Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students who are degree candidates are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress. This includes maintaining satisfactory grade point averages and a satisfactory rate of progress toward the completion of their degree programs.

Undergraduate students who do not maintain at least 2.00 cumulative and 1.85 current GPA and a 2.00 cumulative GPA in their major field are placed on academic probation. Their eligibility for financial aid also will be reviewed. Graduate students who do not maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA are placed on academic probation.

Degree-seeking students also are expected to maintain a satisfactory rate of progress. For full-time undergraduate students, this means a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester applicable to their degrees. For part-time students, a satisfactory rate of progress will enable to them to graduate within 12 academic years after achieving degree-seeking status. Students who do not maintain a satisfactory rate of progress in a given semester are placed on probation the following semester. Their eligibility for financial aid also will be reviewed.

Undergraduate students on probation are not permitted to:

1. Register for more than 15 credit hours per semester.
2. Hold office in any student organization.
3. Represent the university on any athletic team, student organization or committee.
4. Participate in the cooperative education program.

Students who are on academic probation for two consecutive semesters are subject to dismissal from IIT.

The progress of non-degree students also is reviewed and any student failing to maintain an acceptable record is subject to being placed on probation or being dismissed.

A student dismissed by the university can petition the Academic Standing Committee to review his or her case. The student must present substantial academic or other relevant new evidence not available at the time of dismissal in support of the petition for reinstatement. The chair of the Academic Standing Committee will determine whether the new documentation warrants a further review of the case.

[Last revised and updated: August 2011]

All students receiving federal financial assistance must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress toward graduation from IIT. Satisfactory academic progress includes a satisfactory cumulative grade point average, a major grade point average, and sufficient credit hours earned each semester toward the completion of a degree program. IIT has established a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in compliance with federal and state regulations. Failure to comply with IIT's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy will lead to the student's losing eligibility for federal and state financial assistance.

To maintain eligibility students must:

1. Meet IITs minimum cumulative GPA requirement. The GPA is a sliding requirement for undergraduates (e.g., a 1.5 GPA for the first 30 hours, a 1.75 GPA between hours 31 and 60, a 2.0 at hours 61 and above).  All graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
2. Attempt no more than 150 percent of the number of hours required to graduate from his or her academic program.
3. Successfully complete two-thirds or 67 percent of total hours attempted. For example, a student who has attempted 45 credit hours must have successfully completed at least 30 credit hours.  

Eligibility is checked each term.  All periods of attendance will be counted toward each requirement (e.g., terms that a student must fund him or herself due to failure to make progress, and students who have attended the school without Title IV aid and who now apply for aid).

• Warning Period
  Students who do not meet the prescribed components of this policy are placed on warning for the next term and can receive financial aid during the warning term.  No appeal is necessary.  This is an opportunity for the student to bring their academic performance back into SAP compliance.
  
• Ineligibility Period
  If after the Warning Period the student is not making satisfactory academic progress, the student will be considered ineligible for federal and state financial aid.  The student will have to appeal for reconsideration for federal or state aid to the financial aid office and/or to academic affairs. If approved, the student will be placed on probation for one term.
  
• Probationary Period
  Students who appeal and have been approved will be placed on Probation for one term after the appeal and can receive financial aid during the probationary term.  This is an opportunity for the student to bring their academic performance back into SAP compliance.   After financial aid probation, students must be making SAP or must be successfully following an academic plan.  If a student is not meeting SAP, he will be placed back into ineligible status and will be required to appeal again to be reconsidered for federal financial aid.

Continued Eligibility for Financial Assistance
Eligibility for renewal of financial aid is reviewed at the end of each term. Students will receive written notification of their status for the following academic year.

Transfer Credits
Transfer credits accepted by IIT are included in the maximum time frame policy and the two-thirds policy.  Transfer hours accepted towards completion of student’s program count as both hours attempted and hours earned.  Students who transfer into IIT, will be treated the same as students who have initially attended IIT.

Audit: All courses that are audited will be counted as attempted hours but will not be included in the GPA.

Major or Degree Changes
A student who changes majors or his degree will not have their time frame re-assessed.    It will continual to calculate and include all the courses that the student has taken.  Thus, the 150% time frame will not be adjusted for major changes.  There is no limit on the number of times a student can change majors or degrees.

Treatment of Incompletes, Withdrawals, Repetitions, and Noncredit Courses
Incomplete grades will be classified as successful completions only when the incomplete grade is changed to a passing grade (A,B,C,D or P).  Successful completions are deemed successful when the attempted course work has been completed.  Incompletes that have been changed to a letter grade will be reviewed after each term grades are posted.  Students have one semester to complete an incomplete.  Unsuccessful completions are considered grades of E, W, and I. Students are allowed to repeat courses for failing grades of (E, W, I) only. 

Noncredit courses are not counted toward the policy.

Reinstatement of Aid
After a student's aid has been coded ineligible for lack of satisfactory academic progress, a student must wait a year before the financial aid is considered for reinstatement. Our office will automatically review all students for reinstatement. In any event, a student has the right to appeal our decision at anytime by submitting a letter and documents to support the appeal. If a student's appeal is reviewed before the next spring term, he or she will receive aid for the following semester.

Appeal
Students not meeting SAP may appeal to be removed from ineligible status and be reconsidered for federal financial aid by submitting an appeal letter to Assistant Director, Kelli Goers.  The appeal must include the following:

• Explanation on failure to make SAP.
• Information on circumstance changes which will allow the student to make SAP during next evaluation.

The student's appeal may be approved if the school determines that the student will be able to make SAP by the end of the next term or by a specific point in time identified in an academic plan. As an institutional policy, IIT will not consider appeals for students who have failed to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress because the student has attempted more than 150 percent of the number of hours required to graduate from his or her academic program.