Federal regulations stipulate that to be eligible for Title IV financial aid or Veteran’s benefits a student must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.

Students at ASL do NOT make satisfactory academic progress if they exceed a maximum time frame of 84 months for earning their J.D. degree or are academically dismissed in accordance with the academic standards set forth in Chapter 5 of the ASL Catalog & Student Handbook. Chapter 5 provides for academic dismissal from ASL’s Juris Doctor program if a student’s cumulative grade average falls below 2.0000. Chapter 5 contains details on how the cumulative grade average is calculated.

Students whose cumulative grade average falls between 2.0000 and 2.2999 (inclusive) are placed on academic probation for a maximum period of one semester. (See Chapter 5 for complete details on standards and requirements for academic probation status.) Academic probation shall NOT mean that the student is not making “satisfactory academic progress” or that the student is disqualified from eligibility for Title IV funds or Veteran’s benefits. However, a student who is on academic probation for a semester should be aware that his or her eligibility for Title IV funds/Veteran’s benefits will end if the student does not successfully return to “good academic standing” after the probationary semester.

At the end of each Fall and Spring Semester, ASL’s Chief Academic Officer reviews each student for “satisfactory academic progress.” Students who are identified as failing to complete the degree requirements within 84 months of matriculation or as having been academically dismissed are notified via letter from the Chief Academic Officer before the next Fall/Spring semester begins. The dismissal letter is emailed to the student at his/her ASL email address.

Students are not reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of Summer semester or other intersessions. Because Summer semester courses may begin immediately after completion of Spring semester, it is possible that students who are academically dismissed after Spring semester may not receive notification before a Summer course begins. In those instances, students enrolled in Summer courses will be administratively withdrawn from the courses regardless of the percentage of completion and will receive a grade of “W” for the courses. Tuition for those courses will be waived but the student’s financial aid will be recalculated using the Return of Title IV Funds Calculation.

Students who have a Leave of Absence approved for an upcoming semester are not considered as failing to make satisfactory academic progress unless the period of leave results in the student failing to complete the degree within 84 months of matriculation.