For financial aid purposes, academic progress is reviewed and certified at the end of each academic year by the Academic Progress Committee of the College. Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress based on qualitative standards (defined by GPA) and quantitative standards (defined by number of courses completed.) See chart below:
| By the end of: |
GPA |
Courses completed |
| First year |
1.80 |
6 |
| Second year |
2.00 |
14 |
| Third year |
2.00 |
22 |
| Fourth year |
2.00 |
32 |
Note: Federal and Institutional aid will be suspended for any student(s) convicted of violating any federal or state drug possession or sale law.
ACG and SMART grants:
Recipients of these grants are also subject to the eligibility guidelines noted on our website for those specific programs.
Academic Probation:
Eligibility for federal and state aid will be subject to the academic progress standards noted under Academic Progress Standards and Eligibility for Federal Student Aid and the State Aid Guidelines.
Institutional Aid: Students who are placed on academic probation for two consecutive semesters or are Required to Withdraw from the College by the Academic Progress Committee (APC) will lose eligibility for institutional aid during the following term of enrollment at Lafayette. Institutional aid will be reinstated once the student achieves academic progress standards and is removed from probation by APC.
Students should be aware that they may have to take courses at their own expense in order to regain eligibility for federal, state and/or institutional aid. Students who wish to take courses at another institution should seek approval from the Registrar in advance since all courses may not be transferable.
Appeals and Waivers:
Notification of your academic standing will be noted in your financial aid award letter. Students may appeal the decision and the loss of federal and/or institutional aid to the Director of Financial Aid. Appeals must be submitted in writing within two weeks of your notification from financial aid and must include the following:
- supporting information about any extenuating circumstances and,
- request for reinstatement of financial aid based on a plan of how the student plans to achieve the academic standards and his/her graduation requirements.
Appeals will be reviewed by the director in conjunction with one or more of the following academic members: Registrar, Office of the Dean of the College and faculty advisor if needed.
Each appeal case will be reviewed individually. Waivers of the academic progress policy may be granted based on the extenuating circumstances, level of deficiency and merit of the appeal.
Appeals for Special Consideration regarding the continuation of institutional aid may be submitted by the Dean of the College to the Director of Financial Aid based on extenuating circumstances for the individual student case.
Grade level changes after the academic year (especially after Stafford certification):
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the FAO of any grade level changes due to additional coursework over the interim or summer courses and if they wish to request additional loan eligibility amounts during any given academic year.
Incomplete work and withdrawals
Incomplete course work and withdrawals will not count toward the academic progress calculation. Withdrawals could affect academic progress if it causes the student to fall below the quantitative (completed courses) standards. In certain cases, the student may need to make up the course at his/her own expense until they regain eligibility for aid.
Maximum time frame:
Per federal guidelines, students have up to a maximum of 12 semesters of federal aid to complete their graduation requirements and are subject to the aggregate loan limits under the Stafford loan program. Lafayette College-funded aid is limited to a maximum of 8 semesters of aid unless the student has been approved to pursue a five year/2 degree program.
Policy changes and notification:
Any changes to this policy and/or the academic progress standards will be posted on the college’s website. Policy updates will be posted no later than a week prior to the start of each academic year.
Mid-year pro-ration
Students who begin their enrollment at Lafayette in the spring semester must meet the same GPA requirements at the end of each academic year and will be pro-rated at 50% for the courses completed as stated above for the first semester.
Study Abroad:
Students who are studying abroad may not receive the transcript of courses in advance of the grade level and academic progress certification. A student who is in good standing prior to the study abroad, will be certified as making progress for student aid and the loans will be processed at the grade level in place prior to the abroad term.
Academic progress will be checked when the study abroad grades are received to determine future eligibility for financial aid.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the FAO if their grade level has changed and they wish to request the additional loan eligibility amount/s.
Additional questions:
Financial aid students with academic concerns should contact the Director of Financial Aid, Dean of the College Office and/or the Registrar with any questions.
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