Printer Friendly
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Undergraduate
To remain eligible for financial assistance through federal and state programs students must make satisfactory progress toward degree requirements and must meet minimum academic requirements at the end of each academic year. In order to graduate, a student must complete 124 credits and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward degree completion for financial aid purposes by adhering to the Hood College standards outlined below.
Semester completed |
Credits Earned |
Cumulative GPA |
| Second semester | 25 | 1.50 |
| Fourth semester | 50 | 1.70 |
| Sixth semester | 75 | 1.90 |
| Eighth semester | 100 | 2.00 |
| Tenth semester | 124 | 2.00 |
A financial aid recipient who does not meet the standards listed above will remain eligible for financial aid for one additional semester, during which he or she must achieve a standard that shows progress toward the next end-of-year standard. Failure to reach such a standard will result in the loss of federal financial aid until the student meets the academic standards. Students who have extenuating circumstances may appeal this decision. All appeals will be reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis. The appeal process is covered more fully in a later section.
Students who receive a Hood College Scholarship or Grant will be eligible to receive those funds for a total of eight (8) semesters. Anyone requiring more than eight semesters cannot be assured of continued Hood College funding.
This standard for satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements is different from the standards imposed by the Registrar and the Committee on Academic Standards and Policies. Students may receive academic warnings and still be eligible for financial aid. Likewise, some students may be on financial aid probation while meeting academic requirements of the Registrar at the time. Transfer student’s progress will be based upon the inclusion of transfer credits from prior institutions.
Students must be enrolled for all 30 weeks of Hood College academic year to be eligible for financial aid. The minimum course load per year is 24 credits for many state and federal programs. Full-time status is considered to be 12 or more credits per semester.
The Office of Financial Aid will notify any students who do not meet the minimum requirements. Any questions about these policies should be referred to that office.
Graduate
To be eligible for financial aid a Hood College graduate student must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a master’s degree program. Students are expected to maintain a record of achievement that will enable them to complete a degree in a reasonable time period. Federal regulations require that students who are recipients of financial aid through federal programs, including Stafford Loans, continue to make satisfactory progress toward degree requirements according to standards established by the College.Graduate programs range from 30 to 36 credits with most being at the 36-credit level, and a 3.00 cumulative grade point average is required to complete the degree. Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward degree completion for financial aid purposes by adhering to the schedule outlined below.
| Year completed | Credits Earned | Cumulative GPA |
| Year one | 12 | 2.75 |
| Year two | 24 | 3.00 |
| Year three | 36 | 3.00 |
The number of credits earned determine the year of standing for graduate students. Also, these standards may not coincide exactly with the Graduate School and Registrar’s standards. The time frame allowed for the completion of a degree can be much longer, but it is divided into academic year increments for financial aid according to the schedule above.