Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid

Eligibility for Medical Students
I. Introduction
     This policy has been developed to ensure that the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Student Financial Aid Program meets or exceeds requirements set forth by federal regulations governing academic standards of progress for financial aid eligibility. Evaluation of students’ satisfactory academic progress for purposes of financial aid eligibility is made at the end of each financial aid term.

II. Institutionally Controlled Financial Aid
     Receipt of institutionally controlled financial aid requires full-time enrollment. Certain institutional aid programs have specific academic requirements, which are communicated to recipients at the time of the award. The Scholarship and Student Finance Committee reserves the right to revoke institutionally-controlled financial aid for violation of School of Medicine regulations, including its honor code, or for violation of federal, state, or local laws.

III. Federal Financial Aid
     The Higher Education Act mandates that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress for students receiving federal financial aid. Wake Forest University School of Medicine makes these minimum standards applicable to all programs funded by the federal government. Students should note that the policy on satisfactory academic progress applies only to the general eligibility for federal aid consideration. There are other federally mandated requirements a student must meet to receive federal financial aid. Other general student eligibility requirements for a student to receive federal financial aid are listed in The Student Guide, a publication of the U.S. Department of Education.

General Requirements
     Financial aid is awarded based on the academic year calendar as established by the Office of Medical Education. The academic year contains two semesters, each of which is considered one financial aid term.

A. Time limits on Financial Aid Eligibility
     A student will be permitted a time limit of four financial aid terms of enrollment beyond the standard required length of study as a full-time student to complete the program in which he or she is enrolled. Summer enrollment, if required, is considered part of the preceding financial aid term for purposes of this measure.
     A student may be granted a leave of absence for a variety of reasons. The period of leave for which the student has been approved may be excluded from the maximum time frame in which an individual student will be expected to complete the program.
     The period of time for which a student is registered to pursue a full-time, non-credit research fellowship shall be excluded from the maximum time frame in which an individual student will be expected to complete the program.

     Medical students who are accepted for transfer from other medical schools will be evaluated with respect to levels of academic progress attained, and a determination will be made as to remaining years of financial aid eligibility. This determination will be coordinated among the Associate Dean for Admissions, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Director of Financial Aid.
     A student failing to meet this standard will be suspended from financial aid eligibility.

B. Completion of Course Requirements
     1. A student must complete course requirements as defined in the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Bulletin section on Progress and Promotion. Any student failing to meet the standard due to probationary or failing grades will be placed on financial aid probation.
     2. As soon as incomplete grades are changed to earned grades, the student’s probationary or suspended status will be lifted if the course standards are completed (See V Reinstatement).

Grade Requirements
A. Grade requirements for financial aid probation are commensurate with grade requirements for academic probation as defined in the WFUSM Bulletin. Any student on academic probation will be placed on financial aid probation.

B. A student placed on probation for financial aid eligibility must, within the next twelve months, attain satisfactory academic progress as defined in the Bulletin. Failure to do so will result in suspension of financial aid eligibility for federal funds.

IV. Appeals of Financial Aid Suspension
     A student on Financial Aid suspension may appeal within ten working days after notification of suspension by indicating in writing to the Associate Dean of Student Services and Financial Aid Director (a) reasons why he/she did not achieve minimum academic standards and (b) reasons why his/her aid eligibility should not be terminated or should be reinstated. Each appeal will be considered on its own merit. Individual cases will not be considered as precedent. The appeal will be forwarded to the Scholarship and Student Finance Committee.

A. The Scholarship and Student Finance Committee will review the appeal within ten working days of its receipt and determine whether the financial aid suspension is justified. The student will be advised in writing of the decision within five working days of the appeal’s consideration.

B. A student wishing to appeal the decision of the Scholarship and Student Finance Committee to the Dean of the School of Medicine may do so in accordance with these procedures:

1. A written appeal must be delivered to the Dean of the School of Medicine within five working days of the Committee’s decision.
2. The Dean of the School of Medicine will review the student’s appeal and will communicate a decision to the Financial Aid Director within ten working days of the receipt of the appeal.

V. Reinstatement
     A student shall be reinstated for financial aid eligibility at such time as he or she successfully achieves satisfactory academic progress. It is the student’s responsibility to present evidence to the Financial Aid Office at the time he/she has met minimum requirements for reinstatement. A student determined ineligible for any financial aid term who subsequently becomes eligible for reinstatement may request a special review during the term and may thereby be reinstated for all or part of that financial aid term. The student must request any such review in writing; otherwise only one determination of satisfactory academic progress will be made each financial aid term. Reinstatement cannot be made retroactive to a prior financial aid term.

VI. Enforcement
     The Office of the Associate Dean for Student Services shall have primary responsibility for enforcing this policy. The Office of the Registrar and other offices that maintain student information relevant to enforcement shall provide information, when requested by the Associate Dean for Student Services. The Financial Aid Office shall provide a copy of this policy to each student at the time of initial enrollment.
     The Financial Aid Office shall ascertain at the time of disbursement of funds and prior to certification of a student loan application that the student is in compliance with the policy.