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The measurement of Academic Progress shall occur in increments which correspond to the “payment periods” for Federal Title IV Financial Aid. Academic Progress shall be measured at the end of each payment period. A “payment period” is defined as one half (as measured in both weeks and instructional hours) of the student’s scheduled academic year or the remaining scheduled period of instruction until program completion (whichever is less). If the remaining period of instruction is less than one-half of the standard academic year, (less than 450 instructional hours) it shall be considered a single payment period.
| ACADEMIC PROGRESS STANDARDS |
MINIMUM CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE |
CUMULATIVE HOURS COMPLETED/ ATTEMPTED |
|---|---|---|
| End of 1st payment period | 2.00 | 70 percent |
| End of 2nd payment period | 2.00 | 70 percent |
| End of 3rd or subsequent payment period | 2.00 | 70 percent |
Student Eligibility is also limited to students completing their programs within one and one-half times the normal program length. The maximum timeframe is reached when the student has attempted more than one and one-half times the number of hours required to graduate from his/her program. The maximum timeframe standard evaluation for transfer students will consider all credits attempted at Apex Tech, or accepted for transfer or proficiency credit. Students who change programs may request that their maximum timeframe be re-calculated based solely on those hours that are applicable to the current program of study. A determination of ineligibility based upon the maximum timeframe standard cannot be reversed under the “Regaining Academic Eligibility” section (below), and no warning or probationary payment period shall be granted.
All issues of grading policy, Grade Point Average (GPA) calculation, attendance, etc. are calculated in accordance with the general academic policies of Apex Tech.
“Attempted Clock Hours” means the number of scheduled instructional hours (clock hours) in the program as listed in the Apex calendar. “Completed Clock Hours” means the number of “attempted” clock hours a student actually attended.
Accepted transfer credit shall be considered as completed coursework for purposes of this policy. However, since no grades are assigned to transfer courses, they will not impact the student’s GPA. Payment periods for transfer students shall be defined individually based upon the remaining period of instruction.
A student who returns after a withdrawal, dismissal, or other absence of 180 calendar days or less, shall be evaluated in the same manner as if the absence had not occurred, with the exception of any necessary changes to the start and end dates of planned payment periods. A student who returns after a withdrawal, dismissal, or other absence of more than 180 days, shall be measured in a manner consistent with a transfer student (see above).
Students who fail to meet the standards defined above will be placed on Academic and Financial Aid Warning Status for the following payment period. Students in Warning Status remain eligible for federal student aid. If a student has not returned to “good” academic standing (according to the chart) by the end of the Academic and Financial Aid Warning Status payment period, the student will be dismissed from Apex and lose eligibility for federal student aid from that point forward. Such dismissal/loss of eligibility for financial aid for trade school may be subject to appeal (see below).
If a student’s academic record is corrected subsequent to the evaluation date, a student may submit a written request to the Dean’s Office for re-evaluation of the student’s academic status/aid eligibility.
Mitigating Circumstance Appeal: A determination of loss of federal financial aid eligibility may be appealed based on mitigating circumstance(s). A mitigating circumstance is defined as an exceptional or unusual event(s) beyond the student’s direct control, which contributed to or caused the academic difficulty. Examples include: the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. Appeal letters should be addressed to the Director of Financial Aid and must include a complete description of the circumstances that led to the academic difficulty, how those circumstances have changed, and a plan for future academic success. Copies of supporting documentation should be included. All appeals are reviewed by a committee of academic and administrative staff whose determination is final. A mitigating circumstance appeal may not be used to override the Maximum Timeframe Standard. Further, appeals will not be granted to students for whom the completion of the program will not be mathematically possible within the Maximum Timeframe Standard (see above).
A student for whom a mitigating circumstance appeal is approved will be placed in Academic and Financial Aid Probation Status for one payment period. If the student has not returned to good academic standing (according to the chart) by the end of a probationary payment period, the student will be dismissed from Apex and lose eligibility for future financial aid.
Regaining Eligibility Other Than Through Appeal: Students who have been dismissed from Apex and lost college federal financial aid eligibility may potentially regain academic eligibility by one or more of the following methods: 1) be accepted into a different academic program at Apex Tech, if the re-evaluated student’s record (based upon the courses applicable to the new program) will be in compliance with all academic standards; and/or make up the academic deficiencies at Apex Tech as a provisional student without benefit of federal financial aid. In each of these circumstances, approval is at the discretion of the School Director. Students for whom the completion of the program will not be mathematically possible within the Maximum Timeframe Standard (see above) will not be approved for regained federal financial aid eligibility.
Once a student has returned to good academic standing, any previous academic difficulty, warning, or probation shall have no future bearing on the student’s status. Hence, such students will have benefit of all provisions of this policy, including a warning payment period.
