Policies
Students who wish to receive financial assistance must be in good academic standing and make satisfactory academic progress in their degree or certificate program in addition to meeting other eligibility criteria.
A. Quality of Progress "Good Academic Standing"
- Students requesting aid must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.
- GPAs are reviewed at the end of each semester.
- Students who fail to maintain the minimum GPA will be given one semester of "Aid Probation" in which they must earn the above listed cumulative GPA, or they will be suspended from the aid programs.
- Freshmen entering with a GPA lower than 2.0 will be given one semester of "aid probation" and must achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- Transfer students entering with a GPA lower than 2.0 will not be eligible for aid until a 2.0 cumulative GPA is attained.
B. Quantity of Progress "Unit Completion Requirement"
- Students requesting aid must make progress toward their degrees as follows:
Full time: 24 units/academic year
3/4 time: 18 units/academic year
1/2 time: 12 units/academic year - Unit completion is reviewed at the end of each academic year. The academic year is considered September through August. Official transcripts must be received by September 1, to be considered for the unit completion requirement.
- The following grades are considered to demonstrate satisfactory course completion: A, B, C, D, and Pass. These grades do not demonstrate course completion: F, No Pass, Incomplete, Withdrawal, and In-Progress.
- Repeated courses in which a satisfactory grade has been given may only be counted once for the purpose of academic advisor.
- Students who fail to complete the required number of units per academic year will be suspended from financial aid until the deficit units are completed. Deficit units may be made up either in the summer and/or by petitioning for a semester of "aid probation" by submitting an APU General Petition form to the Office of Student Financial Services.
C. Quantity of Progress "Maximum Time Frame"
- Students requesting aid are expected to complete their academic program
within a reasonable time frame (including transfer units) as follows:
Full time: 6 academic years
Part time: 8 academic years - The time frame is reviewed when the application is submitted.
- Students may petition for extended time by submitting a General Petition form to the Office of Student Financial Services.
Financial Agreement
A student may not participate in graduation ceremonies, register for further sessions, or receive any diploma, grades, certificates, transcript, or letters of recommendation until all financial obligations (including NDSL/Perkins Loan) have been satisfied in accordance with APU financial policies. Any diploma, grades, certificates, transcript, or letters of recommendation shall be retained by the university as a security interest until all such obligations are satisfied. Release of any such security interest prior to, or subsequent to, any default by the debtors shall not be considered a binding precedent or modification of this policy.
