FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, students must be making satisfactory academic progress, both in quality and quantity, to qualify for and continue to receive Title IV federal financial aid. The satisfactory academic progress standards for federal financial aid recipients at Valdosta State University are as fol lows:

Undergraduate Students

Qualitative. All students are expected to maintain the academic standards outlined in the official Bulletin of Valdosta State University. Students who fail to meet these stan dards will be placed on academic suspension. Students receiving financial aid who are

placed on academic suspension will have their financial aid terminated. Financial aid applicants placed on academic suspension at the end of their last quarter of attendance are not eligible for financial aid.

Quantitative. In addition to maintaining the specified grade point average, students receiving financial aid must complete their degree in accordance with certain criteria and successfully complete a minimum percentage of credit hours each academic year.

At Valdosta State University, the maximum number of hours allowed is 150% of the number of semester hours required to earn the degree. Examples: Students pursu ing a degree which requires 120 semester hours may not receive financial aid after they have attempted 180 hours. If the degree requires 130 semester hours, students will be expected to have earned the degree after having attempted no more than 190 hours.

Students must successfully complete 67% of the courses for which they register in any academic year. The grades of A, B, C, D, and S count as the successful completion of a course. The grades of F, W, WF, I, IP, U, NR, and V do not count as the successful completion of a course.

Graduate Students

In addition to the quantitative standards required of undergraduates, graduate stu dents must maintain a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.5 in order to be eligible for financial aid.

Remedial Course Work

No student may receive financial aid for more than 30 hours of remedial course work, which includes all College Preparatory Curriculum deficiencies, remedial courses, or developmental study courses..

Monitoring of Satisfactory Progress

Qualitative academic requirements will be checked at the end of each semester and at the time the student applies for financial aid. The limitation of total hours attempted and the 67% completion requirements will be checked at the end of the spring semester. The grade point average of students who apply during the academic year will be checked as of the last semester attended; the limitation on the total hours attempted and the 67% completion requirement will be checked at the end of the previous spring semester.

Summer Semester

Courses taken during the summer are counted exactly the same as courses taken during any other semester.

Transfer Students

Transfer students will be considered as incoming freshmen for the initial disburse ment of financial aid. Only grades earned at Valdosta State University will be used to determine the grade point average for financial aid eligibility. Hours transferred to Valdosta State University will be counted as total hours attempted at the end of the academic year.

Repeated Courses, Remedial Courses, Withdrawals, and Incompletes

Students should be careful in repeating courses, as all attempts at a course are counted in the maximum hours allowed to obtain a degree. Students are also reminded that withdrawing from a course does not count as successful completion and does not count in the required 67% completion rate each academic year. Incompletes also do not count as the successful completion of a course, and excessive incompletes can result in the termination of financial aid. Students can receive financial aid for no more than 30 hours of remedial course work (including remedial courses and courses to satisfy deficiencies in the College Preparatory Curriculum). However, students re quired to take remedial course work may have their eligibility extended by the number of remedial hours taken, up to a maximum of 30 hours.

Reinstatement of Aid

Reinstatement of Financial Aid depends upon availability of financial aid funds at the time of the application for reinstatement and other factors:

Students terminated from aid because of academic suspension or failure to com plete 67% of their courses in an academic year may apply for reinstatement of aid after they have completed 9 or more semester hours with a grade point average of at least 2.0, at their own expense, at Valdosta State University.

Students terminated from aid for failure to exit Developmental Studies within 30 semester hours may apply for a reinstatement of aid when they have exited Develop mental Studies.

Graduate students may request aid at any time their cumulative GPA reaches 2.5.

Appeals

Students wishing to appeal may do so by filling out a Satisfactory Progress Petition and presenting it to the Financial Aid Office, along with any supporting documenta tion. The Financial Aid Office staff may take into consideration illness, death in the immediate family, or any other extenuating circumstances. Students will be notified, in writing, of the decision.Students wishing to appeal the decision of the Financial Aid Office may do so by writing to the Student Financial Aid Committee.

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Graduate

Excerpt from Valdosta State University Graduate Bulletin, 1998-1999 pp.20-22

GRADUATE COURSE NUMBERING

At Valdosta State University, courses numbered 1000-4999 are for undergraduate students only. Some courses numbered 3000-3999 are open to graduate students; such courses carry dual numbers, with the graduate version of the course numbered between 5000 and 5999. Similarly, courses numbered 4000-4999 carry graduate credit when dual numbered 6000-6999. Courses numbered 7000-8999 are open to graduate stu dents only. Courses numbered 9000-9999 are open to doctoral students only.

Graduate students should be sure that they are registered for graduate courses. This information appears on the official class roll and on the student's schedule card. While a graduate student may be permitted to take an undergraduate course, such a course will not be counted as fulfilling requirements for a graduate degree. Only courses numbered 5000 or above are graduate level courses.

MAXIMUM COURSE LOADS AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS

The normal full load for a graduate student who is not on an assistantship is 9-15 hours of graduate-level work per semester. The normal full load for a student on an assistantship is 9 semester hours at the graduate level; however, in special circum stances, with the approval of the major professor and the department head, a graduate assistant may be permitted to take 12 hours. The maximum course load for a student employed full-time is 9 semester hours per semester. Course loads in excess of these limits may be allowed by permission of the major professor or the department head and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Graduate students may earn no more than 6 hours credit in Directed Study and/or Independent Study courses to meet the requirements of a degree-granting program. Undergraduate courses will not be calculated when determining a graduate student's full or part-time status. However, these hours will be included in determining a student's maximum load, as stated above.

Cross-disciplinary Courses

Certain courses, because of their scope and focus, are identified by different desig nations, that is, cross-listed, such as MFTH 5700/SOCI 5700. Students may decide which designation they wish to register for, depending on their needs, but such a dual -listed or cross-listed course can count only once and cannot be taken a second time for credit under a different designation. Cross-disciplinary courses are clearly identified in the "Courses of Instruction" section as "[Also offered as ...]."

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE DEGREES

Specific requirements for each graduate program offered by the University are presented in the departmental listings of this Bulletin. Students should refer to these listings to determine the terms for degree completion and graduation.

Courses taken more than seven years prior to the semester of degree completion cannot be used to meet graduate degree requirements. Under extenuating circumstances, however, students, with the approval of their advisor, may appeal in writing for a one -time extension of this limitation. A committee, approved by the dean of the appropriate college, will consider the appeal and may recommend to the dean of the Graduate School that the student be granted an extension of the seven-year limitation. The maxi mum extension for completion of the program cannot exceed one additional calendar year.

At least fifty percent of the student's course work must be completed in residence at Valdosta State University. No more than 6 semester hours of graduate course work may be accepted by transfer from another institution to Valdosta State University. Credit to a degree program for transferred course work may be obtained by application to the dean of the Graduate School, with approval by the major professor.

All graduate programs require a Comprehensive Examination, or an acceptable substitute. Successful completion of this exam indicates that students have nearly com pleted their work toward the degree. The Comprehensive Examination may not be taken until all required course work has been completed, or is in the process of being completed, and the language requirements fulfilled. The Dean of the Graduate School shall be notified upon the student's successful completion of this requirement.

In programs with thesis requirements, a minimum of 30 semester hours of academic course work is required. Of these 30 semester hours, at least 9 semester hours must be in courses numbered 7000 or above with a minimum of 6 hours of thesis. In programs without thesis requirements, a minimum of 30 semester hours of academic course work is required. Of these 30 semester hours, at least 15 semester hours must be in courses numbered 7000 or above. The remainder must be completed in courses numbered 5000 or above.

When a thesis is required, the thesis must be submitted to the members of the Supervisory Committee not less than 14 days before the scheduled date of graduation. The Supervisory Committee shall certify to the Dean of the Graduate School that the student has successfully defended the thesis at an announced open meeting. Three copies of the thesis, (plus others, if required by the department), signed by the major professor, members of the Supervisory Committee, and the Dean of the Graduate School, shall be submitted to the library not less than five days before the scheduled date of graduation.

All students must register for thesis credit each semester in which they are actively working on their thesis. The total number of thesis credit hours required for the degree will be determined by the individual departments. Students must be enrolled in the thesis course in the semester in which they graduate. All thesis courses must be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

General thesis regulations are furnished by the Graduate School. Signature on the thesis by the Dean of the Graduate School and the subsequent submission of a copy of the library receipt for thesis binding to the Dean indicate final acceptance of the student's thesis and mark the completion of requirements for the master's degree.

Students enrolled in a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program must complete a dis sertation. All students must register for dissertation credit each semester in which they are actively working on this project. A minimum of 9 semester-hours of dissertation credit is required for the degree. Students must be enrolled in the dissertation course in the semester in which they graduate. All dissertation courses must be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

The approved dissertation must be submitted to the members of the Coordinating Committee no fewer than 14 days before the scheduled date of graduation. The Coor dinating Committee shall certify to the dean of the Graduate School that the student has successfully defended the dissertation at an announced open meeting. Three copies of the dissertation (plus others, if required by the department), signed by the major professor, members of the Coordinating Committee, and the dean of the Graduate School, shall be submitted to the library no fewer than five days before the scheduled date of graduation.

General dissertation requirements are furnished by the Graduate School. The sig nature of the dean of the Graduate School on the dissertation and the subsequent submission to the dean of a copy of the library receipt for dissertation binding will indicate final acceptance of the student's dissertation and mark the completion of the requirements for the doctoral degree.

SECOND MASTER'S DEGREE

Students seeking a second master's degree must meet the course requirements es tablished by the head of the department, subject to the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.

COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY PROGRAM FOR GEORGIANS 62 AND OLDER

Georgians 62 years of age and older are eligible to enroll as graduate students on a "space available" basis without paying most of the normal fees or tuition. For complete eligibility requirements and application information, contact the Admissions Office or the Graduate School.

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION

Students must apply for graduation. Students planning to attend graduation should make arrangements with the Registrar for rental of cap, gown, and hood, and for print ing of the diploma. The Registrar should be consulted early in the program (at least one semester before graduation) for procedures and deadlines. There is a $35 fee to be paid at the time of application.

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Appendix:
Course Syllabi | Faculty Vitae | Practicum Handbook | Student Teaching Handbook | Guidelines for Mentors
Program/Advising Forms | Undergraduate Catalog | Graduate Catalog | Student Enrollment