Academic Eligibility for Financial Assistance
Jacksonville University Scholarship Renewal Policy
Jacksonville University scholarships are awarded to first-year students for eight semesters or until the undergraduate degree is conferred (whichever is earlier) and are only applicable to the traditional undergradauate program. Transfer student scholarships are awarded for the period specified in students’ initial scholarship notification letter or until the undergraduate degree is conferred (whichever is earlier).
Federal Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress
The federal financial assistance standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) apply to all federal, state and institutional student assistance programs unless specific higher renewal requirements are required. Students must demonstrate a progression toward completion of their degree program within an established timeframe. Progress is measured by Qualitative and Quantitative Standards. SAP is monitored annually at the end of each spring term. Notifications will be mailed or emailed to students by June 1st every year.
Qualitative Standards
Grade Point Average – undergraduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater and graduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Coursework taken outside of Jacksonville University (JU) do not count towards your JU cumulative GPA.
Quantitative Standards
Completion Rate (Pace) – Undergraduates must complete 66.7% of the total credit hours attempted. Transfer hours accepted by JU count as both hours attempted and hours completed. Incomplete, repeated, and withdrawal grades also count as attempted hours, but not completed hours. Graduates must complete based on the programs academic standards for an academic year.
Allowable Timeframe (Maximum Timeframe) – The maximum timeframe for receiving financial assistance for an Undergraduate degree is 150% of the required credits for that degree. For most full- time undergraduate students that is five years or 10 semesters. For example, an undergraduate degree program that requires 120 credits means the student cannot exceed 180 credits of attempted coursework. The time frame for progress towards degree completion does not automatically increase if you change your major or pursue a double major. Also, in some circumstances students with appropriate disability documentation may qualify for full-time status with reduced course loads; however, these students are still held to the same academic expectations as stated above (Qualitative and Quantitative).
Failure to meet the above criteria qualitative and quantitative standards (GPA, Completion Rate, Maximum Timeframe) will place you on financial aid suspension.
Financial Assistance Suspension
Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress are placed on financial aid suspension. You have the option to appeal the suspension. An appeal must be based on an extenuating circumstance that seriously affected your academic performance (ie) Death of Immediate Family Member, Illness, Major Life Event, etc. Appeal forms are available through the financial aid office and online at www.ju.edu/financialaid/Pages/forms.aspx. Decision of appeal will be mailed or emailed to you within 30 days of receipt of the appeal. Submission of an appeal is not an automatic approval. Submission of an academic suspension appeal is also not related to financial aid suspension appeals, and academic decisions have no bearing on the financial assistance status.
The appeal should be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Assistance. The submission requirements are detailed in the notification letter sent to you. Below is an outline of what is required. Any original documents turned in will not be returned so please be sure to remit copies.
- Financial assistance appeal form
- Academic plan (see below)
- Typed personal statement explaining the extenuating circumstance and the actions you are taking to ensure future academic success.
- Supporting documentation of extenuating circumstance
If the appeal is approved you will be placed on Financial Assistance Probation.
Financial Assistance Probation
If the student’s appeal is approved the student will be placed on Financial Assistance Probation. The probationary period is one (1) payment period/term at a time. A payment period at JU is either a Fall, Spring, or Summer term, and is the next term of enrollment regardless if the student is receiving financial aid in that term or not. At the conclusion of the payment period/term the Office of Student Financial Assistance will review to ensure that the student is now meeting the SAP standards or meeting the terms of the academic plan toward progression in order to qualify for further Title IV Funding. If they are not making SAP standards again at that time, they will be on financial assistance suspension again with no option of appeal.
Academic Plan
An academic plan is to be developed between student and academic advisor. The student must make academic plans for each term and meet the requirements of the plan. The plan should be an effort to get the student back to the qualitative and quantitative standards from the section above. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will monitor the progress of a student by reviewing the academic plan submitted and the degree audit for the student. If the student fails to meet the conditions outlined in their academic plan, the student will not be able to submit any further appeals or academic plans and will be on financial assistance suspension from the university until such time as the student meets SAP requirements.
Academic plans can be obtained through the JU Office of Student Financial Assistance and Academic Advising.
Re-establishing Financial Assistance Eligibility without Appeal
If the student is allowed to attend JU academically, they may continue at their own expense to attempt to improve completion rates and/or GPA issues. Once a student is back into compliance with SAP, they may contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for review of reinstatement of their financial assistance.
Basic Credit Hour Requirements
Students are expected to earn a minimum number of credit hours as determined for their enrollment status; i.e., full-time, three quarter-time, half-time, to maintain satisfactory academic progress. For a full-time student, a minimum of 24 credits must be earned in the academic year. Three quarter-time students must earn a minimum of 18 credits during the academic year, and half-time students must earn a minimum of 12 credits during the academic year.
State of Florida Standards of Academic Progress
Eligibility for renewal of state awards is determined once a year, at the end of the spring term. The state requires that a student have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and meet the institution’s definition of satisfactory academic progress. Students are also required to earn a minimum of 24 credits annually for renewal. Completion and CGPA requirements are different for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Scholarships and Academic Progress - Some institutional scholarship programs have a higher grade point requirement for renewal. Though the grade point requirements differ, the basic standards for completion apply.