Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Higher Education Amendments that govern Title IV Financial Assistance Programs state that “a student shall be entitled to receive federal student assistance benefits only if that student is maintaining progress in the course of study he/she is pursuing, according to the standards and practices of the institution.” Northwestern Health Sciences University’s Policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress requires a student to meet both qualitative (grade requirement) and quantitative (work completed) standards. Supportive services are available at Northwestern Health Sciences University to help ensure academic success. Information about these services is available in the Registrar's Office. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be monitored at the end of each grading period to establish the student’s eligibility to continue receiving financial aid.

Students may continue to receive financial aid by meeting all of the following criteria which have been established as the minimum standards for making SAP at Northwestern Health Sciences University. This policy replaces all previous SAP policies.

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement: A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) to retain financial aid eligibility. A minimum CGPA must be earned in the following colleges:
College of Chiropractic 2.0
College of Health and Wellness 2.0
College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine 2.0
Minimum Cumulative Pace Requirement: A student must successfully complete at least 67% of cumulative attempted hours by the end of each trimester. The completed percentage is determined by dividing credits earned by the number of credits attempted. Note: While grades of W, WP, and WF may have no impact in the academic GPA calculations, these grades are included as attempted credits, as required by Federal regulations.
Maximum Time Frame Requirement: The maximum number of credit hours allowable to complete a degree is 150% of the credit hours normally required to complete the degree program.

Financial Aid Warning Status

A student who fails the SAP evaluation at Northwestern Health Sciences University may be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. Financial Aid Warning lasts for one trimester and does not require action (such as an appeal) by the student. This option is permitted at Northwestern Health Sciences University since SAP is reviewed at every payment period/trimester.

A student on Financial Aid Warning is notified of the status at the beginning of the trimester.
There is no limit to the number of Financial Aid Warnings a student can receive during his or her enrollment and it is possible that a student could receive more than one Financial Aid Warning period, but not in consecutive trimesters.
- For example, if a student is not making SAP after the fall trimester, the student may be placed on Financial Aid Warning. The student could make SAP during the summer and then fail to make SAP during the subsequent fall. The student could again be placed on Financial Aid Warning after the subsequent fall. The student could not have successive trimesters in Financial Aid Warning status.

Financial Aid Probation Status

After a Financial Aid Warning, a student who continues to fail SAP must successfully appeal to be placed on Financial Aid Probation and be permitted to receive financial aid. Financial Aid Probation status is not granted automatically at Northwestern Health Sciences University. At the end of one trimester on Financial Aid Probation, the student must make SAP or must be meeting the requirements of the academic plan set in the appeal for probation.
- Generally speaking, a student granted Financial Aid Probation status should be given two academic requirements during the probation trimester, in addition to fulfilling the academic plan:
  - Complete all coursework with passing grades (e.g., no W or F grades)
  - Achieve a trimester GPA of 2.0 or higher.
After a trimester on Financial Aid Probation, a student that is still not making SAP cannot be automatically placed on another trimester of Financial Aid Probation. The student would have to successfully appeal to be eligible for financial aid.
Appeals submitted for students who continue to fail SAP after a probation period must contain information about why the student failed to make SAP at the end of the Financial Aid Probation period, including what had changed that caused the student to not make SAP during the probationary period and why the student will be able to meet SAP on the terms of the academic plan.

If the Academic Program determines, based on the appeal, that the student will require more than one payment period to meet SAP, it may recommend the student remain on probation and develop an academic plan for the student. The Financial Aid Office is required to review his/her progress at the end of probation period, to determine if the student is meeting the requirements of the academic plan. If the student is meeting the requirements of the academic plan, the student is eligible to receive Title IV aid as long as the student continues to meet those requirements and is reviewed according to the requirements specified in the plan.

SAP Appeal

When a student becomes ineligible for financial aid due to failure to meet SAP standards, an opportunity is given to appeal for further financial aid consideration. A student may file a SAP Appeal with the Financial Aid Office on the basis of:

Death of a relative
Injury or illness of the student
Other special circumstances (such as difficult transition to NWHSU, family issues, legal troubles, work or budget problems, etc.)

Completed SAP appeals will be reviewed within 15 business days. The student will be notified by campus email if the appeal is accepted or denied. If the email is returned undeliverable, a letter will be mailed to the student’s current residing address as listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Additional SAP Information

Dual Degree Programs/Changed Majors

Students who are enrolled in a dual degree program or who have changed majors* may file a SAP appeal to request an extension of the maximum time frame provision of the SAP policy. Such requests will be evaluated on an individual basis.

*Human biology is the only undergraduate major offered at this time.

Second Degrees

Students seeking second degrees are monitored like any other students under this policy. Students who exceed the maximum time frame allowed by their respective program may file a SAP appeal to request an extension. Appeals will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Transfer/Audit Credits

Transfer and consortium credits accepted by the university will be included when calculating a student’s credit completion ratio and maximum time frame, but not the student’s GPA. This includes credits earned from non-Northwestern Health Sciences University programs. Audit credits are not considered either attempted or earned. Credit hours earned at a foreign institution are included in the SAP evaluation if the university accepts the credit hours.

Repeated Coursework

Repeated courses will count toward enrollment status, attempted hours and maximum time frame.

Summer Sessions Courses

All hours attempted and completed in the summer sessions are treated as any other trimester credit hours in determining SAP.