Satisfactory Academic Progress Norm: Undergraduate Programs
The fundamental mission of Inter American University of Puerto Rico is to develop the talent of its students. The University is committed to making all reasonable efforts to enable students to complete the program of study in which they are enrolled and, thereby, obtain the corresponding academic degree. Cognizant of this responsibility, the University has incorporated the practice of periodically evaluating students' academic progress throughout their years of study. This allows the University to take the necessary measures to achieve greater student retention and enable students to reach their educational goals.
Inter American University requires that all students demonstrate satisfactory academic progress throughout their program of study. The attainment of satisfactory academic progress is related to eligibility to receive federal, state and institutional financial aid.
- The University will annually review students’ satisfactory academic progress at the end of the academic terms that constitute the financial aid award year, which includes the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year. The review will include all the academic terms during which a student studied.
- New students (regular and transfer) will be evaluated for the first time when they complete their first academic year of studies, as defined in section 4.2. After completing their first year, these students will be evaluated once a year along with the rest of the student population.
- The academic progress of students on academic probation with an academic plan will be evaluated at the end of each term.
- The maximum time frame will be evaluated each term. Students who do not complete their program of study within the maximum time frame established in the applicable federal regulations and, consequently, do not achieve satisfactory academic progress, will be unable to continue studying with financial aid. When students exceed the limits indicated in this document, the dean of academic affairs, or the person he designates, will evaluate each case to determine whether the student may continue studying without financial aid.
The University will notify students, by letter or email, of their academic status and how it affects their eligibility to receive financial aid.
Requirements for making satisfactory academic progress
The requirements to attain satisfactory academic progress are divided into two components: qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative Component
6.1.1 The University will determine whether students have earned the required grade point average, which progressively increases according to the percent of earned credits. The grade point average that students must earn if they are studying for an associate or a bachelor’s degree is indicated in the tables below.
Table 1. Grade point average required for associate degree programs and with a required graduation GPA of 2.00.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-20 |
1.50 |
| 21-50 |
1.80 |
| 51-75 |
1.95 |
| 76-100 |
2.00 |
Table 2. Grade point average required for associate degree programs with a required graduation GPA of 2.25.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-20 |
1.75 |
| 21-50 |
2.05 |
| 51-75 |
2.20 |
| 76-100 |
2.25 |
Table 3. Grade point average required for associate degree programs with a required graduation GPA of 2.50.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-20 |
2.00 |
| 21-50 |
2.30 |
| 51-75 |
2.45 |
| 76-100 |
2.50 |
Table 4. Grade point average required for bachelor’s degree programs (except Teacher Education Programs) with a required graduation GPA of 2.00.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-25 |
1.50 |
| 26-50 |
1.75 |
| 51-75 |
1.90 |
| 76-100 |
2.00 |
Table 5. Grade point average required for bachelor’s degree programs (except Teacher Education Programs) with a required graduation GPA of 2.50.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-25 |
2.00 |
| 26-50 |
2.25 |
| 51-75 |
2.40 |
| 76-100 |
2.50 |
Table 6. Grade point average required for Teacher Education Programs of 121-128 credits and a required graduation GPA of 3.00.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-36 |
2.50 |
| 37-55 |
2.75 |
| 56-74 |
2.90 |
| 75-100 |
3.00 |
Table 7. Grade point average required for Teacher Education Programs of 129-137 credits and a required graduation GPA of 3.00.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-34 |
2.50 |
| 35-52 |
2.75 |
| 53-69 |
2.90 |
| 70-100 |
3.00 |
Table 8. Grade point average required for Teacher Education Programs of 138-153 credits and a required graduation GPA of 3.00.
| Percent (%) of credits approved |
Progressive academic index |
| 0-32 |
2.50 |
| 33-48 |
2.75 |
| 49-64 |
2.70 |
| 65-100 |
3.00 |
The progressive grade point average does not apply to engineering programs. Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering programs must maintain a 2.00 GPA.
Students pursuing a program of study with a duration longer than two years must achieve a minimum grade point average of 1.50 by the end of their second academic year; in other words, by the time they have attempted courses in four semesters, six trimesters or eight quarters, whether they are part-time or full-time students.
Quantitative Component
The University will determine whether the student meets the quantitative component of this satisfactory academic progress policy. In order to comply with this component, students must:
- Earn at least 50%, 60% or 66.67% of the total attempted credits of their program of study at the annual satisfactory academic progress evaluation, as indicated in the following table. This is determined by dividing the total credits earned by the total credits attempted.
Percent of credits attempted in the program of study
|
Required Progressive Pace of Completion
|
1-25
|
50%
|
26-50
|
60%
|
51-100
|
66.67%
|
- complete the program of study requirements in a period no longer than 150% of the published length of the program (measured in credits).
Maximum Time Frame
The maximum time frame is the maximum time a student can receive federal (Title IV), state and institutional financial aid to complete a program of study. For undergraduate programs, the maximum time frame is no longer than 150% of published length of an educational program measured in credit-hours. In other words, the student receive financial aid to pay for all the credits required by the program of study (100%) and an additional 50% for contingencies.
Transfer Credits Policy
The school accepts a maximum of 67 % of transfer credits from other schools toward associate degree programs of study. Students must satisfactorily complete at least one third of the credits required for the degree and at least one third of the credits required for the major at Inter American University.
The school accepts between 80 % and 85 % of transfer credits from other schools toward bachelor degree programs, depending on the total number of credits required by the program. Students must satisfactorily complete at least 24 credits of the total number of credits required for the degree at Inter American University, of which at least 15 credits must be credits required for the major. The rest may be General Education courses or elective courses.
Some programs of study do not allow transfer of credits. These exceptions are noted in this Catalog under the program description.
First Academic Probation and Financial Aid Suspension
The first time a student does not make satisfactory academic progress, as stipulated in this document, he will be placed on first academic probation status during the next academic term in which he enrolls.
If a student is authorized to change his major after being placed on probation, this status will remain in his academic record during the next term in which he enrolls, and he must comply with the provisions of section 6.4 of this document. However, when next evaluated, only the credits applicable to the new program of study will be considered, as explained in subsection 5.5.
Students who receive financial aid and do not make satisfactory academic progress, as stipulated in this document, will have their financial aid suspended. The students may appeal for reinstatement of financial aid.
The academic load of students on academic probation and financial aid probation will be limited to twelve credits per semester, trimester, or quarter. The dean of academic affairs will evaluate any exceptions to this provision, taking into consideration the merits of each case
Academic Plan for Overcoming an Academic Probation and the Appeal Process for Reinstatement of Financial Aid
All students on academic probation must develop, with the help of an academic advisor or professional advisor, an academic plan that will enable them to make satisfactory academic progress within the next two (2) semesters, three (3) trimesters or four (4) quarters. Academic plans may cover a longer time period for cases that warrant it.
As part of the academic plan, the student will give priority, but not limit himself, to:
- repeat and pass courses which he has failed (F), abandoned (UW), or in which he has not obtained the grade required by his program of studies.
- earn no less than 66.67% of the attempted credits upon completion of each academic term, and
- obtain a minimum grade point average that will enable him to meet the required 2.00 graduation GPA, or the GPA required by his program of study.
A student who wishes to appeal a financial aid suspension, must submit an appeal to the dean of academic affairs, or the person he designates, upon receiving notification of the financial aid suspension. Financial aid may only be reinstated after the appeal is granted. Consequently, it is recommended that the student submit the appeal before or at the beginning of the term in which he plans to enroll. The academic plan must be submitted along with the appeal.
The student must base his appeal upon mitigating circumstances, beyond his control, such as: 1) suffering a documented medical condition, 2) death of an immediate family member, 3) military deployment, or 4) other mayor circumstances beyond the student’s control. The student must explain what has changed at that point in time that will allow him to maintain satisfactory academic progress moving forward. The dean of academic affairs will refer the student’s petition to the Appeals Committee.
Each academic unit will have an Appeals Committee appointed by the chancellor to evaluate the students’ appeals. The Committee may request advice from professors or any other university officers they deem relevant.
When evaluating an appeal, the Appeals Committee will take into consideration whether the student will be able to obtain the required academic progress by the end of the next academic term in which he enrolls or upon completion of his academic plan. The Committee will have a reasonable period of time to analyze the case and inform the chancellor of its decision.
If the Committee concludes that a student will be able to make satisfactory academic progress during the next academic term in which he enrolls, or will be able to reasonably fulfill the provisions of the academic plan, it will approve the appeal and grant the student a financial aid probation for the next academic term in which he enrolls or as long as he continues to comply with the provisions of the academic plan.
A student who receives financial aid probation and is required to comply with the provisions of his academic plan, may not change his major unless authorized by the Appeals Committee and develops a new academic plan to enable him to make academic progress.
A student can be on academic probation during one academic year, unless the academic plan establishes that he will require more time to make satisfactory academic progress. At the conclusion of each term, the student must comply with the provisions of his academic plan in order to retain his eligibility to receive financial aid.
Eligibility to receive financial aid during terms in which the student is on academic probation will be determined through the appeal process described in subsections 6.4.3 through 6.4.7.
If at the end of any of the terms under financial aid probation and academic probation, a student makes satisfactory academic progress, he will be considered in compliance with the satisfactory academic progress policy.
If at the end of any of the terms under financial aid probation and academic probation, a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress but has complied with the provisions of the academic plan for said term, the student will maintain the status of academic probation and financial aid probation.
If at the end of any of the terms under financial aid probation and academic probation, a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress and has not complied with the provisions of the academic plan, the student will be suspended academically for six months and financial aid will be suspended.
Process for Appealing the First Academic Suspension and the Financial Aid Suspension
If at the end of the period to comply with the terms of the academic plan for the first academic probation, the student does not make satisfactory academic progress, he will be academically suspended and his financial aid will be suspended. The first academic suspension will be for six (6) months. This period includes all applicable academic terms.
The dean of academic affairs will notify the student of this determination by letter or e-mail, a copy of which will be included in the student’s academic file.
Students who want to appeal the academic suspension and financial aid suspension must prepare, with the help of a professional counselor or an academic advisor, an academic plan that will enable him to make satisfactory academic progress. The student must submit the academic plan, along with an appeal, to the dean of academic affairs or the person the dean designates, as soon as he receives notification of the financial aid suspension. Financial aid can only be authorized if the student’s appeal is approved. For this reason, the student should submit the appeal before, or at the beginning of, the term in which he plans to enroll. The dean of academic affairs will refer the student’s petition to the Appeals Committee. See Section 6.4.
When evaluating the petition, the Appeals Committee will consider whether the student will be able to make satisfactory academic progress by the end of the next academic year. The Committee will render a report on its decision to the chancellor of the academic unit within a reasonable period of time. The dean of academic affairs will notify the student of the decision by letter or e-mail, a copy of which will be included in the student’s academic file.
If the Committee concludes that the student’s appeal has merit, he will be allowed to continue studying under the status of second academic probation and financial aid probation.
If the Committee does not approve the student’s petition, the student will remain suspended for six (6) months, after which he may continue studying under a second academic probation status. The student must comply with the provisions stipulated in Section 6.4 of this document to make satisfactory academic progress and appeal the financial aid suspension.
If upon the conclusion of the second academic probation the student manages to make satisfactory academic progress, he will be in compliance with this satisfactory academic progress policy. Otherwise, he will be academically suspended for the second time and will again be placed on financial aid suspension.
Second Academic Suspension
A student suspended for a second time for not making satisfactory academic progress will remain under that classification for one academic year and may not appeal this decision.
At the end of the suspension period, the student may request readmission and, if the dean of academic affairs, or the person he designates, concludes that it is possible for the student to make satisfactory academic progress, he may be readmitted under the status of third academic probation.
Permission to continue studying under a third academic probation status does not imply that the student is eligible for financial aid.
A student who wants to appeal the financial aid suspension must prepare, with the help of a professional counselor or an academic advisor, an academic plan that will enable him to make satisfactory academic progress. The student must submit the academic plan, along with the appeal, to the dean of academic affairs or the person the dean designates, as soon as he receives the notification of the financial aid suspension. Financial aid can only be authorized if the student’s appeal is approved. For this reason, the student should submit the appeal before, or at the beginning of, the term in which he plans to enroll. The dean of academic affairs will refer the student’s petition to the Appeals Committee. See Section 6.4.1 to 6.4.8.
If a student makes satisfactory academic progress by the end of the third academic probation, he will be in compliance with the satisfactory academic progress policy.
If a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress under a third academic probation, he will be suspended for a third time, and may not appeal this decision.
Readmission of Suspended Students
Requests for readmission from previously suspended students, as stipulated in this policy, or from students who have interrupted their studies while under academic probation, will be evaluated by the dean of academic affairs or the person he designates.
Students suspended for six months (first academic suspension) may resume their studies, after completing the stipulated period, under the status of second academic probation without having to apply for readmission. However, if they interrupt their studies for a period longer than one year, they will have to apply for readmission.
Students suspended for one year (second academic suspension) may be readmitted under the status of third academic probation, provided that the dean of academic affairs, or the person he designates, determines that it is possible for the student to make satisfactory academic progress.
All students thus readmitted must appeal the financial aid suspension y must comply with the provisions of Section VI of this document in order to make satisfactory academic progress and have financial aid reinstated.
General dispositions
- Students enrolled in a program of study that has higher academic requirements than those established in this document must meet the program’s requirements in order to remain in the program.
- The maximum time frame will be evaluated each term. Students who do not complete their program of study within the maximum time frame established in the applicable federal regulations and, consequently, do not achieve satisfactory academic progress, will be unable to continue studying with financial aid. When students exceed the limits indicated in this document, the dean of academic affairs, or the person he designates, will evaluate each case to determine whether the student may continue studying without financial aid.
- Students must declare a major and may change it after consulting with the academic advisor. When students change their major, the credits attempted for the first major will not be considered when determining their new program grade point average and the pace of completion required to make satisfactory academic progress, except when these credits are among the requirements of the new program of study.
- The courses of a program of study may be paid with financial aid while students remains in their original program or after making a duly authorized and registered program change.
- All students may opt for declaring up to two minor concentrations that are defined in the current General Catalog and for which they comply with the requisites. These courses may be paid with financial aid until the students complete the major program’s requirements or complete the maximum time frame, whichever occurs first.
- Students who officially withdraw (W), abandon a course (UW) or fail, in other words, obtain a grade of “F” or “NP”, can repeat the course as many times as necessary and pay for it with financial aid. On the other hand, students who want to repeat a previously earned course may pay for it with financial aid only once. An earned course is one in which the student obtained a grade of A, B, C, D, or P. The repetition of courses affects the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy’s qualitative component.
- All repeated courses are considered attempted credits for the purpose of determining the maximum time frame, measured in credit hours, and the pace of completion. In the case of repeated courses, only the highest grade will be used to calculate a student’s grade point average.
- Transfer credits (T) are considered part of a student's academic record for the purpose of establishing the percentage of earned credits of the program of study’s requirements and for determining the maximum time frame for receiving financial aid. Only transfer credits applicable to the program of study, including elective credits, will be validated. If students have already earned the elective courses required by their program, no additional credits will be validated.
- The evaluation to determine students’ academic progress will not consider the courses in which they have received notations of I (incomplete) until the incomplete notations have been removed.
- The University will notify students, by letter or email, of their academic status and how it affects their eligibility to receive financial aid.
- After graduation, the academic transcript will not reflect a student’s probation and suspension periods.
- Students may not appeal a financial aid suspension and obtain a financial aid probation for the same circumstances on more than one occasion.