GRADUATE STANDARD OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR FINANCIAL AID
All students are expected to make reasonable progress toward the completion of a degree to be eligible for financial aid. The following standards have been adopted to monitor progress.
To be eligible for financial aid at Northwest Nazarene University a student must be matriculated, be in good standing academically and be making reasonable progress toward the completion of a degree.
NNU's policy is to review students once each semester for cumulative GPA, total credits completed, academic probation, and prior appeal conditions.
A. GRADE POINT REQUIREMENTS
Graduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higer by the end of their second semester of full-time attendance and throughout the rest of the program to continue receiving federal financial aid.
B. ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
Satisfactory progress for the academic year is based on the completion within the academic year of the enrollment status for which the student was funded.
Enrollment status is defined as full-time, 3/4-time, or 1/2-time. Students must enroll in and complete the required number of credits as shown below for each enrollment status. (Incompletes do not count as credits completed toward meeting this requirement.)
Enrollment Status | One Semester | Two Semesters | Three Semesters |
|---|---|---|---|
Full-time | 6+ credits | 12+ credits | 18+ credits |
3/4 –time | 4-5 credits | 8-10 credits | 12-15 credits |
1/2 –time | 3 credits | 6 credits | 9 credits |
The Office of Financial Aid verifies each student’s enrollment in the required number of credits is made before funds are credited to the student’s account.
C. ADDITIONAL LIMITING FACTORS
- Students enrolled in a graduate degree program may receive federal financial aid for a maximum of one and a half time the length of their program. The majority of programs at NNU are 6 or 7 semesters in length.
- Transfer and readmit students must meet the NNU satisfactory progress requirements before they may receive aid.
- Courses in which a student receives an "incomplete" will count in the totals for credits attempted but will not count as credits completed. A student can only receive funding for an "incomplete" in the semester they began the course and not in subsequent semesters to which the course may carry over.
- Students who withdraw from NNU during a semester and who have received federal financial aid shall be reviewed for federal financial aid eligibility at the time of withdrawal.
- Students may receive financial aid to repeat a course one time without appealing. Students may receive financial aid for more than one repetition with the approval of the Office of Financial Aid or Financial Aid Appeal Committee and then only in unusual circumstances.
- Financial aid will be available for remedial courses to make up academic deficiencies provided the courses count as electives.
D. APPEAL PROCEDURES FOR LOSS OF FEDERAL AID
Students may appeal the loss of aid by submitting the Appeal Form available in the Office of Financial Aid or at www.nnu.edu/forms. Petitions are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.
Students who have been denied financial aid may be reviewed for reinstatement if they complete a minimum of 6 credits with a 3.0 GPA at Northwest Nazarene University or another regionally accredited instiution. Students who don't meet this standard must submit an appeal.
