Pace Requirement: Both undergraduate and graduate students must earn at least 67% (no rounding up) of the credits attempted each semester. A full-time student who attempts 16 credits in a semester must successfully complete 10.72 credits to maintain their pace requirement (16 credits x .67 = 10.72 credits).

Satisfactory academic progress is based on meeting academic checkpoints based on minimum cumulative GPA requirements and credit hours completed. In order to progress each semester at Guilford College, students must meet the academic checkpoints outlined below:

Note: The following checkpoints are representative of satisfactory academic progress for full-time students enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits in the fall or spring semester. Part-time students enrolled in less than 12 credits are only responsible for meeting the cumulative GPA requirements. If a part-time student becomes full-time in either the fall or spring semester, both the GPA and credit hours requirements will apply based on the number of credits earned at the beginning of the semester.

Note: New students entering with transfer credit accepted by Guilford College must meet the corresponding checkpoint based on the number of credits earned.

The following table is representative of Satisfactory Academic Progress for full-time students enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Checkpoint	Timing	GPA Requirement	Credits Completed	Pace Requirement	Other
1st	in order to enter the sophomore year (typically third semester)	1.6 cumulative minimum	minimum 22 credits (30 credits represents a usual progress for a full-time student)	67% of attempted credits successfully completed (no rounding)
	recommended to enter the second semester of the sophomore year	1.7 cumulative minimum
2nd	in order to enter the junior year (typically fifth semester)	1.8 cumulative minimum	minimum 54 credits completed (60 credits represent usual progress)	67% of attempted credits successfully completed (no rounding)
3rd	in order to enter the senior year (typically seventh semester )	2.0 cumulative minimum	minimum 87 credits completed (90 credits represent usual progress)	67% of attempted credits successfully completed (no rounding)
4th	in order to receive a diploma	2.0 cumulative minimum	1998 Curriculum - 128 credits (to receive diploma); 120 credits (to participate in May commencement)	67% of attempted credits successfully completed (no rounding)	all graduation requirements met (to receive diploma); all graduation requirements met and registered for remaining credits (to participate in May commencement)
			2018 Curriculum - 124 credits (to receive diploma); 116 credits (to participate in May Commencement)	67% of attempted credits successfully completed (no rounding)

Unsatisfactory Academic Progress

Students who miss a checkpoint once are granted a support semester to complete the minimum requirements for that checkpoint to maintain satisfactory academic progress. If a student does not meet the minimum requirements for the missed checkpoint twice, that student is ineligible to return for the subsequent semester. Students may elect to register for summer courses to improve their cumulative GPAs and to take additional credits. However, summer coursework does not impact a student’s academic status.

Note: Summer coursework does not affect the academic status of a veteran and/or dependent of a veteran. However, summer courses may impact VA educational benefits for veterans and dependents of veterans - see section on “Veterans.” VA benefits are terminated when a student is under suspension due to Unsatisfactory Academic Progress OR earns a cumulative GPA below a 2.0, the minimum required cumulative GPA to graduate from Guilford College, for two consecutive semesters. VA benefits are reinstated if the student is eligible to be readmitted into Guilford College and after a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is reached.

To be reinstated after the conclusion of the semester in which a student is ineligible to return, students must reapply and be readmitted to the College following the guidelines in the Student Handbook. Applications for readmission are available on the Guilford College Admissions Web page and are referred to an associate academic dean.

To avoid further separation from College after readmission, readmitted students must meet the requirements of the missed academic checkpoint at the conclusion of the semester.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients

Earned and Attempted Credit Hours: Satisfactory Academic Progress uses credit hours to measure both the pace and maximum timeframe requirement. It is important to understand the difference between the two types of credit hours.   

• "Earned” credit hours are courses in which the student receives a letter grade of “D” or higher or “CR” in a Pass/Fail course.
• “Attempted” credits are courses in which the student enrolls and remains enrolled after the add/drop period of each semester – even if the student later withdraws or fails the course. Courses dropped during the drop/add period defined by the college at the beginning of each term are not counted as attempted hours.

For additional institutional and federal guidelines on Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients to include review and appeal processes, click "Policy".

The following definitions apply to this policy:

• Financial Aid Programs: All federal programs to include loans, grants and work study, NC State grant programs, outside programs offered from other states and private organizations and institutional aid.
• Earned and Attempted Credit Hours: Satisfactory Academic Progress uses credit hours to measure both the pace and maximum timeframe requirement. It is important to understand the difference between the two types of credit hours.  
  • “Earned” credit hours are courses in which the student receives a letter grade of “D” or higher or “CR” in a Pass/Fail course.
  • “Attempted” credits are courses in which the student enrolls and remains enrolled after the add/drop period of each semester – even if the student later withdraws or fails the course.  Courses dropped during the drop/add period defined by the college at the beginning of each term are not counted as attempted hours.
• Pace Requirement: Both undergraduate and graduate students must earn at least 67% (no rounding up) of the credits attempted each semester. A full-time student who attempts 16 credits in a semester must successfully complete 10.72 credits to maintain their pace requirement (16 credits x .67 = 10.72 credits).  
• Maximum Time Frame: The maximum period in which students may receive financial aid based on the degree program in which they are enrolled. Students have a maximum period of 150% of the credits required to complete the program to remain eligible. 
  • Bachelor degree program that requires 128 credits to graduate will have a total of 190 attempted credits allowed, not to exceed six calendar years from the beginning of the initial semester including periods of non-enrollment.
  • Bachelor degree program that requires 124 credits to graduate will have a total of 186 attempted credits allowed, not to exceed six calendar years from the beginning of the initial semester including periods of non-enrollment.
  • Graduate degree program that requires 40 credits to graduate will have a total of 60 attempted credits allowed, not to exceed 4 calendar years from the beginning of the initial semester including periods of non-enrollment.
  • There are limited appeals or extensions of the 150% maximum time frame rule. Students may continue to receive limited federal financial aid assistance and will also be able to apply for private loan funding or participate in a tuition payment plan for their educational expenses.
• Cumulative Grade Point Average: The grade point average calculated at Guilford from all credits taken. 
  • For undergraduate students they must meet the following:
    • The required minimum cumulative GPA requirement is 1.6 for students who have earned 53 credits or less.
    • The required minimum cumulative GPA requirement is 1.8 for students that have earned 54 to 86 credits.
    • The required minimum cumulative GPA requirement is 2.0 for students that have eared 87 credits or more.
  • For graduate students they must meet the following:
    • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 must be maintained.