Satisfactory Academic Progress

Trinity Law School Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Trinity Law School 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 state and federal Title IV funds administered by the law school. Federal Title IV programs at Trinity Law School are the Direct Unsubsidized and Grad Plus Loans.

Trinity Law School 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 (SAP)

Financial aid recipients are governed by the performance standards of the school or college in which they are enrolled. In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

  • Units transferred in, 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

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 unitsattempted.

  • Units transferred in 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.

To comply with additional timing requirements, students are to adhere to the following pace guides to be in compliance both with federal and CBE requirements regarding academic progress.

Rule When
Student will not be permitted to complete more than 40 units Within the first 12 months of study
Student will not be permitted to complete more than 70 units Within the first 24 months of study
A candidate for the J.D. degree must complete his or her studies No earlier than 24 month and no later than 60 months after the student has commenced law study at Trinity Law School, or a school from which the law student has transferred credit.
Students must successfully complete the prescribed program of 90 units of study Within 5 years
A student must file a petition with the Registrar A student must file a petition with the Registrar If the student will take longer than 60 months to complete the J.D. degree

Academic Plans

Academic plans are prescribed upon admission for all new students based on their status as full or part time, and taking into consideration personal factors such as home life, work schedule, and commute to campus.

These plans are agreed upon by the student and a formal contract is sent through EchoSign and signed by the student and Director of Academic Support. These plans all meet the requirements for SAP at Trinity Law School.

To change an academic plan for any reason will require a meeting with the student’s advisor and re-approval by academic support.

Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

1. Financial Aid Warning

Student records are reviewed after each semester. Students who fail to meet both the qualitative and quantitative standards are placed on Academic Warning for one semester.  During the semester of Academic Warning, the student continues to be eligible to receive financial aid. 

2. Financial Aid Termination

Failure to achieve SAP at the end of the Warning Semester or Probation semester results in Financial Aid Termination. Once financial aid is terminated, students are no longer eligible to receive federal or institutional financial aid. This would not preclude a student from paying tuition out-of-pocket or securing a private student loan.

3. Financial Aid Probation

A student on Financial Aid Probation may receive federal financial aid funds for one semester.  At the end of the Probationary semester, the student must meet SAP standards in order to receive financial aid in subsequent semesters. 

4. Financial Aid Appeal

Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet SAP after the warning semester may submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Department. The written appeal must include:

  • The basis for submitting the appeal.
  • Reason the student failed to make SAP.
  • What has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate SAP at the end of the next term.

An appeal can only be approved if the school:

  • Has determined that the student will be able to meet SAP standards after the subsequent payment period.
  • 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.