Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Satisfactory academic progress for financial aid for all students is reviewed after each period of enrollment. These requirements are separate and distinct from the university’s academic progress requirements for academic continuance.
Students receive written notification to their Walden University email account if they are placed on financial aid warning status. Upon receiving this status, a student has one period of enrollment to return to the standards listed below. If the student does not meet these standards, the student may appeal for a period of financial aid probation. If the appeal is not granted, students become ineligible for federal financial aid.
It is the student’s responsibility to know the requirements for satisfactory academic progress for financial aid. Failure to receive notification will not nullify a student’s financial aid status with Walden University.
Minimum Standards for Federal Financial Aid
| Program Type |
Minimum Financial Aid Course Completion Rate (Pace) |
Minimum Cumulative Financial Aid GPA |
Maximum Time Frame to Receive Federal Aid
|
| Bachelor’s degree |
67% |
2.0 |
272 financial aid attempted credits |
| Master’s degree |
67% |
3.0 |
20 quarters or 15 semesters |
| Doctoral degree |
67% |
3.0 |
32 quarters or 24 semesters |
| Certificate |
67% |
3.0 |
4 quarters or 6 semesters |
| Education Specialist |
67% |
3.0 |
20 quarters or 15 semesters |
| Teacher preparation (without master’s degree option) |
67% |
3.0 |
56 financial aid attempted credits |
| Endorsement (without master’s degree option) |
67% |
3.0 |
32 financial aid attempted credits |
| Preparatory coursework |
67% |
2.0 |
12 consecutive months |
Treatment of Courses and Credits
The following policies will apply:
- Minimum financial aid GPA is cumulative for the current program of study.
- Minimum financial aid course completion rate is calculated by dividing financial aid completed credits by financial aid attempted credits (e.g., if 40 credits are attempted, the student must have successfully completed 27 credits).
- Financial aid attempted and completed credits are cumulative for all courses in all programs attempted at Walden.
- The following grades adversely impact the course completion rate: I (incomplete), F (fail), NC (no credit), U (unsatisfactory), W (withdrawal).
- Students must meet both the GPA and course completion rate requirements within the defined maximum time frame
- Financial aid attempted and completed credit requirements include transfer credits.
- Financial aid attempted credits include all registered courses with the exception of courses dropped before the start of the term or during the drop period.
- For course repetitions, only the most recent grade is counted in the cumulative GPA and the most recent credits are counted in the completed credits; the credits from all attempts must be counted in the course completion rate and maximum time frame.
- The maximum time frame will be reset for students completing a second or additional degree at Walden.
- The maximum time frame for students who change programs without earning a Walden degree is cumulative for all programs attempted and is measured against the maximum time frame for the current program.
- The maximum time frame excludes quarters/semesters of non-enrollment and quarters/semesters in which all courses are dropped before the start of the term or during the drop period.
- Financial aid progress requirements include all terms of enrollment, including periods in which the student did not receive federal aid.
- Courses that adversely impact financial aid academic progress cannot be removed from the academic transcript.
Maximum Time Frame
Federal financial aid eligibility expires without probation when the student reaches the maximum time frame or if the financial aid progress review makes it clear that the student cannot mathematically finish his or her program within the maximum time frame.
Learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements in Financial Aid Terms and Conditions.
Learn more about policy and definitions.
Loss of Federal Financial Aid Eligibility
Students who become ineligible to receive federal financial aid but remain in compliance with the academic progress standards for continuance in their program are not withdrawn from the program. But they must arrange for alternative payment with the Office of the Bursar by the appropriate tuition due date. Students may still be eligible for private educational loans if federal aid eligibility is lost. Learn more about your right to appeal for an extension of financial aid after loss of eligibility.
Do you have questions about financial aid? If you haven’t yet applied to Walden, please contact an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 in the United States. If you are a current student, please contact a financial aid advisor at finaid@waldenu.edu or call 1-800-WALDENU (1-800-925-3368).