Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

To remain at Knox, all degree-seeking students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory progress is defined in terms of both the accumulation of credits toward the degree and the maintenance of a grade point average consistent with graduation requirements.

Students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they accumulate credits per term and achieve a grade point average consistent with the following table:

The above table is consistent with the principle that satisfactory academic progress at Knox requires that a student be able to complete the graduation requirements in no more than five years with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00.

Courses graded S/U do not count toward the grade point average in satisfactory academic progress. Transfer, summer study, and exam credits count toward the credit accumulation requirement, at the rate of 1/3 of a Knox term per Knox course credit.

Students enrolling in 2.5 credits or more in a term are considered to be full-time. For those enrolling in fewer than three credits, each credit is counted as 1/3 of a term toward satisfactory academic progress.

For federal purposes, full-time enrollment is defined as enrollment in 12 semester hours per academic term or 24 semester hours per academic year. Since one Knox credit is equivalent to 3.33 semester hours, a Knox student enrolling in 2.5 credits each of the three Knox terms would earn 7.5 Knox credits or 25 semester hours per academic year.

Review of Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid purposes occurs at the end of the Spring term. Students not making progress will not be awarded financial aid unless they submit a successful appeal to the Office of Student Financial Services. The appeal must explain the circumstances that led to the unsatisfactory progress and present a plan for how the student will overcome those circumstances to regain satisfactory progress. If the appeal is approved, the student can be awarded aid for the following term and is placed on Financial Aid Probation. The Academic Standing Committee may outline the criteria for an academic plan. The student must meet the criteria of the academic plan for that term in order to continue receiving financial aid.

Students placed on Financial Aid Probation are not eligible for Knox College scholarships, but may receive institutional grants, along with state and federal financial aid.