Frequently Asked Questions
What will happen if I get below a 2.0 GPA?
Academic Probation
Full-Time Students (12 or more credits attempted)
Students are placed on academic probation the first time their cumulative institutional GPA falls below the required 2.00. If they later meet the required 2.00 cumulative institutional GPA, they are removed from academic probation. Students who are on academic probation and fail to earn at least a 2.00 GPA during the next semester or have a 2.00 cumulative institutional GPA are suspended for one semester, excluding the Summer Session. However, students on academic probation or continued probation who do not meet the required 2.00 cumulative institutional GPA are allowed to continue in college as long as they have a 2.00 GPA for each succeeding semester. Students on probation should not carry more than 16 credits in the probationary period. All students on academic probation should meet with their academic advisors to review their respective course schedules.
Part-Time Students (Less than 12 credits attempted)
Part-time students are placed on academic probation whenever they have attempted a total of 10 overall (transfer and institutional) cumulative semester credits and do not have a 2.00 cumulative institutional GPA or a 2.0 institutional term GPA. Part-time students are suspended whenever they have attempted a total of 30 overall (transfer and institutional) cumulative semester credits and do not have a 2.00 cumulative institutional GPA or a 2.00 institutional term GPA. Part-time students on academic probation are allowed to continue in college as long as they earn a 2.00 GPA in each succeeding semester.
Veterans Receiving Educational Benefits
Veterans or other individuals who receive educational benefits from the Veterans' Administration remain eligible for those benefits as long as they remain in good academic standing at Montana State University Billings and are permitted to continue in college. All veterans eligible to receive benefits should report to the coordinator of Veterans' Affairs upon arrival on campus.
Academic Suspension
Any full-time student who has been on academic probation one semester and who did not make a 2.00 GPA during the last semester is suspended for one semester, excluding the Summer Session. A student who is suspended may, however, attend Montana State University Billings during the Summer Session by meeting the requirements stated below.
Students suspended from Montana State University Billings may register for no more than a total of 16 semester credits during the Summer Session without re-instatement. Students must register for a minimum of nine semester credits after consultation with their advisors, for either one or both Summer Sessions. Students who at the end of Summer Session have earned at least a 2.00 GPA in nine or more semester credits are re-admitted Fall Semester on continued probation. However, students who attend the Summer Session and fail to earn the 2.00 GPA will be suspended for an additional two semesters.
Students who are reinstated after a period of suspension must submit an application for re-admission to Admissions and Records. Upon re-admission, students are placed on continued probation and must maintain a 2.00 GPA for each successive semester of work and meet any other pertinent conditions imposed by the Committee. Students who do not meet the stipulations set by the Committee incur automatic suspension. Upon action by the Administration, a student may also be suspended for nonacademic reasons. Such a notation will be placed in the student's file.
A student who has been suspended from Montana State University Billings may apply for re-admission after one semester has elapsed. A student who has two or more suspensions is suspended for two semesters. The student may, however, petition the Academic Standards and Scholastic Standing Committee for reinstatement after one semester.
Exceptions to this regulation may be made for students who provide evidence to the Academic Standards and Scholastic Standing Committee that their reinstatement can be justified. Only extreme cases of extenuating circumstances may be considered by the Committee for re-admitting a student who has been suspended, or if there is evidence that the student has taken some reasonable action to correct the cause(s) for suspension. The student must have approval from his/her major department chairperson before the Academic Standards and Scholastic Committee will consider the student for reinstatement.
