Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

On this page

• How to Appeal your Financial Aid
  Suspension
• Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Dates
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

How to Appeal

If you are residing in Hays (or Ellis County), Kansas, contact the Financial Assistance Office at (785) 628-4408 to schedule an in-person appeal.

If you are residing outside of Hays (or Ellis County), Kansas, submit a written Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form, along with the written statement. Items to include in the statement are bulleted on the bottom of the form. After your written appeal form has been processed, the committee will hear your appeal at the next available financial aid appeal date. Appeals are scheduled on a first come, first-served basis. Please submit your form at least 2 days in advance of your intended appeal date. The Financial Assistance Office reserves the right to postpone your appeal date if there is not ample time to process your form before the committee convenes.

Financial Aid Appeal Dates

Spring 2021

• November 13
• January 7
• January 11
• January 14 (Last day for written appeals)
• January 21

Summer 2021

• April 20
• June 1

Fall 2021

• April 20
• July 20
• August 13
• August 16
• August 19 (Last day for written appeals)
• August 24

*This information applies to Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress, not your academic standing with the university. Information about Academic Probation and Suspension is available HERE.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

(Part A) General Provisions

Section 668.16(e) of the student general provisions requires that financial aid recipients maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for continued eligibility for Title IV funding.  Funding under this title includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal TEACH Grant, Federal College Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan and the Federal Direct Loan programs (subsidized and unsubsidized loans).  This policy also includes all funding from the State of Kansas for the Kansas Comprehensive Grant Program, various scholarship programs administered by the State of Kansas and all university scholarships.

The Financial Assistance Office will determine the satisfactory progress of each student receiving assistance at the completion of the fall, spring and summer semester/terms.  Intersession courses will be considered part of the following spring enrollment.  Eligibility relative to this policy may also be reviewed as students apply for aid at FHSU.  After grades are posted each semester, the Office of Financial Assistance will notify students who do not meet the standards by email.  All credits accepted by the university from other institutions will be used to calculate eligibility.

Financial Aid Warning: Students who do not meet one or more of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy standards (see Parts B and C) will be placed on warning as a notice that their academic work is below the standard.  While on Financial Aid Warning a student must receive a 2.0 GPA for the semester/term (3.0 GPA for graduate students) as well as meet the requirements of the pace and the time frame standards.  If a student corrects the deficiency by grade changes or meeting the standards by work on his/her own, he/she will be removed from warning.  Warning status cannot be appealed.

Financial Aid Suspension: Students who do not meet the terms of their warning will be suspended and prohibited from receiving future aid until all standards are met. In addition, any financial aid recipient who receives all unsatisfactory grades (U), all incomplete grades (I), or totally withdraws from classes will automatically be suspended (i.e. no warning period will be granted).  A student on Financial Aid Suspension is not eligible to receive financial aid.  Returning all financial aid funds that were disbursed does not exempt a student from Financial Aid Suspension.

Students may appeal financial aid suspensions to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  Reasons for an appeal may include, but are not limited to; death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances.  An appeal will not be heard if:

• The student has been dismissed from the university.
• The student has not been academically reinstated by the Academic Advising Office.
• The student owes any fees to the University.
• The appeal request is for the current semester and is received after the semester’s mid-term.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility should not be confused with the University’s Academic Probation and Suspension Policy. 

All appeal decisions addressed by the committee are final and not subject to further review.  Appeals will not be considered for prior semesters.  Reinstatement of any aid originally awarded to a suspended student is at the committee’s discretion.  Students must call 785-628-4408 to schedule an appeal with the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  FHSU Online College students may submit a written appeal.  Should an appeal be granted the student must meet the terms of the appeal and the policy to be placed back on normal progress and be removed from the plan agreement set in the appeal.  Simply meeting the appeal agreement alone does not guarantee continuation of future financial aid.

(Part B) Undergraduate Student Standards

Time Frame: The maximum time frame for undergraduate aid eligibility is 186 credit hours attempted at FHSU and any other institution. The time frame considers all hours attempted regardless of whether or not the student has ever received financial assistance or has completed a prior degree.

Grade Point Average: Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA according to the following schedule (Table 1):

Attempted Hours/Credit Hour Pace: Attempted hours are any credits a student is enrolled in at the time aid is disbursed.  Financial aid recipients who receive all failing grades at the end of any term will automatically be placed on suspension.  Effective Fall 2011, Federal Regulation now requires a comprehensive review of all credit hours attempted rather than a review of each semester independently regardless of whether financial aid was received.  Students are expected to complete 67% or more of the hours attempted over the history of their undergraduate college credits.  This will include transfer hours from other institutions as well as all credit hours at FHSU. The following table (Table 2) indicates which grades will be counted as completed and non-completed at the end of the semester:

Although FHSU offers an academic clemency under certain conditions, federal student aid regulations make no provisions for such institution-based academic renewal programs.  Consequently, the Financial Assistance Office must determine a student’s satisfactory academic progress status premised on all historical units attempted, units completed, and grades earned irrespective of the university’s Academic Clemency program.

Previously passed courses may be repeated only once to be considered in enrollment level for financial aid eligibility and disbursement.  All attempts are considered in the pace computation.

(Part C) Graduate Student Standards

Time Frame: Graduate students are required to complete a degree within 150% of their specific program of study hours.

The time frame considers all hours attempted regardless of whether or not the student has ever received financial assistance or changed programs.

Example: Susie is in a 30 hour graduate program.  She must complete the degree in 45 hours to receive financial aid.  John just changed to a 60 hour graduate program from a 30 hour program.  He must complete the degree in 90 hours to receive financial aid.  The 90 hours includes the hours from the first program.

If a graduate student begins a second degree program after completing a first graduate degree, the 150% timeframe will be reset.  However, all hours for the second degree and any subsequent degrees will count toward that timeframe.

Example:  Susie has completed a 30 hour graduate program and is beginning a second 45 hour program.  Her timeframe for the second degree will be 67 hours.  Should Susie start a third graduate program, her maximum timeframe would be 67 hours regardless of the length of her program.  It will also count the hours from the second graduate program.

Attempted Hours/Credit Hour Pace: Attempted hours are any credits a student is enrolled in at the time aid is disbursed.  Financial aid recipients who receive all failing grades at the end of any term will automatically be placed on suspension.  Effective Fall 2011, Federal Regulation now requires a comprehensive review of all credit hours attempted rather than a review of each semester independently regardless of whether financial aid was received.  Students are expected to complete 67% or more of the hours attempted over the history of their graduate college credits.  This will include transfer hours from other institutions as well as all credit hours at FHSU. See Table 2 above to determine which grades will be counted as completed and non-completed at the end of the semester.

Grade Point Average: Graduate students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 ("B") or better.