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Students, who receive financial assistance at MSU Billings through
federal, state, or institutional programs, including fee waivers,
have a responsibility to maintain certain academic standards and
make satisfactory progress toward a degree. The Financial Aid Office
is required by federal and state law to determine the eligibility
of financial aid applicants for financial assistance, even if they
have not received financial aid in the past. These standards apply
to all grants, loans, work-study, fee waivers and some scholarships.
Federal law requires the consideration of three factors when determining
whether a student is making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
These factors are 1) minimum GPA; 2) duration of financial aid eligibility;
and 3) satisfactory completion of a minimum number of credits attempted.
MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE (measured after
spring and summer semesters)
Undergraduates are expected to maintain at
least a 2.00 MSU-B grade point average (GPA). You are not eligible
for financial aid if your cumulative MSU-B GPA drops below a
2.0.
Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative
MSU-B GPA in order to be eligible for financial aid. - DURATION OF ELIGIBILITY
You are expected to earn a degree in a specific amount of time,
measured by the credits you have attempted. Credits attempted
at prior post-secondary institutions will be included with your
MSU Billings credits in determining the credits you have attempted.
Credits for which you enroll and subsequently withdraw, all “F”,
“N”, “X”, and “I”, grades,
and all repeated credits will be counted toward the number of
credits attempted. The number of attempted credits allowed
is 1.5 times the number of credits required to earn your degree.
For example, if your degree requires 120 credits, you are eligible
for financial aid until you have attempted 180 credits or have
earned the credits required for your degree, whichever comes first.
See the chart below for the maximum duration of eligibility in
various programs:
| Undergraduate Bachelor Degree |
180 credits attempted |
| Second Bachelor's Degree |
240 credits attempted |
| Master's Degree (varies) |
45-90 credits attempted |
| General Studies |
60 credits EARNED |
| Pre-Professional (varies) |
60-90 credits attempted |
| Assoc. Degree/2 Yr. Cert. |
90 credits attempted |
| Certificate Programs (varies) |
50-60 credits attempted |
| Provisional Graduates |
one calendar year |
| Teacher Certification |
60 credits attempted |
- SATISFACTORY COMPLETION RATE
Satisfactory completion means you have received a minimum grade
of D or P (satisfactory in a pass/fail class). Grades of I (incomplete),
F (failure), W (withdrawal), N (no credit), or X (withdraw failing)
are not acceptable for satisfactory academic progress. Temporary
grades (T) can only be earned for graduate level courses as stated
in the catalog. Students who receive T grades will be evaluated
on a case-by-case basis, depending on how many additional semesters
the instructor indicates are necessary to complete the course. Students who do not pass 67% (rounded down) of all credits
attempted each academic year will be suspended from financial
aid. In addition, students must maintain 67% overall pass rate
of attempted credits.
FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION will occur if you:
- Withdraw from MSU Billings
- Earn zero credits after any semester … fall, spring,
or summerEarn less that 67% of attempted credits at the end
of the academic year (spring)
- Earn less than 67% of attempted credits at the end of summer
- Earn less than 67% OVERALL (all attempted credits)
- Earn below the minimum required GPA
- Are academically suspended
- Exceed the duration of eligibility for your program
- Are not a regular student seeking a degree or certificate
offered at MSU Billings
Students who are suspended from financial aid for any reason will
remain ineligible until all deficiencies are remedied and Satisfactory
Academic Progress is met according to all three criteria. Attending
another school, sitting out of school for a period of time, or “bankrupting”
credits on your grade transcript will not reinstate your financial
aid eligibility at MSU Billings. It is your responsibility to notify
the FA Office when you believe you are eligible to have your financial
aid reinstated. If you are suspended because of Duration of
Eligibility, contact the financial aid office for advice, as the
remedy differs depending on your program. For example, undergraduates
who exceed 180 credits will regain eligibility when they graduate
and seek a graduate degree, a second bachelor’s degree, or
teacher certification. General Studies students must be enrolled
in their degree program at the beginning of their junior year.
APPEAL PROCEDURES
If you are denied financial aid because of failure to maintain
satisfactory academic progress, you may appeal. To be successful,
you must document extenuating circumstances beyond your control,
such as a serious illness or a death in your immediate family,
which prevented you from doing well in school. Appeal forms
explaining the appeal procedures and necessary documentation
are available in the Financial Aid Office and on line at http://www.msubillings.edu/finaid. |
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