Information for
Current Students
In today’s world, being a student can be hectic. This student gateway is designed to make your life easier when navigating through our site. Find important information quickly here.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress: Maintaining satisfactory academic progress means a student who receives federal assistance (i.e. Pell Grant, Stafford Loans, Parent Loans, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, and Veteran benefits) must fulfill minimum standards in regard to academic progress and performance. Most state assistance programs follow the same rules unless otherwise noted within the award letter provided to students. These minimum standards are demonstrated in three areas: grade point average, completion of credits, and completion of the student’s degree objective (maximum credits). Scholarship recipients may or may not be subject to these requirements. NSC Scholarship recipients will receive criteria for maintaining the scholarship, as applicable. Recipients should contact the awarding agency, their donor, or Student Financial Services and Scholarships if clarification is needed.
Grade Point Average: Undergraduate students are required to have a 2.0 cumulative NSC GPA for all programs except Nevada Grant-In-Aid or Access grants. Both programs require a 2.0 NSC cumulative GPA (or new student status) and the Nevada Grant-In-Aid program requires a 2.0 NSC cumulative GPA to continue eligibility for the spring semester. Students should read their award notification letter to identify specific requirements pertaining to their financial assistance.
Completion of Credits: If a student receives financial assistance for the academic year, which includes the fall and spring semesters, the student must complete the minimum number of credits outlined below:
If a student receives a failing grade, incomplete, audit, or withdraw from a class, these credits cannot be counted toward credit requirements. Repeat classes are included in total credits completed; however, repeat classes are also counted toward the maximum number of credits allowed to complete the degree.
Less Than Half-Time Enrollment: If federal Pell Grant funds are received when enrolled for less than half-time, all credits must be completed. That is, if enrolled for four credits for the semester, all four credits must be completed at the end of the semester.
Withdrawing from Class: If a student completely withdraws or stops attending classes, resulting in receiving all “F”, “W” or “I” grades, all or a portion of financial aid funds received for the semester may have to be returned. Students should seek advice from instructors and a Financial Aid Advisor before dropping classes and should read the Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid Funds guidance included in this section of the NSC Catalog.
Maintaining Continued Eligibility for the Spring Semester: In order for fall/spring students to receive funding for the spring semester, at least one credit must be completed during the fall semester. The student should identify a plan to ensure completion of the proper number of credits needed for the academic year. If the minimum number of credits is not completed by the end of the spring semester, students will be placed on probation for the summer semester, at which time they must successfully complete the required number of credits for which they were funded during the fall and spring semester.
Maximum Credits: Students are required by federal regulation to complete their degree within a reasonable time frame and within a reasonable number of credits. Undergraduate students are allowed a maximum of 150% of the required number of credits to earn their degree. At 175 credits students will be notified to provide an explanation, via a Maximum Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal, for earning a larger than normal number of credits. These maximums include all accepted transfer credits and all credits completed at NSC. Students are required to have the Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal approved by Student Financial Services and Scholarships for any aid received for credit totals greater than those listed above.
Second Bachelor’s Degree: Students are required to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal approved by Student Financial Services and Scholarships in order to receive financial assistance while working on a second baccalaureate degree. NOTE: Funding to students who have already earned a degree is limited to Federal Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. In some instances, state aid may be available to students depending on fund availability.
Assigned Grades and Repeat Courses: Only courses and credits which are assigned a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “X”, and “S” are valid to meet the satisfactory credit requirement. Assigned grades or designations of “F”, “AD” (for audit), “I”, and “W” are not counted toward course and credit requirements and are not satisfactory marks for satisfactory progress requirements. (See Completion of Credits section above). Repeated courses are included in the total credits completed. Students are cautioned that the repeated course is also counted in the maximum number of credits allowed to complete a degree as described in the Maximum Credits section above.
Notification of Probation and Suspension: Students are automatically suspended from receiving financial assistance if they begin an academic year in any of the following circumstances: below standard GPA, deficient credits, have reached maximum credits or second undergraduate, unless the student has submitted and documented circumstances using the appeal option described below. When a student’s cumulative NSC GPA falls below a 2.0 or a credit deficiency occurs for which financial assistance was received, notification is made after spring grades are available. At this point, students are placed on financial assistance probation and have the summer semester to raise the GPA or complete the required credits. Nevada State College will begin notifying students of ‘pending’ probation during the spring semester of each year. This ‘pending’ probation notification will assist students with planning summer attendance in order to make up this deficiency.
It is recommended that students who are placed on probation attempt to make up deficiencies during the first two summer sessions. This will ensure that grades are posted and reviewed before the fall semester begins. It is the student’s responsibility to notify Student Financial Services and Scholarships when deficiencies have been successfully removed. If deficiencies are not removed by the end of the summer semester, students are placed on financial assistance suspension and will be ineligible for any further financial assistance until the deficiencies are cleared. Recipients of state funds through the Grant-In-Aid program are notified after the fall semester if the GPA is not at least 2.0 and the Nevada Grant-In-Aid for spring is cancelled.
Reinstatement of Financial Assistance Eligibility: Students can raise their NSC GPA and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional course work at NSC without receiving aid. Credit deficiencies, but not GPA deficiencies, can be eliminated by successfully completing course work at another institution. Course work must be transferable to NSC. Students should check for details with a Student Financial Services and Scholarships Financial Aid Advisor on using transferred course work for completing deficiencies. A copy of the NSC transcript can be submitted to verify grade changes including the removal of incompletes if this will result in the removal of deficiencies.
Financial Assistance Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal: Students have the right to appeal if eligibility cannot be reinstated by any of the above options, if credit maximums have been reached or if a second undergraduate degree is being pursued. Students should contact Student Financial Services and Scholarships for information regarding the appeal procedure. As part of the appeal process, students are required to document any extenuating circumstance that had an impact on academic performance, including but not limited to illness, death, etc. Students also need to outline a plan for removing the deficiencies during the next academic year, providing a tentative Plan of Study and a Degree Audit Report (when available from the Registrar). The Student Financial Services Appeal committee reviews this form along with a letter of explanation (and copies of any supporting documentation regarding unusual or extenuating circumstances). Students are notified of the outcome in writing.
Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid Funds: Students who completely withdraw during any semester at NSC will be subject to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds calculation. Federal law requires the amount of student assistance earned up to the point of withdrawal to be determined by a specific calculation. In some instances students may owe funds back to NSC and/or the federal programs from which financial assistance was received.
The amount of assistance earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. That is, if 30% of the payment period or period of enrollment was completed, 30% of the assistance originally scheduled to receive is earned. Once at least 61% of the payment period or period of enrollment is completed, all of the assistance is earned. The federal government has mandated a policy of aid recalculation where recipients of Title IV funding fail to complete a minimum of 61% semester attendance. Title IV programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 include Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART), Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS loans.
For the purpose of determining the point of withdrawal during a semester, a student’s separation date is: (1) the date the student began NSC’s official withdrawal procedures; (2) the date determined by the school as the last date of academically related activity; or (3) the date established by a survey of class instructors.
Students are responsible for any assistance awarded for which they do not qualify or earn. Students are notified of the overpayment that must be repaid in a timely manner. Upon notification students have 45 days to resolve any outstanding balance owed. After the 45 day period the account may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection. Students are ineligible for future federal and state financial assistance at NSC or other institutions until repayment of the amount due. Note: Even if the overpayment amount is repaid, students are still subject to the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy
Grade Point Average: Undergraduate students are required to have a 2.0 cumulative NSC GPA for all programs except Nevada Grant-In-Aid or Access grants. Both programs require a 2.0 NSC cumulative GPA (or new student status) and the Nevada Grant-In-Aid program requires a 2.0 NSC cumulative GPA to continue eligibility for the spring semester. Students should read their award notification letter to identify specific requirements pertaining to their financial assistance.
Completion of Credits: If a student receives financial assistance for the academic year, which includes the fall and spring semesters, the student must complete the minimum number of credits outlined below:
- FT (12+ credits per semester); 24 per year (at least 12 credits per semester)
- TT (9-11 credits per semester); 18 per year (at least 9 credits per semester)
- HT (6-8 credits per semester); 12 per year (at least 6 credits per semester)
- LT (1-5 credits per semester); # credits funded per semester
If a student receives a failing grade, incomplete, audit, or withdraw from a class, these credits cannot be counted toward credit requirements. Repeat classes are included in total credits completed; however, repeat classes are also counted toward the maximum number of credits allowed to complete the degree.
Less Than Half-Time Enrollment: If federal Pell Grant funds are received when enrolled for less than half-time, all credits must be completed. That is, if enrolled for four credits for the semester, all four credits must be completed at the end of the semester.
Withdrawing from Class: If a student completely withdraws or stops attending classes, resulting in receiving all “F”, “W” or “I” grades, all or a portion of financial aid funds received for the semester may have to be returned. Students should seek advice from instructors and a Financial Aid Advisor before dropping classes and should read the Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid Funds guidance included in this section of the NSC Catalog.
Maintaining Continued Eligibility for the Spring Semester: In order for fall/spring students to receive funding for the spring semester, at least one credit must be completed during the fall semester. The student should identify a plan to ensure completion of the proper number of credits needed for the academic year. If the minimum number of credits is not completed by the end of the spring semester, students will be placed on probation for the summer semester, at which time they must successfully complete the required number of credits for which they were funded during the fall and spring semester.
Maximum Credits: Students are required by federal regulation to complete their degree within a reasonable time frame and within a reasonable number of credits. Undergraduate students are allowed a maximum of 150% of the required number of credits to earn their degree. At 175 credits students will be notified to provide an explanation, via a Maximum Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal, for earning a larger than normal number of credits. These maximums include all accepted transfer credits and all credits completed at NSC. Students are required to have the Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal approved by Student Financial Services and Scholarships for any aid received for credit totals greater than those listed above.
Second Bachelor’s Degree: Students are required to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal approved by Student Financial Services and Scholarships in order to receive financial assistance while working on a second baccalaureate degree. NOTE: Funding to students who have already earned a degree is limited to Federal Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. In some instances, state aid may be available to students depending on fund availability.
Assigned Grades and Repeat Courses: Only courses and credits which are assigned a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “X”, and “S” are valid to meet the satisfactory credit requirement. Assigned grades or designations of “F”, “AD” (for audit), “I”, and “W” are not counted toward course and credit requirements and are not satisfactory marks for satisfactory progress requirements. (See Completion of Credits section above). Repeated courses are included in the total credits completed. Students are cautioned that the repeated course is also counted in the maximum number of credits allowed to complete a degree as described in the Maximum Credits section above.
Notification of Probation and Suspension: Students are automatically suspended from receiving financial assistance if they begin an academic year in any of the following circumstances: below standard GPA, deficient credits, have reached maximum credits or second undergraduate, unless the student has submitted and documented circumstances using the appeal option described below. When a student’s cumulative NSC GPA falls below a 2.0 or a credit deficiency occurs for which financial assistance was received, notification is made after spring grades are available. At this point, students are placed on financial assistance probation and have the summer semester to raise the GPA or complete the required credits. Nevada State College will begin notifying students of ‘pending’ probation during the spring semester of each year. This ‘pending’ probation notification will assist students with planning summer attendance in order to make up this deficiency.
It is recommended that students who are placed on probation attempt to make up deficiencies during the first two summer sessions. This will ensure that grades are posted and reviewed before the fall semester begins. It is the student’s responsibility to notify Student Financial Services and Scholarships when deficiencies have been successfully removed. If deficiencies are not removed by the end of the summer semester, students are placed on financial assistance suspension and will be ineligible for any further financial assistance until the deficiencies are cleared. Recipients of state funds through the Grant-In-Aid program are notified after the fall semester if the GPA is not at least 2.0 and the Nevada Grant-In-Aid for spring is cancelled.
Reinstatement of Financial Assistance Eligibility: Students can raise their NSC GPA and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional course work at NSC without receiving aid. Credit deficiencies, but not GPA deficiencies, can be eliminated by successfully completing course work at another institution. Course work must be transferable to NSC. Students should check for details with a Student Financial Services and Scholarships Financial Aid Advisor on using transferred course work for completing deficiencies. A copy of the NSC transcript can be submitted to verify grade changes including the removal of incompletes if this will result in the removal of deficiencies.
Financial Assistance Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal: Students have the right to appeal if eligibility cannot be reinstated by any of the above options, if credit maximums have been reached or if a second undergraduate degree is being pursued. Students should contact Student Financial Services and Scholarships for information regarding the appeal procedure. As part of the appeal process, students are required to document any extenuating circumstance that had an impact on academic performance, including but not limited to illness, death, etc. Students also need to outline a plan for removing the deficiencies during the next academic year, providing a tentative Plan of Study and a Degree Audit Report (when available from the Registrar). The Student Financial Services Appeal committee reviews this form along with a letter of explanation (and copies of any supporting documentation regarding unusual or extenuating circumstances). Students are notified of the outcome in writing.
Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid Funds: Students who completely withdraw during any semester at NSC will be subject to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds calculation. Federal law requires the amount of student assistance earned up to the point of withdrawal to be determined by a specific calculation. In some instances students may owe funds back to NSC and/or the federal programs from which financial assistance was received.
The amount of assistance earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. That is, if 30% of the payment period or period of enrollment was completed, 30% of the assistance originally scheduled to receive is earned. Once at least 61% of the payment period or period of enrollment is completed, all of the assistance is earned. The federal government has mandated a policy of aid recalculation where recipients of Title IV funding fail to complete a minimum of 61% semester attendance. Title IV programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 include Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART), Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS loans.
For the purpose of determining the point of withdrawal during a semester, a student’s separation date is: (1) the date the student began NSC’s official withdrawal procedures; (2) the date determined by the school as the last date of academically related activity; or (3) the date established by a survey of class instructors.
Students are responsible for any assistance awarded for which they do not qualify or earn. Students are notified of the overpayment that must be repaid in a timely manner. Upon notification students have 45 days to resolve any outstanding balance owed. After the 45 day period the account may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection. Students are ineligible for future federal and state financial assistance at NSC or other institutions until repayment of the amount due. Note: Even if the overpayment amount is repaid, students are still subject to the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy
1125 Nevada State Drive