1. Introduction

This policy has been developed to ensure that the Student Financial Aid Program meets or exceeds requirements set forth by federal regulations governing academic standards of progress for financial aid eligibility.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all students receiving Title IV financial aid.

3. General Requirements
1. Time Limits on Financial Aid Eligibility

A student will be permitted a time limit of four semesters of enrollment beyond the standard required length of study as a full-time student to complete the program for which s/he is enrolled.

Degree	Standard	Maximum
Doctor of Medicine	4 years	6 years
Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy	8 years	10 years

For transfer students, the total years for completion of a degree includes time spent at the previous institution, to the extent that years are transferred an applied toward the degree objective at this institution. Students transferring from the Sophie Davis program will be considered to have completed two years of medical school and will be expected to complete their final two years within 4 years.

A student failing to meet this standard will be suspended from financial aid eligibility.

These limits are applied incrementally, e.g., by the end of the third year of the MD program a student must have completed and satisfactorily passed at least two full years of the curriculum. These time limits include any time for personal or medical leave, but do not include approved periods of special matriculation for research or remediation.

In the MD/PhD program, benchmarks of satisfactory progress must be completed as outlined in the specific program requirements. Students who are approaching the time limit for completion will be reviewed with enough notice so that a plan is in place to enable the student to complete the requirements by the end of the time limit.

2. Completion of Course Requirements
   
   1. A student must complete with passing grades at least 75 percent of the full-time curriculum for which s/he was enrolled in any academic year. Any student failing to meet this standard due to unsatisfactory or failing grades, withdrawal or incompletes will be placed on financial aid probation. A student on probation must achieve this 75 percent standard for all courses for the period beginning the next Fall term and ending the following the Spring term, or be suspended from financial aid eligibility.
   2. As soon as incomplete grades are changed to earned grades, the student’s probationary or suspended status may be lifted if the course standards are completed.

4. Grade Requirements
   1. The School of Medicine does not measure academic progress by means of a cumulative grade point average. The student is required to complete with at least a “P” grade all of the required courses in the curriculum in order to graduate. Therefore, grade performance as a measure of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility must be reviewed in the context of each course for which the student registers. The following standards for financial aid eligibility have been established.
      
      1. Completion of first year of enrollment: Earned grade of at least a “P” in each of the required courses in Year 1.
      2. Completion of second year of enrollment: Earned grade of at least a “P” in each of the required courses in Year 2.
      3. Completion of third year of enrollment: Completion with earned grade of “P” or its equivalent in year 3.
      4. Completion of fourth year of enrollment: Satisfaction of requirements for graduation.
         
   2. Any student failing to meet the above grade requirements will be placed on financial aid probation.
   3. A student placed on probation must, by the end of the probationary enrollment year, attain the standing specified in IV. A. of this policy for satisfactory academic progress; failure to do so will result in suspension of financial aid eligibility.
      
      
5. Appeals of Financial Aid Probation or Suspension

A student on probation or suspension may appeal by indicating in writing to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (a) reasons why s/he did not achieve minimum academic standards and (b) reasons why his/her aid eligibility should not be terminated or should be reinstated. Each appeal will be considered on its own merit. Individual cases will not be considered as precedent.

1. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs will review the appeal within two weeks of its receipt and determine whether the financial aid probation or suspension is justified. The student will be advised in writing of the decision within one week of the appeals consideration.
2. A student wishing to appeal the Associate Dean’s decision to the Dean of the School of Medicine may do so in accordance with these procedures:
   1. A written appeal must be sent to the Dean of the Medical School within two weeks of the Associate Dean’s decision.
   2. The Dean of the Medical School will review the student’s appeal and recommend an appropriate decision to the Associate Dean within three weeks of the receipt of the appeal.
   3. The Associate Dean shall then consider the appeal and recommendation and will notify the student in writing of a final decision within one week.

6. Reinstatement

A student shall be reinstated for financial aid eligibility at such time as s/he successfully completes sufficient hours and has a sufficient GPA to meet the minimum eligibility requirements as set forth in this policy. It is the student’s responsibility to present evidence to the Financial Aid Office at the time s/he has met minimum requirements for reinstatement.

7. Enforcement

The Student Affairs Office shall have primary responsibility for enforcing this policy. The Registrar and other offices that maintain student information relevant to enforcement shall provide information, when requested by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.