Satisfactory Academic Progress and Title IV

In compliance with the Department of Education’s policy for receiving financial aid, academic performance will be reviewed annually to ensure students are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). All students will be measured at the end of each spring semester. Components of the SAP requirement include a measure of cumulative GPA, pace of completion, and total attempted credits.

Students who are determined to have not met the minimum SAP requirements will be denied federal and institutional financial aid. An appeal process is available to students who have experienced personal illness or accident, death of an immediate family member, or other extraordinary circumstances that have prevented the student from attending classes and successfully completing course work. Documentation of such extraordinary circumstances will be required. A student whose financial aid has been terminated and for whom an appeal is not granted may regain eligibility for financial aid only after the student has corrected the deficiency in credits earned and minimum cumulative GPA by completing required course work at SVC without the benefit of federal or institutional aid, or by transfer of credits from another institution.

Minimum Cumulative GPA Requirement – 1.50 at the end of the freshman year, 2.0 at the end of the sophomore and subsequent years. Certain Saint Vincent College awards require a cumulative GPA greater than 2.0 which is noted upon notification of the award.
Pace of Completion – all students must have successfully completed at least 67 percent of cumulative credits attempted.
Total Attempted Credits – Attempted credits cannot exceed 150 percent of the credits required as defined by the College’s published length of the specific program.
- Grades of F* are not counted in SAP calculation as these are grades that pertain to a major that the student has transferred out of and are not a requirement of the current program.
- Overall cumulative credits attempted/earned, cumulative GPA are used in the SAP review. Students seeking a second degree or who changed majors can appeal to receive aid based on the major change or second degree.
- Transfer credits accepted from another institution count as both attempted and completed.
- Grades of W or WF are considered attempted but not completed and can/will adversely affect the cumulative GPA requirement, pace of completion, and the total attempted credit limit.
- Incompletes (G and IP), if not completed within the noted time frame below will become an F and can/will adversely affect the cumulative GPA requirement, pace of completion, and the total attempted credit limit. At the end of the noted time frame, a reevaluation of each component will occur.
  - G — Incomplete. An incomplete course must be completed within one month of the beginning of the following semester or the grade becomes an F. Under extenuating circumstances, the Registrar upon the request of the instructor may grant an extension of time up to the end of the following semester.
  - IP — Course in Progress. Only issued to students who are unable to complete course work in one semester due to the nature of the research, data collection, field work, or internship. Students have three semesters to complete IP work.

Students who are determined to have not met the minimum SAP requirements will be denied federal and institutional financial aid. An appeal process is available to students based on extenuating circumstances including but not limited to injury or illness to the student or immediate family member, mental ailment, disability or undue hardship related to the student, or death of an immediate family member. Documentation of the extenuating circumstance must be provided and can be in the form of a letter from a third-party health provider, counselor, clergy, obituary etc.

Students granted an appeal approval will be placed on an Academic Plan for Financial Aid and will receive financial aid for one semester following the appeal approval. To receive aid for the second semester of the Academic Plan for Financial Aid the student must show a positive progression of the completion rate and grade point average at the end of the first semester. Students who do not show a progression after the first semester and those for whom it is not mathematically possible to achieve the minimum SAP requirements by the end of the second semester, will not be awarded aid for the second semester and may not be eligible for a second appeal.

Students awarded aid for the second semester must continue to meet the specific requirements of the Academic Plan for Financial Aid. Students must meet the minimum SAP requirements (2.0 cumulative GPA and 67% completion rate) at the end of the second semester to continue to receive aid for future semesters. Those that do not meet the minimum requirements at the end of the second semester may not be eligible for a second appeal.

An appeal approval will not be granted if it is not mathematically possible for SAP to be met based on attempted credits not exceeding 150% of the credits required as defined by the College’s published length of the specific program. An appeal approval does not supersede academic dismissal by the college. An appeal approval does not cover aid awarded by other agencies, such as the PHEAA state grant. Students not making progress for PHEAA and other agencies must appeal directly to that agency. A second appeal may only be granted in instances where the student significantly progressed during the academic plan, but due to documented circumstances was unable to meet the minimum SAP requirements. Students who are denied an appeal may regain eligibility by meeting the minimum SAP requirements by attending St. Vincent College without the benefit of federal or institutional financial aid, or by transfer credits. Students may wish also to consider the college’s payment plan and/or private alternative loan funding.

Full-time students receiving the PA State Grant are required to complete 24 credits per year, not including repeated course work. Students receiving aid from other outside agencies are bound by the academic progress policy of the awarding agency.

Veteran Educational Benefits and Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal law and Veterans Administration (VA) regulations specify the conditions under which student veterans, eligible dependents, and reservists are paid VA educational benefits. The law requires that educational assistance benefits to Veterans and other eligible persons be discontinued when the student ceases to make satisfactory progress toward completion of his or her training objective. Benefits can be resumed if the student reenrolls in the same educational institution and in the same program. In other cases, benefits cannot be resumed unless VA finds that the cause of the unsatisfactory attendance, conduct or progress has been removed and the program of education or training to be pursued by the student is suitable to his or her aptitudes, interests, and abilities.

Saint Vincent College is required by law to have and to enforce standards of progress and conduct in order for their programs to be approved for VA benefits.

When a student has failed to maintain prescribed standards of progress, the VA must be informed promptly so that benefit payments can be discontinued in accordance with the law. The termination date assigned by the school will be the last day of the term or other evaluation period in which the student’s progress became unsatisfactory. Schools that provide a period of academic probation may not continue to certify a Veteran or eligible person (who remains in a probationary status) for an indefinite period of time. It is reasonable to expect that an institution will report a termination due to unsatisfactory progress if a student remains on academic probation beyond two terms, quarters, or semesters.

Termination for Unsatisfactory Progress

Unsatisfactory progress (Academic Suspension) must be reported to VA as a termination. Termination will be reported as of the semester the student is suspended.

If a student successfully petitions the dismissal, is readmitted, and is already certified the subsequent term, or if they reestablish VA eligibility, the VA certification will not be terminated.

Recertification of VA Claimant

A school's standards of progress must include specific conditions a Veteran or eligible person is required to satisfy to permit recertification for VA benefits after being terminated (for benefit purposes) because of unsatisfactory progress or conduct. When a school recertifies a student’s enrollment to VA after a termination due to unsatisfactory progress or conduct, it is presumed the school has established that there is a reasonable likelihood that the student will be able to maintain satisfactory progress and conduct in the future. Covered Individuals Saint Vincent College adheres to specific policies set forth under the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 regarding Covered Individuals. A Covered Individual is defined as any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment, or chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits. Covered individuals may attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date that the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website e-Benefit, or VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.

90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

Assessment of Late Fees

Saint Vincent College will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, and/or the denial of access to classes, because of the individual’s ability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of funding by the VA.

Priority Registration

Veterans, active duty, and reservists are given priority registration at Saint Vincent College. Specific dates and details will be made available to students prior to the registration period each semester by the Office of the Registrar.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gbill.