Federal regulations require that institutions establish, publish, and apply standards to monitor student progress toward completion of a certificate or degree at a pace at which they can succeed.
 
All students are expected to make both quantitative and qualitative progress toward a degree in a timely manner while maintaining continued good academic performance. All matriculated student records will be reviewed at the conclusion of each semester to ensure they meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, regardless of whether they receive financial aid. A matriculated student is defined as a part- or full-time student who has been officially accepted through the admissions process and is a degree seeking candidate.
 
Bay Path University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards are the same as the federal requirements for financial aid recipients. To be eligible for student financial aid, students must meet these requirements. Bay Path University defines Satisfactory Academic Progress standards as maintaining a cumulative and term grade point average of 2.00 or higher while achieving a passing grade in 67% of cumulative credits attempted in their degree program. Please reference the additional standards below for further information regarding course grade requirements for your program. Cumulative credits attempted include repeated, forgiven, withdrawn and incomplete courses.
 
Certain programs have additional SAP standards beyond those listed above, and are referenced in detail below:
 
Additional Undergraduate Program SAP Standards
 
Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies to Master of Occupational Therapy (BA/MOT) Program
Students in the Master of Occupational Therapy, Master of Occupational Therapy Bridge, and Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies programs must earn grades of “B-” or higher in graduate-level coursework. Students earning a grade of “C” or lower must retake the course(s) at their own expense. Students must receive a passing grade on Level One Fieldwork and a rating of average or above on the Professional Behavior Rating Scale used in selected classes. Students enrolled in these Occupational Therapy programs also are expected to observe policies of the university and clinical affiliates and to follow acceptable ethical rules of professional and personal conduct as outlined by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Bay Path University Academic Catalog. 

A BA/MOT student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher and meet all prerequisite requirements with a grade of B- or better to start 500-level coursework in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree. If a BA/MOT student that has not yet completed their Bachelor’s degree is dismissed from the program, they may only continue progress towards their Bachelor’s degree if they change their major within 14 days of the date they were emailed notice of the academic dismissal from the Master of Occupational Therapy program. All students dismissed from the Occupational Therapy program for the first time have the option to appeal the dismissal (see Appeals Process section below). If an appeal is granted, the student will be required to retake any course with a grade below "C" at their own expense. Having to repeat a course will require the student to move into a revised course sequence, delaying graduation.
 
Students who meet these standards are considered to be in good standing. Those who fail to meet these standards will be placed on academic warning, financial aid warning, financial aid suspension, or will be dismissed from the University based on the definitions outlined below.
 
Maximum Time Frame for Financial Aid Funding
Students are not eligible to receive financial aid once they have attempted more than 150 percent of the normal credits required for their degree program. All attempted credits are counted, including transfer credits, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received or the coursework was completed successfully.
 
Academic Standing Status Definitions
 
Good Academic Standing
Students who meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for the specified semester are classified as being in good academic standing at Bay Path University regardless of their academic standing in a previous semester.
 
Academic Warning
Students who do not meet the 2.00 (UG) minimum cumulative and/or term grade point average standards are placed on academic warning. Students placed on academic warning will receive official notification from the Office of the Registrar. Academic warning status is noted on the student’s academic transcript.
 
A student on academic warning is required to schedule an appointment with an Academic Coach in the Office of Student Academic Support Services (Traditional Undergraduate) / their advisor or Program Director (TAWC) to complete an Academic Success Plan no later than the date indicated in the letter. A hold preventing registration of future coursework is placed on the student’s record until this condition is met.
 
Students who are on academic warning may not participate in any major student activity, participate in an intercollegiate sport, hold office or a student leadership role, or represent the University publicly until they return to good academic standing. Please note that students on academic warning may not be eligible for certain work study positions.
 
Financial Aid Warning
Students placed on academic warning - or those who meet the cumulative and term grade point average standards but have not earned credit in 67% of cumulative credits attempted in their degree program - are placed on financial aid warning. A student placed on financial aid warning will receive a letter from Student Financial Services by email and U.S. Postal Service to their residence of record as notification of this status. Financial aid warning status is not noted on the academic transcript.
 
Academic Dismissal
Students who do not meet the 2.00 minimum cumulative and/or term grade point average standards in the semester after the one in which they were placed on academic warning are dismissed from the University and are placed on financial aid suspension (see definition below). Dismissed students will receive official notification from the Office of the Registrar. Academic dismissal status is noted on the student’s academic transcript.
 
Financial Aid Suspension
Students dismissed from the University or those on financial aid warning who meet the cumulative and term grade point average standards but have not earned credit in 67% of cumulative credits attempted in their degree program are suspended from receiving financial aid. A student placed on financial aid suspension will receive a letter from Student Financial Services as notification of this status. Financial aid suspension is not noted on the academic transcript.
 
Academic Probation
Students whose academic dismissal appeal is granted are placed on academic and financial aid probation (see definition below) for their next enrolled semester. A student on academic probation is required to schedule an appointment with an Academic Coach in the Office of Student Academic Support Services to complete an Academic Success Plan before registering for future coursework. A registration hold is placed on the student’s record until this condition is met. The Academic Success Plan may require adjustments to registrations for subsequent semesters. Students who fail to complete an Academic Success Plan while on academic probation may not be able to continue in classes and/or may be dismissed from the University without the opportunity to return.
 
The academic standing for students on academic probation will be reviewed at the conclusion of every semester. Students who meet the terms of the Academic Success Plan and both the cumulative and term grade point average standards for that semester will be returned to good academic standing. Students who meet the terms of the Academic Success Plan and the term grade point average standard but whose cumulative grade point average is still below the required threshold will continue on academic probation. Students who do not meet the terms of their Academic Success Plan and/or the term grade point average standard while on academic probation will be academically dismissed a second time. Students who have been dismissed more than once are no longer eligible to appeal their dismissal or request reinstatement to Bay Path University.
 
Students who are on academic probation may not participate in any major student activity, participate in an intercollegiate sport, hold office or a student leadership role, or represent the University publicly until they return to good academic standing. Please note that students on academic probation may not be eligible for certain work study positions.
 
Financial Aid Probation
Students whose academic dismissal appeal is granted are placed on academic and financial aid probation for one semester. A student may continue to receive financial assistance during the probationary period. Financial aid probation is not noted on the academic transcript.
 
Appealing an Academic Dismissal
Students who have been academically dismissed from the University for the first time have the opportunity to appeal the action in writing during the timeframe specified in the dismissal notice. Students who have been dismissed more than once are no longer eligible to appeal their dismissal or request reinstatement to Bay Path University. Eligible students wishing to appeal their academic dismissal should work closely with their academic advisor and must submit a typed appeal letter with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office (via email to registrar@baypath.edu). The Registrar’s Office will verify receipt of the appeal letter and documentation by email and will forward these documents to the Academic Standards Committee.
 
In the appeal letter, the student must provide a typed response to the following question: “How has your situation changed that will allow you to meet all satisfactory academic progress standards in the future?” Appeal submissions must also include documentation that supports the student’s ability to be academically successful in their next enrolled semester. In order for their appeal to be reviewed, students must provide document(s) that outline one or both of the following:
 
• Documentation of extenuating circumstances that resulted in the student’s poor academic performance (which include but are not limited to: major medical issues of the student or family member, issues with living situation and/or employment that prevented the student from being academically successful)
 
• Documentation of recent changes in the student’s situation that will allow them to be academically successful in their next enrolled semester (which include but are not limited to: confirmation of a new living situation/employment or changes to a medical situation that is more conducive to academic success)
 
Appeals submitted without supporting documentation will not be reviewed or considered.
 
The Academic Standards Committee, chaired by the University Registrar, will convene and review the appeal letter and documentation submitted by the student. The committee will render a decision within two weeks after all required appeal documents have been submitted. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee is final.
 
If the decision of the committee is to grant the appeal, the student’s dismissal will be overturned, and their standing will be changed to academic and financial aid probation (definitions above) for their next enrolled semester. This change will also be noted on the student’s academic transcript.