Academic Standing
Unless program-specific accreditation requirements stipulate otherwise, academic standing is defined in the following ways:
• Academic Good Standing. A student is in academic good standing when he or she earns acceptable grades (i.e., A, A-, B+, B, B- and CR) in completed graduate courses, and maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all graduate coursework.
• Academic Warning. A student is in academic warning if he or she earns one grade of C+, C or C-, or if the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0.
• All grades earned in Master’s and Doctoral graduate courses are considered in the determination of academic dismissal. Only degree-seeking students are eligible to appeal academic dismissal.
Academic Dismissal
Unless program-specific accreditation requirements stipulate otherwise, a graduate student will be dismissed from High Point University under the following circumstances:
• A grade of C is received in two graduate courses;
• A grade of F is received in one graduate course;
• A comprehensive examination is failed on the second attempt;
• An oral thesis defense is failed on the second attempt;
• The minimal cumulative GPA of 3.0 is not achieved for the number of credit hours required for the degree.
Standards of Academic Progress
Statement of Standards: Students are required to maintain standard academic progress and remain in academic good standing to continue eligibility for financial assistance. Students who are applying for financial assistance are expected to be enrolled full time each semester during the academic year. Students enrolled less than full time will be subject to reductions in assistance.
For online and enrollment unrestricted graduate programs, full-time enrollment is defined as 6 or more credits; for enrollment restricted graduate or professional programs, full-time enrollment is determined by the program for each cohort. Students enrolled less than full-time must notify the Office of Student Financial Planning.
Federal Regulations require the University’s Standard of Academic Progress to include the following:
Qualitative Measure: Students must maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) specified by each graduate or professional program.
Maximum Time Frame: Federal regulations allow up to 150% of the normal time required to complete a degree program. The maximum time frame restrictions include all hours attempted, regardless of whether financial aid was received or not. At HPU, students have 5 years to complete a Master’s degree and 6 years to complete a Doctorate.
Quantitative Measure: To remain in good academic standing and retain eligibility for financial aid, students must successfully complete at least two-thirds of all hours attempted to include Pass/Fail, repeated courses, incompletes, and courses dropped after the last day to drop a course without penalty (as published in the academic calendar).
| Program | Credits Required to Graduate | Maximum Allowable Attempted Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MBA (all concentrations) | 30 | 45 |
| MA.CBL | 30 | 45 |
| MA.COM | 31 | 47 |
| MED | 36 | 54 |
| MAT | 45 | 68 |
| ED.D | 60 | 90 |
| DPT (class of 2023) | 129 | 194 |
| DPT (class of 2024 and beyond) | 131 | 197 |
| MSAT | 73 | 110 |
| MPAS | 107 | 161 |
| PHARMD | 152 | 228 |
| MSBS | 39 | 59 |
| MHA | 46 | 69 |
| DMS | 62 | 93 |
For complete information on the HPU Graduate SAP Policy click here:
Graduate students may voluntarily withdraw from High Point University by completing the withdrawal form, which is available in the Office of Graduate Operations. A grade of “W” will be assigned to each course in which there is enrollment when withdrawal occurs during the term, if completed within the dates listed in the graduate calendar.
Allocating Returned Title IV (Federal) Aid
Funds that are returned to the federal government are used to reduce the outstanding balances in individual federal programs.
Financial aid returned (by the University and/or you) must be allocated in the following order.
- Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Federal Graduate Plus Loans
If your circumstances require that you withdraw from all classes, you are strongly encouraged to contact Student Financial Planning and your academic advisor before doing so. At that time, the consequences of withdrawing from all classes can be explained and clearly illustrated. The Student Financial Planning Office can provide refund examples and further explain this policy to you and your parents.
You should also be aware that as a recipient of financial assistance, you must comply with the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy. By withdrawing, you may not be eligible for financial assistance from High Point University in the future, because you did not complete a specified number of credit hours for which aid was disbursed.
For information on whether tuition may be refunded based on withdrawal from the university, please visit www.highpoint.edu/studentaccounts/withdrawal-information/undergraduate/
Exit Counseling
Is required for any student who borrowed federal student loans at the time of withdrawal, graduation, or enrollment drops below half-time attendance (even if you plan to transfer to another school).
This counseling information will help you
- understand your rights and responsibilities as a federal student loan borrower
- provide useful tips and information to help you manage your federal student loans
- provide details on repayment options
Please visit studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/?counselingType=exit to complete this federal requirement.