Office of Student Financial Planning Banner

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires students to maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree in order to receive financial aid. At Drake University, these standards are established for students who are receiving or applying for financial aid from one or more of the various federal, state, or institutional grant, scholarship, work, or loan programs.

The Drake University Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for Financial Aid apply to all students who want to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility. These standards apply to a student's entire degree program including terms in which financial aid was not applied for or disbursed.

These standards require that students complete a specific number of credit hours each academic year and maintain the minimum GPA as defined by the standards. These are minimum standards that must be completed. Specific aid programs, college, or department standards may require MORE THAN these minimum standards.

The academic progress of financial aid recipients will be monitored a minimum of once each academic year. Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Planning with questions regarding the intent and interpretation of these standards.

DURATION OF ELIGIBILITY

Students must earn two-thirds or 67% of their attempted credit hours. Students who do not have the appropriate credit hours will be granted one warning or probationary year in which to increase their credit hours earned. Failure to achieve this standard at any point following the probationary year will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility until the student has earned two-thirds of their attempted credit hours.

Eligibility will terminate when the credit hours required for a specific degree/program are earned or the student has attempted greater than 150% of the credit hours required for a specific degree/program. Please note only one warning will be given to a student for either duration of eligibility or grade point average deficiencies.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) REQUIREMENTS

Students must have a 2.00 cumulative GPA. Students who do not have a 2.00 (University) cumulative GPA will be granted one warning or probationary year in which to raise their GPA to the 2.00 level. Failure to achieve this standard at any point following the probationary year will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility until the cumulative GPA is 2.00. A college or department may require more than a 2.00 GPA to remain in satisfactory academic standing. Please note only one warning will be given to a student for either duration of eligibility or grade point average deficiencies.

TRANSFER CREDITS

Upon admission, transfer students will be assumed to be maintaining satisfactory academic progress. After admission to the university, courses successfully completed in subsequent terms at another institution that fulfill degree requirements at Drake University may be used to achieve satisfactory academic progress compliance. Students must provide documentation to the Office of Student Financial Planning regarding such credit. Contact the Assistant Director, Continuing Student Programs at the Office of Student Financial Planning to discuss acceptable reporting mechanisms.

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

Credits earned by examination may be used to satisfy cumulative credit requirements.

NON-CREDIT COURSE WORK

Incompletes, repeats in which a passing grade was previously earned, non-credit course work, audits and withdrawals, will not be counted in the minimum credit requirement.

EVALUATION PROCESS

The Office of Student Financial Planning will evaluate the progress of each student according to these standards on an annual basis in May.

APPEAL PROCESS and
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS QUESTIONS

Extenuating circumstances that result in a student failing to achieve the minimum credit hours and/or GPA requirements will be evaluated by the Financial Aid Committee. For questions regarding this policy or to submit written appeals, please contact:

Kristi Fuller, Assistant Director for Continuing Student Programs
Office of Student Financial Planning
Carnegie Hall
Drake University
2507 University Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50311-4505

E-mail: kristi.fuller@drake.edu
Phone: 271-2779 or 1-800-44-DRAKE, ext. 2779