Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Trinity International University is required by federal regulation to apply both qualitative and quantitative standards when measuring academic progress to determine financial aid eligibility. These standards apply to all students who receive institutional, state, and federal Title IV funds administered by the university. Federal Title IV programs include Direct Loans, Pell, and federal Work-Study.
Trinity has established the following criteria in conjunction with federal regulation published on October 29, 2010, Federal Register Part 668.34 and in the Higher Education Amendments of 1986.
Qualitative Standards of Academic Progress
Financial aid recipients are governed by the performance standards of the school or college in which they are enrolled. To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of:
| Hours Attempted | Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| Freshman | 1.6 CGPA |
| Sophomore | 1.8 CGPA |
| Junior | 2.0 CGPA |
| Senior | 2.0 CGPA |
| Graduate Programs | 2.0 CGPA |
- Credits transferred, incompletes, and course withdrawal will not count toward the cumulative GPA.
- Successful retaking of a course may improve the cumulative GPA.
Quantitative Standards of Academic Progress or PACE
Financial aid recipients are expected to complete a degree within 150% of the expected rate of completion. The Department of Education dictates that the student must successfully complete attempted coursework at a specified PACE. PACE is defined as the number of cumulative successfully completed units divided by the cumulative number of units attempted. At Trinity, students must achieve a PACE of 67% in order to complete degree requirements within the maximum time-frame allowed.
- Units transferred from another institution that are accepted toward the student’s educational program must be counted as both attempted and completed units.
- Course incompletes and withdrawals will count toward “units attempted” and will negatively affect PACE.
- Successful retaking of a course may improve PACE.
- Administrative Withdrawals will not count towards "units attempted" and will not affect PACE.
Failure to Meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
1. Financial Aid Warning
Student records are reviewed after each semester. Students who fail to meet either the qualitative or quantitative standards are placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester. During the semester of Financial Aid Warning, the student continues to be eligible to receive financial aid.
2. Financial Aid Suspension
Failure to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of the Warning Semester results in Financial Aid Suspension. During a period of Financial Aid Suspension, a student is no longer eligible to receive institutional or federal student aid. Eligibility for financial aid can be regained by again achieving Satisfactory Academic Progress at the student’s expense.
3. Financial Aid Appeal
Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress after the Warning Semester may submit a written appeal. An appeal may be submitted under the following circumstances: Death of a relative, injury or illness of a student, or other special circumstances. The written appeal must include the following:
- The basis for submitting the appeal
- Reason the student failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress
- What has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the end of the next term.
An appeal may be approved only if the school:
- Has determined that the student will be able to meet SAP standards after the subsequent payment period, or
- Develops an academic plan with the student that, if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet SAP standards by a specific point in time.
Change in major. On a case-by-case basis, as part of the appeal process, we will permit that for students who change majors, units and grades that do not count toward the new major will not be included in the satisfactory progress determination.
A student who submits a financial aid appeal will be notified in writing of the results of the appeal. A successful appeal results in one semester or specified time period of Financial Aid Probation.
4. Financial Aid Probation
A student on Financial Aid Probation may receive institutional, federal, and state financial aid funds for one semester or specified time period. At the end of the Probationary semester or specified time period, the student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards to receive financial aid in subsequent semesters. Only one semester or specified time period of Financial Aid Probation is allowed in a student’s academic program. On an individual basis, a probation period can be extended if the student has demonstrated strong academic improvement towards the specified standard.