Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Evaluation Criteria

1. 1.  Program Length: Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC) and Doctor of Ministry programs must be completed within 5 years. The following programs must be completed in 3 years: Master of Science in Mental Health Care and Christian Integration; Master of Arts in Ministry; Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Direction; Master of Arts in Ministry: Anglican Concentration; and the Master of Arts Trauma, Theology, and Ministry. Students who do not complete degree requirements within the time specified will NOT be considered in good academic standing and will not be eligible for Federal Student Aid. Students have the option to appeal, but there is no guarantee it will be granted. To be eligible for Federal Student Aid, students must be enrolled for at least six degree-required hours or be considered half-time status every fall and spring and successfully complete these courses without making the following grades for those attempted hours: F, W, WP, WF, I, IP, and AU.

1. 2. Grades and Term GPA: A Term GPA below a B (3.0) will result in being placed on SAP Warning. Failure to make Satisfactory Academic Progress may be a result of unsatisfactory performance in classes, not attending class, unsatisfactory performance on qualifying exams, unsatisfactory research progress, or failure to meet other program requirements. Note: SAP is based on Term (not Cumulative) GPA.
2. 3. Successful Completion of six hours: Students must successfully complete six degree-required hours of credit for each fall and spring semester to remain eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Re-Establishing Eligibility for Title IV Federal Student Aid

Once the Warning or Probationary Semester has concluded, the student may re-establish eligibility to be considered for Title IV aid for a subsequent semester by either:

1. 1. Taking action that brings him or her into compliance with the qualitative and quantitative components of Richmont’s SAP standard; OR
2. 2. Meeting the specific academic plan and standards for the Warning Semester as established by the SAP Appeal Committee.

Note: Students who choose to enroll while they are not making satisfactory academic progress waiting for the outcome of an appeal, or have an appeal denied, are responsible for all charges on their account. Students will be held accountable for those charges if the courses are not dropped before the established deadlines published in the Graduate Catalog. Students who submit an appeal after the fall semester will not be retroactively approved for the completed term. The appeal, if approved, would be granted only for the following spring semester.

Requirements

Grades of F, W, WP, WF, I, IP, and AU do not earn academic credit and are excluded from the six credit hours required for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). While transfer credits are included when calculating the maximum timeframe for degree completion under SAP guidelines, they do not impact the student’s cumulative GPA. The Records Office will notify students of any formal grade changes, including the conversion of an Incomplete (I) to a traditional letter grade.

Clinical Course Requirements for the School of Counseling

To earn a grade of Pass (P) in clinical courses—specifically CED6922 (Practicum), CED7932 (Internship I), and CED7942 (Internship II)—students must fulfill all requirements specified in the course syllabus. This includes, but is not limited to, the submission of all rubrics, counseling videos, community presentations, and satisfactory attendance.

Students currently under a clinically related Student Development Plan must demonstrate satisfactory progress on that plan to receive a passing grade. Additionally, all internship hours completed to date must be submitted to assess progress for Practicum and Internship I. 

The following temporary grades may be assigned in clinical coursework:

• IP (In Progress Assignments): Assigned if a student fails to turn in all required assignments by the instructor's deadline. An IP grade does not count toward the half-time status required for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

• X (Hours Remaining): Assigned if a student has completed all academic assignments for the course, but client hours remain outstanding. Unlike the IP, an X grade counts toward completed hours for SAP purposes. Once the client hours are finalized, the X will be converted to a grade of Pass (P).

Withdrawal and Degree Conferral 

Students who withdraw from CED6922, CED7932, or CED7942 will be awarded a grade of W, WP, or WF, as determined by the adherence to the clinical withdrawal process, timing of the semester, and the Director of Clinical Training. A grade of Pass for Internship II will not be granted until all course requirements and hours have been successfully completed. To be eligible for degree conferral, a student must earn a grade of Pass (P) in every required clinical course.

SAP Warning Semester and Appeals

During the Warning Semester, students will be allowed to receive Title IV Federal Student Aid, given they meet the requirements for that aid (taking six degree-required hours or qualifying for half-time status in fall or spring semester and/or other requirements placed on that student). A student is not allowed to receive consecutive Warning Semesters of Title IV aid without an appeal (described below).

If a student cannot re-establish satisfactory academic standing during the Warning Semester, the student will become ineligible to receive Federal Student Aid.

A student does have the option to appeal the loss of Federal Student Aid using the following process:

1. 1. The student submits the Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Appeal Form to the Records Office.
2. 2. The appeal will then go before the SAP Appeal Committee.
3. 3. The Committee will either deny the request or allow the student to continue on a one-term Probationary status for the student to become compliant with the SAP standards.
4. 4. If the appeal is denied: the student may re-establish eligibility to be considered for Title IV aid for a subsequent semester by taking action that brings him or her into compliance with the degree length, credit hours, and GPA requirements of Richmont’s SAP standard. During this time, the student will not be eligible to receive Federal Student Aid.
5. 5. The Committee reserves the right to advise students as to their course loads, minimum grade requirements, and the possible need for counseling and/or academic advisement.

Note: Being declared ineligible for Federal Student Aid does not mean the student has been academically dismissed from Richmont.

Appeals cannot be approved for students taking fewer than 6 hours for fall and spring semesters. Appeals also cannot be approved for a future semester when a student has attempted at least six hours but has not been able to complete hours successfully. School of Counseling Internship courses (CED7932 and CED7942) are classified as half-time equivalent for the purposes of Federal Student Aid and SAP. School of Ministry Capstone courses (DMIN8721) are classified as half-time equivalent for the purposes of Federal Student Aid and SAP.