Technical Certificate Programs Catalog 2022-2023

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Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The Inter American University of Puerto Rico has the fundamental mission of developing the talent of its students and is committed to making every reasonable effort to help them complete the study program in which they are enrolled, and thus obtain the corresponding Academic degree. Aware of this responsibility, the University has incorporated the practice of periodically evaluating the Academic Progress of students throughout their years of study. This allows the University to take the necessary steps to achieve greater student retention and make it easier for students to achieve their educational goals.

Requirements to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress

Inter American University of Puerto Rico requires that all students of the Technical and Vocational Certificate programs, demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress while taking their program of study. The University will evaluate the Academic Progress of the students at the end of each Academic Term. The requirements to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress are divided in two components: qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative Component

  1. Academic index
    To fulfill this component, the student must achieve a minimum Academic index of:
  • 1 .80 at the end of the first Term of studies.
  • 2.00 in subsequent Terms

      2.  Academic graduation rate
          To complete the requirements of a technical certificate, the student must have a minimum average of 2.00 points.

Quantitative Component

  1. Approval Rate
  • To meet the approval rate, the student must pass at least 66.67% of the credits attempted in each Academic Term.
  • The result of the calculation will be rounded to the nearest hundredth. For example: 66.66666665 will round to 66 67%.

Meeting the passing rate ensures that the student completes the degree requirements within the maximum eligibility period.

Maximum time frame

The student must complete the requirements of the study program in 150% of the time required by the program. The maximum period of eligibility to receive financial aid depends on the number of credits in the program of study.

First Academic Probation and Financial Aid Warning

  • The first time that the student who does not meet the minimum general average requirement, or does not pass 66.67% of the attempted credits, will be classified in the First Academic Probation. In addition, be classified as a student with a Financial Aid Warning. No need to appeal.
  • The campus will be responsible for guiding the student regarding how to overcome the Financial Aid Warning status, as well as the period of Academic Probation,
  • At the end of the first period of Academic Probation and Financial Aid Warning, the student who complies with the provisions of the norm will be considered a student with Satisfactory Academic Progress and will be classified as such.
  • The student who, at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, does not reach the index of 2.00, or does not pass 66.67% of the attempted credits, will not have achieved Satisfactory Academic Progress. Consequently, be suspended from the Technical Certificate Program for an Academic Term. Student will be assigned Academic Suspension and Financial Aid Suspension status. The student may appeal both suspensions.

Academic Plan, appeal process for Academic Suspension and appeal process to reinstate financial aid

  • All students suspended Academically must develop, together with a professional counselor, an Academic Plan that may be valid for a maximum of two (2) consecutive Academic Terms.
  • As part of the Academic Plan, the student will give priority, but not limited to, the following:
  1. repeat and pass those courses in which you have failed or have not obtained the required grade for the courses in your program
  2. pass no less than 66.67% of the attempted credits at the end of each Academic Term.
  3. obtain an Academic index of 2.00 at the end of the Term.
  4. enroll a maximum of twelve (12) credits
  • The student interested in appealing the Suspension of financial aid, and the Academic Suspension, will have to submit the completed Appeal Request to the Dean of Academic Affairs or the designated person, as soon as the student receives the notification of the Suspension of financial and Academic aid. . Financial aid can only be authorized after the approval of the appeal, so it is recommended to complete the Appeal Request before or during the beginning of the Academic Term in which expects to enroll. The Appeal Request must be accompanied by the Academic Plan.
  • The student who is not interested in appealing the Academic suspension will remain in that status for an Academic Term.
  • If the student decides not to appeal the suspension of financial aid, the student will not receive the aid.
  • If the student only appeals the Academic Suspension and it is considered favorably, the student may continue studying without financial aid, under the status of a second Academic Probation.
  • The student must base the appeal on causes or circumstances beyond the student's control, such as: 1) suffering from a documented medical condition, 2) death of a member of a family member, 3) military deployment or 4) other circumstances of a major nature beyond the student's and must present the evidence to justify the request. In addition, the student must indicate how the circumstances have changed at the time of filing the appeal, so as to allow the student to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress. The Dean of Academic Affairs will refer the student's request to the Appeals Committee.
  • In each campus there will be an appeals committee appointed by the chancellor  to evaluate the appeal requests submitted by the students. The Committee will be composed of the Dean of Academic Affairs or the designated person, the Dean of students or the designated person, a professional advisor and the director of financial aid or designated person. The Committee will have the power to request advice from professors or any other official of the University that it deems pertinent.
  • When evaluating the petition, the Appeals Committee will take into consideration whether the student can obtain the required Academic Progress at the end of the next Academic Term in which the student enrolls or upon completion of the Academic Plan. For this, the Committee will analyze the case and inform the chancellor of the Academic unit about the decision.
  • If the Committee concludes that the student will be able to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress during the next Academic Term in which the student enroll, or will be able to reasonably comply with what is established in the Academic Plan, it will declare their appeal valid, and may grant the student with a second Academic probation and a Probation of financial aid for the next Academic Term in which student enroll.
  • If at the end of the Term under Financial Aid Probation and the period of the second Academic Probation, the student manages to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, the probation status (both Academic and financial aid) will be removed and the student will be considered in compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard.
  • If at the end of the Term under Financial Aid Probation and period of the second Academic Probation the student fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, but has complied with the provisions of the Academic Plan for said Academic Term, the student will maintain their eligibility to receive financial aid for the next Academic Term.
  • If at the end of the Term under Financial Aid Probation and the period of the second Academic probation, the student fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress and has not complied with what is stipulated for said Academic Term in the Academic Plan, the student will be suspended a second time.

Second Academic Suspension and Financial Aid Suspension

  • If at the end of the Term to comply with the Terms of the Academic Plan, during the second Academic Probation, the student does not achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, the financial aid will be suspended and the student will be suspended Academically for one (1) Academic year and will not be able to appeal this decision.
  • The Dean of Academic Affairs will notify the student of the decision by letter or email, a copy of which will be included in the student's Academic record.
  • Once this period of suspension has concluded, the student may request readmission and if the Dean of Academic Affairs or the designated person concludes that there is a possibility that the student will achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress in the period of one (1) Academic year, the student may be readmitted under the status of third Academic Probation.
  • Being readmitted under the status of third Academic Probation does not imply that the student will be eligible to receive financial aid.
  • The student must comply with the provisions of this norm, to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress and appeal the Suspension of financial aid to restore its eligibility.
  • A student with status of Academic Suspension, who has not appealed and who has completed the enrollment process for the next Academic Term (with payment), will receive a total withdrawal with a 100% refund.

Readmission of Suspended Students

  • Any request for readmission of a student previously suspended, as stipulated in this rule or who has interrupted studies while on Academic probation, will be evaluated by the Dean of Academic Affairs or the designated person designated.
  • The student may be readmitted under the status of Academic Probation as long as the Dean of Academic Affairs or the designated person deTermines the possibility of reaching Satisfactory Academic Progress in a period of one (1) Academic year, starting from the readmission date,
  • All students thus readmitted must comply with the provisions of this norm in order to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress and appeal their Financial Aid Suspension to restore its eligibility.
  • Being readmitted under Academic probation status does not imply that the student will be eligible to receive financial aid,

General Dispositions

  • This norm establishes the criteria to deTermine the student's Academic Progress. In addition, it establishes the eligibility requirements to participate in financial aid.
  • The University will evaluate the Academic Progress of each student at the end of each Academic Term.
  • The student who does not complete the program of study within the maximum time frame established in the applicable federal regulations, and who, therefore, does not achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, will not be able to continue studies with financial aid. When the student exceeds the limits indicated in this document, the Dean of Academic Affairs or designated person evaluate each case in order to deTermine if the student can continue his studies.
  • The student must declare the technical certificate program of interest may change it after consulting with the career counselor or the director or person in charge of the Technical Certificate Program. When the student changes the technical certificate program, the attempted credits associated with the courses of the previous technical certificate will not be considered towards the Satisfactory Academic Progress standard, except when these credits are also part of the requirements of the new program.
  • The courses of a technical certificate program may be paid for with financial aid while the student remains in the original program or after making a duly authorized and registered change of program of study.
  • A student who officially withdraws (W), abandons the course (UW) or fails it, that is, obtains an "F" or "NP" grade, can repeat that or those courses as many times as necessary and cover it with financial aid, until approved. On the other hand, a student who wants to repeat a previously approved course may cover it with financial aid only one (1) time. A previously passed course is one in which the student earned a grade of A, B, C, D, or P. Course repetitions affect the quantitative component of the Satisfactory Progress Standard.
  • All repeated courses are considered as attempted credits for purposes of deTermining the maximum period of eligibility measured in credits and the rate of approval. Only the highest grade of the repeated courses will be considered to calculate the student's Academic index.
  • The Institution accepts a maximum of 25% of credits transferred from other institutions for technical certificate programs. Validated courses must have a minimum grade of C and will not be taken into consideration to deTermine the student's general average.
  • Transferred credits (T) are considered as part of the student's Academic record for purposes of establishing the percentage of approved credits of the program of study requirements and to deTermine the maximum period of eligibility to receive financial aid. Only transferred credits applicable to the program of study will be validated.
  • The evaluation to deTermine the student's Academic Progress will not consider the courses in which the student has received the mark of incomplete (l) until said mark has been removed.
  • The University will notify the student, by letter or email, of her Academic status and how it affects the eligibility to receive financial aid.
  • After graduation, the credit transcript will not reflect the student's probationary and suspension periods.
  • A student may not appeal a Financial Aid Suspension and obtain Financial Aid Probation status for the same circumstances on more than one occasion.