PURPOSE / SCOPE:
This policy provides Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) students with guidelines pertaining to the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) required to maintain and remain eligible for Title IV Federal funding during their course of enrollment at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS:
Grading Scale
The following grades are considered successfully completed for SAP purposes: “A”, “B”, “C”, “C*”, “F/C**”, “P”, “P*”. In years 3 and 4 the following grades are considered successfully completed for SAP purposes: “H”, “HP”, “P”, “P*”.
The following grades are NOT considered successfully completed for SAP purposes: “F”, “I”,
“IP”, “W”, “WF”.
GPA
“GPA” Is defined in the ICOM Catalog and includes coursework receiving a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “C*”, “F/C**”, and “F”. Only courses in years 1 and 2 are assigned these grades. The student’s GPA is calculated from coursework in the first two years. Transfer students that are accepted to ICOM after completion of the first two years at another institution, will not have a GPA. The GPA for transfer students accepted within the first two years of medical school will be based upon graded coursework taken at ICOM.
POLICY AND PROCEDURE:
All students admitted and enrolled at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) pursuing the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) must meet the following standards in order to establish and maintain eligibility for federal financial aid. Active students in ICOM’s DO program are enrolled full-time every semester. The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are measured for all students in all academic years, even those in which the student does not receive federal financial aid. Please be aware that the academic standards and eligibility requirements may differ from these standards (refer to the Catalog for these policies).
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are evaluated at the end of each academic year for all students enrolled in that year who will continue enrollment at ICOM. Students who are receiving aid are notified of their current SAP standing via student email once the evaluation is complete. If a student’s SAP standing is not viewable in the student portal, it can be obtained by contacting the Office of Financial Aid. Financial aid offered in future enrollment period(s) may be canceled if a student’s academic progress does not meet the required standards outlined below. The annual evaluation reviews all coursework counted in GPA and credits. Transfer students who are approved to matriculate at ICOM will have their official transcripts reviewed and will be evaluated for SAP prior to joining the DO program at ICOM. Students will be notified of their SAP standing after this review.
If a student’s grade changes at any point, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office of Financial Aid and inform them of the grade change so that SAP can be re- evaluated. Students not meeting the standards will be placed on SAP suspension and can appeal to receive future financial aid except as noted below*. Please refer to the “Appeals section of this policy to review the steps required to complete and submit an appeal.
*Note: Any student who has exceeded the 150% program limitation as described below, becomes automatically ineligible for Title IV funds. Students beyond the 150% limitation are not eligible for aid and appeals are not accepted. Additionally, once a student fulfills all of the degree requirements, they are no longer eligible for federal aid.
REQUIREMENTS
1) GPA Requirement
Students must achieve a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA** at each annual evaluation (see “Terms and Definitions”).
Students must complete all graded courses with at least a “C” average and have an academic standing consistent with the institution’s graduation requirements.
Transfer students with graded coursework at ICOM must meet the GPA requirement outlined in this policy. Transfer students without graded coursework at ICOM will not have a GPA and cannot be evaluated for meeting the GPA requirement.
**Note: Other types of financial aid or scholarships may have higher GPA requirements for receipt or renewal. Not all periods of enrollment have graded courses, (see GPA in Terms and Definitions).
2) Pace of Completion Requirement
Students must progress toward completion of their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree while maintaining a minimum cumulative 67% completion rate at each evaluation.
*** The completion rate is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credit hours a student has successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours a student has attempted (see “Terms and Definitions”). All students, including transfer students, must meet the pace of completion requirement.
***Note: Students must progress through the program to ensure that they will complete or graduate within the maximum time frame.
3) Maximum Timeframe Requirement
Students must be able to complete all the requirements for the DO program within 150% of the published length of the program (four years) which is the equivalent of six years of attendance at ICOM. **** If a student cannot complete the program within 6 years, they are academically dismissed from the school. Transfer credit hours are reviewed by the college to determine their equivalency to ICOM’s credit. Any credits added to the ICOM student record will be counted as both attempted and completed credits. All credits on the student record are included in the maximum timeframe calculation.
****Note: If an SAP evaluation makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically complete all required coursework within the maximum allowed time frame, or cannot raise their GPA to the required minimum, the student will become ineligible for any future federal financial aid and loans at ICOM.
NOTIFICATIONS AND SAP STANDINGS
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are evaluated annually to correspond with the end of a payment period, and students are notified of their SAP standing after the evaluation is complete. Possible SAP standings include: “Good Standing”, “Education Plan”, and “Suspension”.
“GOOD STANDING”
Students who are meeting all the Standards of Academic Progress are considered to be in “Good Standing”. No additional advising, education plan, or appeals are required. Students in “Good Standing” are encouraged to continue their progress by maintaining standards above the minimum requirements. Students are also encouraged to pursue assistance when and if needed.
“EDUCATION PLAN”
Students on “Suspension” who have an appeal approved are placed on an “Education Plan” status. Students on an “Education Plan” with an approved appeal are eligible for financial aid. The education plan is developed to ensure that the student can meet ALL the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress again by a specific point in time. Students remain eligible for aid as long as they adhere to the terms outlined in their plan. A student is held to the standards outlined in the academic plan and their progress is reviewed at the end of each payment period.
Students who fail to adhere to the requirements specified within their academic plan or who fail to achieve the minimum SAP eligibility requirements by the end of their education plan timeframe, are considered ineligible to receive financial aid.
Students who once again meet all the standards while on an “Education Plan” will be placed in “Good Standing” at the next evaluation. Students who do not adhere to the plan as outlined and who do not meet SAP standards will be placed on “Suspension” at the next evaluation.
“SUSPENSION”
Students who have not met one or more of the Standards of Academic Progress are placed in a “Suspension” status. Students placed on “Suspension” may appeal if they have extenuating circumstances (see “Appeals”). Students on “Suspension” are not eligible for financial aid unless their appeal is approved. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval. See more about the appeal requirements below.
APPEALS
Students placed on “Suspension” may appeal if there are extenuating circumstances which led to the difficulties in their academic progress. The SAP appeal form is available from the Office of Financial Aid at ICOM. Incomplete appeals will not be accepted or reviewed.
Extenuating circumstances are circumstances that the student does not have control over. Examples of extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to a death in the student’s immediate family, hospitalization, accidents, or illness. Additional supporting documentation is required.
SAP Appeals must include:
1. SAP Appeal Form which includes a detailed signed statement describing the student’s extenuating circumstances and why they failed to meet the satisfactory academic standards.
2. The statement should also address what has changed in the student’s circumstances to allow them to improve their academic performance and meet the Satisfactory Progress Standards by the next evaluation.
3. Supporting documentation related to the extenuating circumstances.
4. An approved academic improvement plan that maps out the steps necessary for the student to regain good standing in an achievable timeframe prior to graduation.
Once a SAP appeal is submitted, it will be reviewed within seven business days (excluding periods of school closure) and the student will be notified via their student email of the outcome of the appeal. If the appeal is approved, the student will regain eligibility for financial aid and the student remains in the SAP status of “Education Plan”. If the appeal is denied, the student will remain ineligible for financial aid and the student is responsible for finding their own assistance to cover costs until they can once again meet the SAP requirements. A student who has become ineligible to receive financial aid and been denied by appeal may regain eligibility once they meet both the pace (quantitative) and GPA (qualitative) SAP standards outlined in this policy.
Appeal decisions are final.
REPEAT, WITHDRAWAL AND INCOMPLETE GRADES
- A course previously assigned a grade considered NOT successfully completed (see “Grading Scale”) may be repeated with the assistance of financial aid, subject to the institution’s academic restrictions on repeats.
- The most recent course completion grade is used to calculate the student’s GPA (qualitative) and pace of completion (quantitative) for SAP evaluation purposes. If a student withdraws before completing a repeated course for which they are receiving aid, it is not counted as the one eligible retake of the course.
- A course previously assigned a grade considered to be successfully completed (see “Grading Scale”) may be repeated one time with the assistance of financial aid, subject to the institution’s academic restrictions on repeats.
- Incomplete “I” and In Progress “IP” grades must have arrangements for completion by the end of the assigned remediation period for the course. Incomplete “I” and In Progress “IP” grades do not count as successfully completed in the SAP evaluation.
Note: Courses extended beyond the published end date of the academic year in which they were originally scheduled for completion, are NOT considered credits successfully completed.
NON-GPA COURSES
Courses in years 3 and 4 are assigned grades that do not have associated quality points. Students must pass these courses to meet graduation requirements. Therefore, these courses are counted in the pace of completion (quantitative measure) in both attempted and completed credits but are not considered in the GPA (qualitative measure).
REMEDIAL CREDIT AND PROGRAM CHANGES
ICOM does not offer any remedial courses. ICOM currently only offers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program, so a student cannot change programs while at this institution.
ICOM’s SAP Policy is based upon the institutional definitions of credits, grading scale and GPA and is subject to change if these definitions change without advance notice.
PRIMARY POLICY OWNER:
This policy is the responsibility of the Office of Financial Aid.
CROSS REFERENCE AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
Provide information and link to other policies or supporting documents referenced within this policy.
| CROSS REFERENCE and SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS | LOCATION |
| ICOM Catalog |
|
BOARD APPROVAL:
Effective: 3/16/23
Last Reviewed: 3/16/23
Review Requirement: