Financial Aid

Academic Progress Self-Assessment

Federal financial aid funds are awarded with the understanding that students will make progress toward their chosen degree. The University of Cincinnati, as directed by the U.S. Department of Education, has established guidelines (Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress) to follow in order to meet this goal.

The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress policy must be met for continued aid.


Self-Assessment of Your Status

To assist students assess how they are performing against the new Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, the Student Financial Aid Office has developed a worksheet and online instructions for reviewing your coursework.

A self-assessment does not replace a full review and evaluation done by Student Financial Aid.  However, an honest review of your full academic history can help you understand the policy in relationship with your past coursework and direct you in ways to retain your financial aid eligibility.

  • Academic Progress Policy: Review the policy online or print a copy of the policy flyer*.

  • Self-Assessment Worksheet*: Print a copy of this worksheet to calculate an estimation of how your past academic performance falls in line with the new policy.

  • Get a Full Listing of UC Coursework: Unless you already have a transcript of your academic work or wish to access your grades term-by-term, you can get a complete listing of your UC courses and their corresponding grades by performing a specialized degree audit.
  1. Go to the Catalyst and use the "My Academics" link to select the "get my degree audit" option.
  2. You are going to perform the 99DEFAULT audit mentioned in the text. After reading the introductory remarks, you can "continue."
  3. Sign in using your username and password.
  4. Choose the "Run Selected Program" option.
  5. Change the 3 drop-down fields to be the following:
    • School Codes:  99 - Special
    • Degree Prog:     99DEFAULT - 99DEFAULT
    • Catalog Year:     Fall 2011
  6. Hit "Submit a New Audit"
  7. Wait as the system processes your record.
  8. Once complete, you will be given an "Open Audit" option box to click.
  9. To see a review of your coursework and grades, you can do one of the following:
    • Click on the "Open All Sections" link at the top of the screen.
    • Click on the arrow icon to the left of CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF COURSEWORK to open that section and view your listing.
    • Click on the "Printer Friendly" option at the top of the screen to print your listing.
  10. You will need to know the credit hours for any courses that show 0.0 for hours earned due to unsatisfactory grades (W, NP, F, I, etc.) or special grades highlighted in the degree audit legend (such as R and FS).
    • If you don't know the number of hours for the course, you can look up the individual term's grades using the "check my grades" link within Catalyst.
    • You will also need to look up original grades on your term grade reports for any of the special grades highlighted in the degree audit legend.

NOTE: "Hours Carried" and "Hours Earned" as reported on grade reports and transcripts are not the same as used in financial aid calculations. Grade records include only those hours with specific grades. W and other non-punitive grades from a GPA perspective are not included in grade report totals. However, these grades and coursework are a factor when reviewing your academic history for financial aid eligibility.


Assessment Results

The Student Financial Aid Office hopes that you have done an accurate review of your past academic performance and you have passed all three measures of academic progress. Congratulations if you did! You are likely to be on your way toward maintaining financial aid eligibility. It is also important to continue to achieve a 2.0 or better GPA, ensure all coursework applies to your degree requirements, and complete all coursework for which you register. Doing so can both maintain your aid eligibility and help you achieve your academic goals in short order.

If your self-assessment shows you are not meeting one or more of the three measurements, you are at risk of losing your financial aid upon review by Student Financial Aid. You should immediately take steps to improve your GPA and completion rates as well as be very intentional with your registration to complete your degree soon.


Seek Out Assistance

Staff in Enrollment Services (220 University Pavilion, UCBA 150 Mutz Hall, or UCC 100 Student Services Building) can assist you with evaluating your quick assessment. Be sure to bring your completed self-assessment worksheet* and degree audit documents with you if you need assistance assessing your academic history or understanding your status.

The Learning Commons (2441 French Hall, 513-556-3244) or staff at your branch campus can assist you in getting back on track with your academics. Expert personnel can assist you in developing a realistic gameplan to improve your course completion and success rate.

Your academic advisor and your program degree audit can ensure that you are only taking the classes required for your current degree program. Completing your coursework efficiently saves time and money.

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