The minimum academic standards a GRADUATE student must meet in order to receive financial assistance are illustrated below:

Minimum Qualitative Academic Standards

Minimum Quantitative Standards

Additional Information:

1) Students who receive financial assistance, but do not successfully complete all hours attempted, may be placed on financial aid hold/suspension.  W’s and F’s are not considered successful completions.

2) Students who receive financial assistance and then withdraw from school will be placed on financial aid suspension.  Students on suspension are not eligible to receive financial aid.  W’s and F’s are not considered successful completions.

3) Students who have earned I’s are ineligible for financial aid the following term because an I is not considered a passing grade.    Financial aid will be reinstated once the student completes the course requirements and receives a grade.  Should the student fail to obtain grades in the courses in question, he will be responsible for all fees.

4) Financial aid is not awarded for audits; therefore, a student may be required to repay any financial aid awarded for a course that is changed to an audit at a later time during the term if that change results in the student’s enrollment being less than full-time.

5) Students may use financial aid funds to cover the first repeat of a course.  Up to 12 hours may be repeated during the undergraduate career under these financial aid guidelines.  Ineligibility for all or a portion of financial aid funds based on this policy cannot be appealed.  A class that a student registers for and subsequently drops, is included in the number of repeats of a course.

6) Students who have been granted full admission with academic deficiencies must participate in a Summer Developmental Program to remove those academic deficiencies.  Financial assistance is available for this program.  If deficiencies are still evident after completion of the Summer Developmental Program, a student will not be eligible for re-admission and any financial assistance offered for an up-coming term will be cancelled.

7) Students admitted to Delta State University in the Over 21 program ARE NOT ELIGIBLE for federal financial aid until they have successfully completed twelve (12) semester hours with at least a 2.0 grade point average at Delta State.  Additional information about this program can be obtained in the Admissions office.

8) Federal regulations require that a student complete the requirements for one undergraduate degree within a 150% time frame.  For purposes of monitoring satisfactory academic progress within this 150% period, we have assumed that 130 hours are required for an undergraduate degree; therefore, 195 hours attempted would constitute the maximum (150%) allowable hours in pursuit of an undergraduate degree.  Aid may be granted for up to 195 hours of course work provided those courses are required for completion of a degree.  Students who have attempted more than 160 hours will be required to complete an appeal and attach a copy of the Application for Degree from the Dean of their school and a Transcript Evaluation from the Registrar’s office.

9) Students who are pursuing a second undergraduate degree must submit a list of courses required to complete their second undergraduate degree.   This can be obtained from their advisor or Dean.

10) A student’s financial aid may be suspended if their enrollment record indicates to the financial aid staff/director a recurring pattern.  This may include, but is not limited to: course drops,  withdrawal from school, degree progress.

11) Students whose Delta State grade point average for any one semester is a 1.00 or less may be placed on financial aid probation or suspension.

Academic progress will be evaluated at the end of each semester.  Students will be notified in writing of any action taken regarding their loss of eligibility for financial assistance.  The hours attempted and GPA as reported in the computer database of Delta State University will be the only official record accepted for all satisfactory academic progress determinations.  If there is an error discovered, the student should contact the Registrar’s office before notifying the Student Financial Assistance Office.

Students may be placed on financial aid probation for one academic semester.  Students may receive aid during their probation status after signing and returning their financial aid probation letter.

Students may be placed on financial aid suspension for one or more academic semesters.  Students on financial aid suspension cannot receive financial assistance.

All students have the right to appeal decisions regarding holds/suspensions of financial assistance.  A student may file an appeal by completing a Request for Reinstatement of Financial Aid form with appropriate documentation.  Requests for reinstatement should be submitted at least ten (10) working days prior to the last day to register.  All requests will be reviewed within ten working days of submission to the SFA office provided they are properly completed and documented.
 

Acceptable reasons for filing an appeal may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Death of an immediate family member.  Immediate family members include mother, father, spouse, sibling, dependent child, or legal guardian.

The extended illness of the student.  Extended illness is defined as a documented chronic or recurring medical or emotional illness that causes the student to be unable to successfully complete the enrollment period. (Students who have experienced a long term illness but are now able to successfully complete their course of study are usually eligible for appeal with proper documentation.  The student should submit documentation that clearly indicates that he or she was unable to satisfactorily complete the course work and that he or she is now able to continue.  Pregnancy is not considered an illness unless the student has encountered unusual difficulties.  Students who register at six/seven months pregnant obviously know that they cannot complete the term without delivery.)  The appeal should include statements from physicians, counselors, or health care workers.

The extended illness of an immediate family member that places a hardship on the student.   Students whose immediately family members have suffered some unusual medical or other emergency that will no longer limit his/her ability to successfully complete course work may be eligible for appeal.

Natural or catastrophic disaster that has caused a hardship on a student or his/her immediate family.  Students who have experienced unusual or mitigating circumstances that were beyond their control and that will no longer limit their ability to successfully complete course work may be eligible to appeal.
 

Students who are denied reinstatement of financial aid funds may be reinstated to good standing for financial aid purposes as soon as they are once again making satisfactory progress as outlined in this policy.  Those students who attempt to reinstate eligibility after being denied must do so without benefit of financial assistance from any of the Title IV funds and must improve their standing while attending Delta State unless otherwise advised by the DSU Financial Aid staff/director.

This policy is effective June 2004.  All students receiving financial aid   at Delta State University after June 2004 are subject to these guidelines.