Academic Progress Policy

This Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy applies to all students registered in an eligible program at Philadelphia Technician Training (PTT). Each student is required to make satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of their program. Academic progress is measured both by grade point average (qualitative standard) and by the number of hours of attendance in the program of study (quantitative standard).

Course Policy

All of the programs at PTT are technical in nature and the achievement of both a passing grade and technical proficiency in each course (academic subject) is required for graduation. Students are expected to maintain appropriate attendance and passing grades in each and every course. Any student who fails a course or is unable to take the examination for a course because of poor course attendance will be allowed to continue to the subsequent course(s) while actively pursuing make-up hours/examinations as appropriate and acceptable to the school’s faculty.

Students who fail to adequately complete make-up hours/examinations will be suspended from the school. Suspended students may request readmission by submitting a written request to the Director of Administration and attending an academic counseling session. Based upon the results of the counseling session, the suspended student may be permitted to return to the school in a subsequent class cohort at the discretion of the Director of Administration.

Academic Progress Policy

In addition to the requirements of the Course Progress Policy (which measures progress in each individual course), each student must meet the cumulative Academic Progress Standards throughout his/her program. The cumulative standards are measured for each “payment period” (see definition below) and are designed on the premise that each student’s average performance over a series of courses will be substantially higher than the minimum standard for each individual course.

Academic Progress Standards: Minimum Cumulative
Grade Point Average
Cumulative Hours
Completed/ Attempted
End of 1st payment period 2.00 70 percent
End of 2nd or subsequent payment period 2.00 80 percent

 

Additional “Maximum Timeframe” Standard

Eligibility is also limited to students completing their programs within one and one-half times the normal program length. The maximum timeframe is reached when the student has exceeded one and one-half times the number of scheduled clock hours required to graduate from his/her program, as measured by weeks of instruction. For students with standard enrollment (no transfer or proficiency credit), the maximum timeframe to complete a twenty-six-week program is thirty-nine weeks (excluding periods of non-enrollment).

Consistency with Academic Policies

For purposes of Academic Progress measurement, all issues of grading policy, Grade Point Average (GPA) calculation, attendance, etc. are calculated in accordance with the general academic policies of the school.

Payment Periods

Academic Progress shall be measured at the end of each “payment period”. A “payment period” is defined as one-half (as measured in both weeks and instructional hours) of the student’s program (or the remaining period of the program for any student attending less than the entire program length). For students who are eligible for Federal Title IV Financial Aid, these correspond to the “payment periods” for financial aid.

Completed/Attempted Clock Hours

“Attempted Clock Hours” means the number of scheduled instructional hours (clock hours) in the program as listed in the PTT calendar for the enrolled program. “Completed Clock Hours” means the number of “attempted” clock hours a student actually attended or for which he/she received an excused absence.

Transfer Students

Accepted transfer credit shall be considered as completed coursework for purposes of this policy. However, since no grades are assigned to transfer courses, they will not impact the student’s GPA. Payment periods for transfer students shall be defined individually based on the remaining period of instruction.

Change of Program

Students who change programs may request that their maximum timeframe be re-calculated based solely on those clock hours that are applicable to the current program of study.

Return after an Absence

A student who returns after a withdrawal, dismissal, approved Leave of Absence (LOA), or other absence of 180 calendar days or less, shall be evaluated in the same manner as if the absence had not occurred, with the exception of any necessary changes to the start and end dates of a planned payment period.

A student, who returns after a withdrawal, dismissal, or other absence of more than 180 days, shall be measured in a manner consistent with a transfer student as noted above.

Academic and Financial Aid Warning Status

Students who fail to meet the standards defined above will be placed on Academic and Financial Aid Warning Status for their subsequent payment period. Students in Academic and Financial Aid Warning Status remain eligible for federal student aid.

If a student has not returned to “good” academic standing (according to the standards in the chart) by the end of the Warning Status payment period, the student will be academically dismissed from the school and lose eligibility for federal student aid from that point forward. Such dismissal/loss of eligibility may be subject to appeal (see below).

Regaining Academic Eligibility

Mitigating Circumstances Appeal: A dismissal (and loss of eligibility for federal financial aid) may be appealed based on mitigating circumstance(s). A mitigating circumstance is defined as an exceptional or unusual event(s) beyond the student’s direct control, which contributed to or caused the academic difficulty. Examples include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of a student, or other special circumstances. Appeal letters should be addressed to the Financial Aid Director and must include a complete description of the circumstances that led to the academic difficulty, how those circumstances have changed, and a plan for future academic success. Copies of supporting documentation should be included. All appeals are reviewed by a committee of academic and administrative staff whose determination is final.

A student for whom a mitigating circumstance appeal is approved will be placed in Academic and Financial Aid Probation Status for one payment period. If the student has not returned to good academic standing (according to the chart) by the end of the subsequent (probation) payment period, the student will be dismissed from PTT and lose eligibility for future financial aid.

Regaining Eligibility Other Than Through Appeal: Students who have been academically dismissed from the school (and lost federal financial aid eligibility) may potentially regain academic eligibility by making up the academic deficiencies at the school as a student in Provisional Status without the benefit of federal financial aid. The decision to re-admit a dismissed student is at the discretion of the Director of Administration.

Return to Good Standing

Once a student has returned to good academic standing, any previous academic difficulty, warning, or probation shall have no future bearing on the student’s status. Hence, such students will have the benefit from all provisions of this policy, including a warning payment period.


     
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