Good Academic Standing for New York State Aid Policy

Full-time undergraduate students receiving TAP, Child of Veteran Awards, Veteran Tuition Awards, or any other New York State grant or scholarship, must meet the State Education Department's requirements for both New York State (NYS) satisfactory academic progress and program pursuit. For purposes of continued state aid eligibility, students are reviewed at the end of every semester for eligibility for the following term.

A recipient of New York State aid who fails to meet the Program Pursuit or NYS Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements in a particular semester, may wish to make up the necessary credits or achieve the required cumulative QPA by pursuing credits at their own expense in a given semester. By so doing, they may be able to make up the deficiency and be eligible to receive their New York State aid in the following semester.

Repeated Courses - If the student repeats a course in which an acceptable passing grade has already been received, such a course cannot be considered in determining whether the NYS academic progress or program pursuit requirements have been met. There are two exceptions to this rule:

• If the passing grade received for a course is unacceptable in a particular curriculum (e.g., a student enrolled in the nursing program who receives less than a "C+" grade in a nursing course).
• If the course can be taken more than once and credits earned each time toward the completion of a student's degree program (e.g., NYC 290).

Undecided Majors - In addition to the NYS academic progress and program pursuit requirements, students must have an approved major prior to the midpoint of their academic program. Students in a baccalaureate degree program must have an approved major prior to the first day of their junior year. Students in an associate degree program must have an approved major prior to the first day of their sophomore year.

Special Notes for Transfer and Readmitted Students - Transfer students and students readmitted after an absence of at least one year from college are reviewed for satisfactory academic progress for New York State assistance on a somewhat different basis. While the student must meet the Program Pursuit Requirements based on the number of New York State award payments he/she has received, the NYS Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements the student will have to meet may be based on either the number of state aid payment he/she has received or the number of transfer or readmit credits awarded upon admission to the University. Pace will place the student on the chart for NYS satisfactory academic progress based on whichever placement is of greater benefit to the student.

Accelerated Study TAP - To qualify for Accelerated Study TAP, students must be enrolled in at least six credits and must have completed 24 credits in the prior two semesters (fall and spring) to receive payment for accelerated study during a summer term at Pace. This requirement does not apply if the student is enrolled full-time in the summer.

Waiver Provision: Exceptional Cases

A TAP recipient who does not make NYS Academic Progress or Program Pursuit in a particular semester due to extraordinary circumstances (serious illness, death in the family, etc.) may request a one-time waiver of these requirements. A waiver can be used only once as an undergraduate student so its use must be carefully considered and timed. During the waiver semester, the student must make up any academic progress or program pursuit deficiency.

A waiver may be granted only when the following conditions are met:

• Detailed documentation must be provided to verify the extraordinary circumstances. The documentation must include an explanation of how these circumstances resulted in the loss of good academic standing.
• Based on the documentation and the student's academic record, there must be a reasonable expectation that all future academic progress requirements will be met.

(Please note: Successful appeals of academic standing with the Dean of the student's school or division at Pace and Academic Progress waivers granted by the Financial Aid Office for Federal and/or institutional aid programs do not constitute a waiver of the good academic standing requirements of the New York State aid programs. In addition, documentation submitted to either the Office of the Academic Dean or the Financial Aid Office to support an appeal of academic standing or academic progress is not shared with the TAP coordinator's office. Students must submit such documentation separately when requesting a waiver of the good academic standing requirements of the New York State aid programs.)

A student who believes they have grounds for a waiver of the good academic standing requirements of the New York State aid programs or who has any questions concerning his/her eligibility for New York State aid should email the Student Accounts Office directly.