Satisfactory Academic Progress and Financial Aid Eligibility
- policy updated 4/12/2021; effective Summer 2021 term
Federal regulations require that, to be eligible for and maintain assistance from any Federal Title IV student aid program, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a certificate or degree. USAHS students must maintain satisfactory progress according to the guidelines herein and complete all certificate and degree requirements in a timely manner. All students are evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each trimester.
USAHS Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
To maintain eligibility for funds, students must maintain both quantitative (pace), and qualitative (grade-based) standings and revised at each evaluation point. The SAP policy is consistently applied to all enrolled students (full-time, part-time, entry-level, and post-professional students), regardless of their use of Title IV funds.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress at USAHS is defined as:
- Maintaining a minimum GPA (defined by the student’s program) at the completion of each trimester and a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or higher (defined by the student’s program).
- Completion of a program of study within 150% of the average published program length.
Maximum Timeframes
There is a maximum timeframe in which students must graduate. Maximum time frame is 150 percent of the published length of the program as evaluated by the maximum terms.
Academic and Financial Aid Evaluations
The Registrar’s Office and Financial Aid department review a student’s CGPA (qualitative standing) and pace (quantitative standing), which is the ratio of the total credits earned vs. attempted credits after the end of each trimester.
| Program Level |
Program |
Program Credit Hours |
Cumulative GPA |
Expected Time Frame |
Maximum Time Frame |
| Entry-Level |
Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MS-SLP) |
55–58 |
2.7 |
5 terms |
8 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) |
93 |
2.7 |
6 terms |
9 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Flex Master of Occupational Therapy (Flex MOT) |
93 |
2.7 |
9 terms |
14 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) |
117 |
2.7 |
8 terms |
12 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Flex Doctor of Occupational Therapy Flex (Flex OTD) |
117 |
2.7 |
12 terms |
18 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) |
131 |
2.7 |
8 terms |
12 terms |
| Entry-Level |
Flex Doctor of Physical Therapy Flex (Flex DPT) |
131 |
2.7 |
12 terms |
18 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Doctor of Education (EdD) |
60 |
3.0 |
13 terms |
20 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) |
60 |
3.0 |
15 terms |
23 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-DNP) |
64 |
3.0 |
10 terms |
15 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Doctor of Nursing Practice (MSN-DNP) |
42–52 |
3.0 |
7 terms |
11 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Doctor of Nursing Practice, FNP role specialty (BSN-DNP-FNP) |
71 |
3.0 |
12 terms |
18 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Master of Health Administration (MHA) |
37 |
3.0 |
6 terms |
9 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Master of Health Science (MHS) |
36 |
3.0 |
6 terms |
9 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Role Specialty (MSN-FNP) |
50 |
3.0 |
8 terms |
12 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Master of Science in Nursing, NEd, NEx, & NI Role Specialties |
36 |
3.0 |
6 terms |
9 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (bachelor’s-entry) (PPOTD) |
60 |
3.0 |
14 terms |
21 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (master’s-entry) (PPOTD) |
29–35 |
3.0 |
9 terms |
13 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (bachelor’s-entry) (tDPT) |
60 |
3.0 |
12 terms |
18 terms |
| Post-Professional |
Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (master’s-entry) (tDPT) |
24 |
3.0 |
9 terms |
13 terms |
| Post-Professional |
PG Certificate-Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) |
31 |
3.0 |
5 terms |
8 terms |
Entry-Level Programs (MS-SLP, MOT, OTD, DPT)
Good Academic Standing, Academic Progression Warning, Probation, Dismissal
Good Academic Standing
To remain in good academic standing, a student in an entry-level program must meet the following criteria:
- Maintain at least a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher each trimester;
- Complete program of study within 150% of the published program length; and
- Complete the program with a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher.
Qualitative Evaluation
All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7 on a 4.00 scale at the completion of each trimester.
Failure to meet any of the above criteria results in the following actions:
- After the first trimester in which a student fails to meet academic standards, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Warning. Students who are placed on Academic/Financial Aid Warning are required to meet with their Faculty Advisor to develop an Academic Improvement Plan on how to improve their academic study.
- If the student fails to meet academic standards at the completion of any subsequent trimester, the student is dismissed and loses Title IV eligibility. If the student successfully appeals, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Probation and Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
- If the student does not meet academic standards in any trimester following the trimester in which they are on Academic/Financial Aid Probation, the student is dismissed from the program and loses Title IV eligibility.
Students who fail to meet the 2.7 GPA for graduation are required to complete remediation independent study courses in which a letter grade is earned to obtain the required 2.7 GPA for completion of degree requirements. Completion of these additional requirements may delay graduation. Remediation independent study courses are not Title IV eligible and incur tuition charges at the student’s expense.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Warning
A student placed on Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Warning by the Registrar’s Office is advised by a Faculty Advisor of the terms of the Academic Improvement Plan and the risk of dismissal. A Title IV student on Academic/Financial Aid Warning remains eligible for Title IV for the trimester.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Probation
A student that has not met the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements after being placed on Academic/Financial Warning for the trimester is dismissed and loses Title IV eligibility. If the student is dismissed and successfully appeals, Title IV eligibility is reinstated while on Academic/Financial Aid Probation. If a student on Academic/Financial Aid Probation fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress the following trimester, the student is dismissed from the program and loses Title IV eligibility.
Reinstatement of Title IV Eligibility
If the Financial Aid department approves the appeal, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Probation for one trimester, and Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
Financial Aid Notices
The Financial Aid department sends a notice to a Title IV recipient if the recipient fails to meet any of the Academic/Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. (Please remember that all evaluation periods are measured, including ones where the student may not have received financial aid.)
USAHS assigns an Academic/Financial Aid Warning to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress. The school reinstates eligibility for aid for one trimester and may do so without a student appeal.
USAHS assigns an Academic/Financial Aid Probation to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress and has successfully appealed. Eligibility for aid may be reinstated for one trimester.
Academic Evaluation and Right of Appeal
A student may appeal a dismissal to the Academic Appeals Committee/Program Director (see Academic Appeals Process). If an appeal is successful, a readmission agreement between the student and the Program Director (or Dean) is made that documents the conditions for continuation at the University. Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
Readmission agreements can be appealed only if there are mitigating circumstances and an appeal can be made only to the Chief Academic Officer.
When a student is dismissed or suspended, he or she loses access to campus facilities and resources. Students may visit a campus if they have made an appointment by phone with their Faculty Advisor or Registrar and restrict their activities to only that appointment.
Post-Professional Programs (MHA, MHS, MSN, DNP, PPOTD, tDPT, EdD, PG Cert FNP)
The role of the Academic Progress and Retention Committee (APRC), in conjunction with the Registrar’s Office, is to monitor each student’s academic progress throughout the curriculum. At the end of each trimester, grades are submitted to the Registrar. The Registrar notifies students who are placed on probation or are dismissed from the respective academic program of their status.
To remain enrolled in the MHA, MHS, PPOTD, tDPT, DHSc, EdD, MSN, DNP or PG Cert (FNP) programs, the student must maintain
- Active status or approved leave of absence (LOA) status,
- Good academic standing.
Active Status
A student is in active status if the student meets the following criteria:
- Registers and begins a course within 12 weeks after official acceptance into the program.
- Completes a course within 6 months of acceptance into the program (unless approved for an LOA).
- Maintain ti mely and effective communication with the program representatives.
- MHS/MHA/MSN/DNP/PG Cert (FNP): Complete 18 credits per year. - updated 08/17/2020
- tDPT/PPOTD/EdD: Complete 12 credits per year.
Inactive Status
A student is placed on inactive status when failing to complete the minimum number of program credits within a 12-month period based on the date of admission to the program. The student receives a letter from the Registrar notifying him or her of this status change.
When the student completes the minimum number of program credits within 1 calendar year, he or she is placed back on active status. (Note: Seminars alone do not count toward academic credit and meeting this requirement.)
If the student does not complete at least the minimum number of program credits within 1 year of being placed on inactive status, he or she is referred to the APRC for possible dismissal from the program. A student may be placed on inactive status only once during enrollment in any distance education program. The student is dismissed from the program if he or she fails to meet the yearly requirements for coursework progression a second time.
Good Academic Standing, Academic Progression Warning, Probation, Dismissal
Good Academic Standing
To remain in good academic standing, a student in a post-professional program must meet the following criteria:
- Maintain at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher each trimester;
- Complete program of study within 150% of the published program length; and
- Complete the program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Qualitative Evaluation
All students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.00 scale at the completion of each trimester.
Failure to meet any of the above criteria results in the following actions:
- After the first trimester in which a student fails to meet academic standards, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Warning. Students who are placed on Academic/Financial Aid Warning are required to meet with their Faculty Advisor to develop an Academic Improvement Plan on how to improve their academic study.
- If the student fails to meet academic standards at the completion of any subsequent trimester, the student is dismissed and loses Title IV eligibility. If the student successfully appeals, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Probation and Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
- If the student does not meet academic standards in any trimester following the trimester in which they are on Academic/Financial Aid Probation, the student is dismissed from the program and loses Title IV eligibility.
Students who fail to meet the 3.0 GPA for graduation are required to complete remediation independent study courses in which a letter grade is earned to obtain the required 3.0 GPA for completion of degree requirements. Completion of these additional requirements may delay graduation. Remediation independent study courses are not Title IV eligible and incur tuition charges at the student’s expense.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Warning
A student placed on Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Warning by the Registrar’s Office is advised by a Faculty Advisor of the terms of the Academic Improvement Plan and the risk of dismissal. A Title IV student on Academic/Financial Aid Warning remains eligible for Title IV for the trimester.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic/Financial Aid Probation
A student that has not met the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements after being placed on Academic/Financial Warning for the trimester is dismissed and loses Title IV eligibility. If the student is dismissed and successfully appeals, Title IV eligibility is reinstated while on Academic/Financial Aid Probation. If a student on Academic/Financial Aid Probation fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress the following trimester, the student is dismissed from the program and loses Title IV eligibility.
Reinstatement of Title IV Eligibility
If the Financial Aid department approves the appeal, the student is placed on Academic/Financial Aid Probation for one trimester, and Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
Financial Aid Notices
The Financial Aid department sends a notice to a Title IV recipient if the recipient fails to meet any of the Academic/Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. (Please remember that all evaluation periods are measured, including ones where the student may not have received financial aid.)
USAHS assigns an Academic/Financial Aid Warning to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress. The school reinstates eligibility for aid for one trimester and may do so without a student appeal.
USAHS assigns an Academic/Financial Aid Probation to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress and has successfully appealed. Eligibility for aid may be reinstated for one trimester.
- policy revised 4/12/2021; effective Summer 2021
Academic Evaluation and Right of Appeal
A student may appeal the dismissal to the Academic Appeals Committee/Program Director (see Academic Appeals Process). If an appeal is successful, a readmission agreement between the student and the Program Director (or Dean) is made that documents the conditions for continuation at the University. Title IV eligibility is reinstated.
Readmission agreements can be appealed only if there are mitigating circumstances and an appeal can be made only to the Chief Academic Officer.
When a student is dismissed or suspended, he or she loses access to campus facilities and resources. Students may visit a campus if they have made an appointment by phone with their Faculty Advisor or Registrar and restrict their activities to only that appointment.
- policy revised 4/12/2021; effective Summer 2021
Grading System
Academic degree programs use a 4.0 scale to calculate GPAs. The quality of work done by students is indicated on the transcript by the letter of the alphabet as follows:
| Letter Grade |
Grading Scale |
Quality Points |
| A |
90–100 |
4.0 |
| B+ |
85–89 |
3.5 |
| B |
80–84 |
3.0 |
| C+ |
75–79 |
2.5 |
| C |
70–74 |
2.0 |
| D+ |
65–69 |
1.5 |
| D |
60–64 |
1.0 |
| F |
< 60 |
0.0 |
Credit and quality points are not included in GPA calculations for the following grades:
| |
AU |
Audit |
NG |
No Grade Reported |
|
| |
F |
Fail |
P |
Pass |
|
| |
I |
Incomplete |
W |
Withdraw |
|
The grade of I (Incomplete) is used when, for reasons acceptable to the instructor(s), a student has not completed required work within a course by the end of a term. The length of time granted for the completion of the requirements of the course is one additional trimester (15 weeks) after which the I grade is changed to an F if the coursework has not been completed. Upon successful completion of the requirements, the student is assigned a letter grade by the instructor. If the student is assigned a grade of D or F from the I, the appropriate action is taken per current written policy on academic standing.
The grade of W (Withdraw) is used only to denote that a student withdrew (or was withdrawn) from a course. Refer to the Repetition of a Course Policy for more information.
The grade of NG (No Grade) is used only in the case of clinical experience/fieldwork/rotation that are not completed. If a student is removed from clinical experience/fieldwork/rotation after the final withdrawal date, the grade of NG may be applied at the discretion of the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) / Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC), in place of a grade of F.
MOT, OTD, DPT
- The laboratory portions of the courses are graded on the same scale from a minimum of 80% to a maximum of 100%.
- A student must earn at least 80% on the laboratory practical and 100% on all safety issues to pass the practical examination in professional courses. Refer to each course syllabus for additional information on grading criteria.
MS-SLP
- Clinical Courses I–V and Residencies Trimesters 1, 2, 3, and 5: Clinical skills assessment is included in the clinical course grades for all clinical courses. For Clinical Course I and II, virtual therapy cases are completed. Note: Virtual therapy cases may appear in academic courses as well. A minimum grade of 90% on all virtual therapy cases and attendance of an online synchronous debrief is required. Pre-residency, residency, and clinical experiences require a minimum of 80% competencies on all activities and experiences to pass a clinical course.
The actual weighting of the percent of the final course grade based on the written and practical portions is at the discretion of the instructor in the programs. The weighting of the written and practical portions are printed in the course syllabus.
Some courses (e.g., clinical experiences, fieldwork, practicum, and seminars) are given Pass/Fail designations as determined by the instructor.
EdD
- Dissertation Courses (EDF 7871 Dissertation I, EDF 7872 Dissertation II, or EDF 7873 Dissertation III courses):
- Students must meet the deliverables to achieve academic success for the course sequence (DIS I, DIS II, and DIS III) that they are currently enrolled in in order to matriculate to the next DIS sequencing course.
- The student’s dissertation chair is responsible for making a holistic assessment of the student’s progress and determine the final grade for the term. The grade determination may be in consultation with the committee member(s), Program Director, and Contributing Faculty (Doctoral Advisor for the course).
- If the student is showing progress and is meeting the deliverables listed in the Dissertation Handbook for the dissertation course they are enrolled in, then the student receives the highest academic achievement grade and moves onto the next dissertation course in the sequence.
- If the student is not making progress or is not meeting the deliverables listed in the Dissertation Handbook for the course they are enrolled in, then the student receives an NG (No Grade) and must re-enroll in the same course. If the student is making progress, then the highest academic achievement grade is given.
- If the deliverables are not met but the student is progressing, the student receives a no grade (NG) and re-enrolls in the course. The student has three attempts at the course. On the third attempt, the grade is assessed.
- For each NG grade assigned that requires re-enrollment in the dissertation course, the student incurs tuition and fees for that attempted course.
- An Incomplete grade (I) can be assigned when progress is delayed for issues outside the student’s control or due to extenuating circumstances and must be approved by the Program Director. If the student is granted an Incomplete, then the student must work with their committee on developing a plan on how to meet the missing deliverables. If the student does not meet the deliverables during the 15-week term, the student is assigned a letter grade, as per the University policy.
Academic Evaluation
MS-SLP, MOT, OTD, DPT
To ensure students complete the program within the prescribed time, all courses in which a student fails to earn a grade of C or above must be repeated and in compliance with course requirements and the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy in order to graduate. If a student repeats a course, only one course applies toward the completed credit count.
If a higher grade is earned in the repeated course, it is used to compute the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Repeated courses are included in the calculation for credits earned/attempted for satisfactory academic progress. All repeated final grades reflected on the official transcript are designated with an asterisk (*). All students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.00 scale at the completion of each trimester.
MHA, MHS, MSN, DNP, PPOTD, tDPT, EdD, PG Cert FNP
To ensure students complete the program within the prescribed time, all courses in which a student fails to earn a grade of C or above must be repeated and in compliance with course requirements and the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy to graduate. If a student repeats a course, only one course applies toward the completed credit count.
If a higher grade is earned in the repeated course, it is used to compute the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Repeated courses are included in the calculation for credits earned/attempted for satisfactory academic progress. All repeated final grades reflected on the official transcript are designated with an asterisk (*). All students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the completion of each trimester.
Academic Probation
MS-SLP, MOT, OTD, DPT
A student who makes a grade below a C in any course is placed on Academic Probation and must undergo remediation and repeat the course for credit. Such students are made aware in writing that they are at risk for failure to complete the program.
- A student who is no longer in good academic standing must meet with the instructor and his or her Faculty Advisor to develop a plan for remediation and monitoring.
- The plan may allow him or her to take additional coursework with the approval of the Program Director.
- The student must receive a grade of C or better in the course retake to progress academically.
- If the student receives a grade of C or better, the student is taken off academic probation.
- If the student receives a grade below C when retaking a course, the student is dismissed.
- Any student who is on probation may not participate in any work-study program unless approved by the Program Director. Students placed on probation are at risk of not graduating from the University and not passing national board exams.
- Any student who does not successfully complete the coursework necessary to exit probation may be at risk of being denied federal financial aid due to not maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
MHA, MHS, MSN, DNP, PPOTD, tDPT, EdD, PG Cert FNP
A student who receives a D or an F in any course (or two Fs and has been readmitted), must repeat that course in its entirety and be placed on Academic Probation. A remediation plan must be developed by the student and evaluated and monitored by the Academic Program Advisor.
- When retaking the course, the student must receive a grade of C or above to progress academically.
- If the student receives a grade below a C on the retake, the student is dismissed.
- When the grade of C or above is achieved on the retake, the student is taken off academic/financial aid probation if his or her GPA is above his or her program level requirements. If the GPA of a student falls below the acceptable program level, the student is placed on academic/financial aid probation.
Following placement on probation, the student is required to submit an academic study plan to the Academic Program Advisor to explain how he or she plans to elevate the GPA to the program’s acceptable level. The Program Director reviews all study plans. If a student fails to elevate his or her GPA to the acceptable program level, the student is dismissed from the program and lose Title IV eligibility.
A student is not be permitted to progress to the final stage of the program while on probation. Remedial coursework may be necessary to increase the GPA prior to starting the final project.
Academic Dismissal
MS-SLP, MOT, OTD, DPT
A student is dismissed from the program when:
- an F is received in any course
- two grades of D are received
MHA, MHS, MSN, DNP, PPOTD, tDPT, EdD, PG Cert FNP
A student in post-professional program is dismissed from the program when a student:
- fails to maintain active status
- does not return to active status after an approved LOA period
- receives a grade below a C when retaking any course
- receives two grades of F throughout the duration of the program
- while on probation, a student does not improve academic performance to program-level GPA within the prescribed calendar year
- does not complete the minimum program credit hours within 1 year after being placed on inactive status
- has more than one withdrawal in a course or three withdrawals total during the program
- fails to comply with the University Academic Integrity Policy
- fails to complete the program requirements within the prescribed timeframe. Failure to complete the program within the prescribed enrollment period may result in dismissal by the Post-Professional Progression Committee. An extension of the program enrollment timeline for extenuating circumstances may be requested in writing to the Program Director who presents the request to the Post-Professional Progression Committee for review. If the Progression Committee approves the extension, the student pays the prescribed trimester extension fee by the due date upon being billed by the accounting department. If the extension fee is delinquent by 2 weeks, the student may be dismissed.
- policy updated 4/12/2021; effective Summer 2021 term
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