Academic Standing and Satisfactory Progress
Continued receipt of federal financial aid depends on your meeting the following academic progress standards. Some of Wheaton’s satisfactory academic progress standards are the same as the academic standing standards that the college applies to all students; others may be more stringent in order to comply with federal regulations governing student eligibility for funding. The Office of Student Financial Services reviews student records for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each academic year. Students must meet the following standards for progress to be met.
Quantitative standard. Wheaton does not have an explicit maximum time frame in which all students must complete their degree program. The college does monitor earned credits, and reclassifies students who fall more than two courses behind their grade level to the next class year. Students who fall more than two courses behind may also be subject to other institutional actions, such as suspension or dismissal. Course deficiencies are reviewed by the Committee on Admission and Academic Standing after grades are posted each term.
The Office of Student Financial Services utilizes the federal maximum time frame of 150 percent of program length as the enrollment maximum for students to maintain eligibility for federal funding. For the four-year bachelor’s degree this is equal to six years of full-time enrollment. The maximum time frame for part time students is also equivalent to 150 percent of the time to completion based on their enrollment level.
Full-Time = 4 Acad. Years 6 Acad. Years (max)
Three-Quarter Time = 5.5 Acad. Years or 8 Acad. Years (max)
Half-Time = 8 Acad. Years or 12 Acad. Years (max)
First year students who do not earn at least 70 percent of attempted credits are placed on probation for federal aid. Students who have not earned 70 percent of attempted credits by the end of their second year are ineligible for further federal financial aid until they have earned enough credits to bring them up to the 70 percent requirement.
Please note that enrollment at less than full-time status requires the approval of the Committee on Admission and Academic Standing.
Qualitative standard. Wheaton’s satisfactory academic progress policy requires that students must meet the 2.0 cumulative GPA required for graduation by the end of their second year. Until that time, a minimum GPA of 1.67 must be maintained. If the student’s GPA does not meet these standards, he or she will lose eligibility for financial aid funding.