Maintaining Academic Eligibility for Financial Aid

An underlying requirement for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid is the need for students to meet minimum academic standards. Students who do not meet these standards may lose their eligibility for financial aid (including loans) even if they meet all other requirements of the aid programs. Some students could lose their eligibility for financial aid even if their academic program allows them to continue with their studies. These minimum academic standards are part of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Please note that the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy is distinct from the Satisfactory Academic Progress that governs progress and promotions.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy – MD Program

Federal regulations require that students receiving financial assistance maintain satisfactory academic progress. The Office of Financial Aid is required to monitor a student aid recipient’s academic progress. Aid recipients must meet certain quantitative and qualitative measures and complete their programs within a maximum time frame. All students who receive financial aid, whether from federal, state or Emory-funded sources, must be enrolled degree candidates in good standing to retain financial aid awards.

Academic records will be evaluated each semester as follows:

Time to degree completion (maximum attempted units), and percentage of courses passed (completion rate) will be evaluated at the conclusion of each year. Medical students must maintain a completion rate of 66.6% to meet satisfactory academic progress standards.

Failure to maintain the completion rate for two successive years will result in disqualification from receiving financial aid.

All students are expected to complete their degree programs within a maximum time frame. The maximum time frame for graduate students is 150% of the hours required to complete their degree program. Time to degree completion is calculated for all credit hours for which the student enrolls or receives credit at Emory and any of the following grades are assigned: Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. A course assigned an Incomplete, In Progress or Withdrawal is also counted toward attempted credits. Audited classes are not considered attempted credits. Medical students must complete the degree within 269 attempted units based on a 179 unit-degree requirement.

Students who exceed the maximum timeframe are disqualified from receiving financial aid.

Please reach out to the Financial Aid office for additional advice if you are disqualified, as you may be able to appeal. However, this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Monitoring Eligibility: Disqualification, Probation, Suspension and Conditions of Reinstatement

Students whose academic records fall below the minimum standards stated above will be disqualified from receiving future financial aid payments. Disqualified students may be approved to receive financial aid after successfully appealing their case. Students who successfully appeal may have their financial aid reinstated but will be reevaluated on a semester basis.

Students who fail to meet the terms of their appeal will be ineligible for future financial aid payments. Students who become ineligible for financial aid can re- establish their eligibility by attending classes at their own expense or with the help of private resources from outside the University. Once minimum standards are met, financial aid funding may be reinstated.

An appeal for extenuating circumstances should be submitted by the first day of class for the semester one is appealing to ensure adequate time to prepare for any impact to the student account. Failure to submit a complete appeal by this date may result in the loss of your financial aid for that semester.

A Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form should be submitted with supporting documentation of any mitigating circumstances that negatively impacted academic progression. The financial aid advisor should be contacted for any questions.

Generally, the Office of Financial Aid will only approve one appeal per academic degree. This policy may be waived on a case-by-case basis where extenuating circumstances can be documented.