Academic Progress Policy

As a student who has been awarded financial assistance at Westmont College, it is important that you are aware of our policy that will allow you to remain in good standing and make satisfactory progress toward your intended degree. Failure to make satisfactory academic progress may result in the loss of your financial aid awards.

Federal regulations require that all students receiving Title IV aid meet or exceed the academic requirements of the institution. In addition, Westmont College requires all students receiving institutional aid to meet or exceed the academic requirements of the institution. In order to comply, all financial aid recipients at Westmont College will have their academic progress monitored at least once each semester.

Federal regulations also require that by the end of the second academic year, students must have at least a “C” average or 2.0 cumulative GPA in their progression toward the completion of a degree. If they do not, they are not eligible for financial aid. In addition to monitoring progress every semester, Westmont will do a special check of students who have completed two years in college.

Eligibility

In order to receive financial aid, a student must first:

  • Have a high school diploma, or
  • Have a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or
  • Pass the High School Proficiency Exam, or
  • Pass an independently administered test approved by the U.S. Department of Education

Academic Policy

A minimum full-time course load is 12 units per semester. During the first year of college, students may be encouraged to carry only 13 units each semester while they adjust to the rigors of academic life. A schedule of 17 units during each semester of the sophomore year and 16 in the semesters of the junior and senior years will bring students to the 124 minimum units needed for graduation when all four years of college are taken at Westmont.

Academic Requirements

The student must:

  • Be enrolled in an eligible program for the purpose of completing a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree or the Teacher Certificate Program.
  • Be a full-time student. Full time is defined as 12-18 units per semester. Exceptions to the 12-unit minimum full-time policy are rare and are made on a case-by-case basis by the Financial Aid Committee.
  • A student’s class level determines some levels of financial aid granted. Class level at Westmont is based upon earned units as follows: first-year students: 0-25 units; sophomores: 26-58 units; juniors: 59-91 units; seniors: 92 units or more.
  • Maintain a minimum Westmont College 2.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA)

INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIAL AID AND CALIFORNIA STATE GRANTS are available at Westmont College for up to eight semesters of full-time cumulative enrollment or its equivalent (including all transferable course work taken at previous colleges).

Federal aid only may be available beyond 8 semesters.

Transfer students receive aid on a prorated scale of the units transferred at the time of admission to Westmont College.

Institutional and some Title IV Federal aid are not available to students pursuing a second B.A. and /or B.S. degree.

Students are eligible to receive financial aid for repeated courses only if the student received a D grade or lower, and is considered to be making satisfactory progress when the course is repeated. The course may be repeated only once for financial aid purposes.

The college applies aid to students’ accounts once each semester. Students who drop below the minimum academic load or withdraw from school may receive only the financial aid they are entitled to for the period of time they attended. This amount is determined by the federal and institutional refund policies.

Mayterm units taken at Westmont College can be included along with the regular academic semester to assist in maintaining the grade-point average/unit requirement.

Community college summer units may also be included with the regular academic semester. However, the grade-point average from other colleges will not transfer to be averaged with the Westmont grade-point average.

Financial Aid Probation Process

When a student fails to meet one or more of the above requirements, he or she will be placed on Financial Aid probation for the following semester. The student then must meet the stated requirements for the academic year.

Example:

  • If a student completes more than 12 units in the fall of an academic year, and less than 12 units in the spring of that year, and the total is at least 24 units, he/she will be considered to have made academic progress for that academic year.
  • However, due to deficient units in the spring semester, a student receiving financial aid will be put on Financial Aid probation for the following fall semester.
  • If the student makes up the deficient units during Mayterm or other summer classes, he/she will not be put on Financial Aid probation for the fall.
  • If the units are not made up by the beginning of the fall, then financial aid will be awarded for fall only (probationary period).
  • Unless the deficient units are made up in the fall in addition to the required 12 units for the fall semester, there will be no financial aid award for the following spring semester.

If the student fails to meet one or more of the above requirements during the probationary period, he or she will no longer be making satisfactory progress and will be ineligible for financial aid after the probationary semester.

Students who are disqualified from receiving financial aid are not eligible for funding during the semester used to re-establish eligibility.

Appeal Process

If a student is not maintaining satisfactory academic progress, Westmont will provide an appeal process for evaluating the extenuating circumstances presented by the student.

An appeal letter may be submitted to the Westmont College Financial Aid office, addressed to the Westmont College Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The student will be notified of the decision of the committee within two weeks of receipt of the appeal.

This information is subject to change.