitative Standard: Must achieve and maintain a Cumulative Completion Rate of 66.66% or better (excludes transfer credits);
- Maximum Time Frame Standard: Successfully complete your degree program within the following cumulative attempted credit hour limits:
- First bachelor's degree: no more than 180 attempted credit hours, including all transfer credits. Students who have reached their Maximum Time Frame, but have a documented change in major may petition the Director of Financial Aid for up to an additional 32 credits of financial aid eligibility.
- Second and subsequent bachelor's degree: no more than 60 attempted credit hours, excluding transfer credits.
The Academic Progress Standards for graduate degree and graduate certificate students are as follows:
- Qualitative Standard: Must achieve and maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better;
- Quantitative Standard: Must achieve and maintain a Cumulative Completion Rate of 66.66% or better;
- Maximum Time Frame Standard: Successfully complete your degree program within the following cumulative attempted credit hour limits:
| Program |
Normal Program |
Maximum Time Frame (credit hours) |
| MS Computer Science | 34 | 51 |
| MS Technical Communication | 32 | 48 |
| MBA | 40 | 60 |
| MPNA | 40 | 60 |
| MMIS | 44 | 66 |
| MA Psychology | 36 | 54 |
| MSN - All Programs | 39 (average) | 58 |
| MIS Generalist (Certificate) | 20 | 30 |
| MIS Systems Analysis (Certificate) | 20 | 30 |
| Project Management (Certificate) | 16 | 24 |
Failure to Meet Academic Progress Standards
The first time you fail to meet either the Cumulative GPA and/or Cumulative Completion Rate standards, you will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. If you are on financial aid probation, you remain eligible for financial aid during your next term of enrollment. If you fail to meet the Cumulative GPA and/or Cumulative Completion Rate standards during your next term of enrollment or for two consecutive terms you will be suspended from further financial aid eligibility (Financial Aid Suspension.). If, however, you have a minimum semester GPA of 2.25 or better and have earned at least 75% of the credits you attempted for the probation semester, you will be placed on continued probation status until the end of the next evaluation period.
If your cumulative attempted credit hours meet or exceeds the Maximum Time Frame limit following any evaluation period you shall be immediately suspended from further financial aid eligibility.
If your registration for a term results in your attempting more credits than the Maximum Time Frame limit allows, only those credit hours that are within the Maximum Time Frame limit will count toward your enrollment level for financial aid purposes for the term.
Following an evaluation period, if it is determined mathematically that you cannot meet the Cumulative Completion Rate standard before you reach the Maximum Time Frame limit, and it is also determined that you cannot earn the minimum number of credits required to graduate before your attempted credits exceed the Maximum Time Frame limit, you will be immediately suspended from further financial aid eligibility.
Admission on Academic Probation
Students who are admitted to the University on Academic Probation shall be concurrently placed on Financial Aid Probation.
Notification of Failure to Meet Standards
Within 30 days of the end of the semester, we will notify you in writing of any failure to meet these academic progress standards. We will send notifications to your University-maintained e-mail account and to your permanent home address.
Request for Conditional Reinstatement (Appeal of Suspension)
If you are suspended from further financial aid eligibility, but you experienced circumstances that were beyond your control and prevented you from successfully completing your courses, you may request to be considered for Conditional Reinstatement. "Conditional Reinstatement" is a status in which you are temporarily reinstated for financial aid eligibility, and you are expected to meet higher academic progress standards for future terms until your cumulative academic performance is again meeting the academic progress standards. A form is available on the Financial Aid web site to request consideration for conditional reinstatement.
Reinstatement upon Meeting Standards
During the Satisfactory Academic Progress review following each semester, students who had been previously placed on Financial Aid Probation or Suspension status, and who are now meeting the academic progress standards, shall be automatically reinstated for financial aid eligibility.