When a recipient of financial aid goes on a leave of absence or withdraws, the Financial Aid Office calculates the amount of financial aid that has been "earned" prior to the effective leave/withdrawal date. Any federal Title IV aid received in excess of the amount earned is considered to be "unearned," and must be returned to the federal program from which it was awarded. This return of unearned aid is jointly shared by UCLA, as a part of the tuition and fee refund policy, and by the student. The amount of financial aid that has been earned is determined by calculating the number of days attended before the leave/withdrawal date divided by the total number of days in the term (first day of classes until the last day of finals, excluding breaks of greater than five days). If 61% of the term has been reached, a return of unearned aid is no longer calculated. Once the earned and unearned percentages are calculated, the dollar amount of "unearned" federal Title IV aid is determined. Federal aid includes Direct Unsubsidized, and Graduate PLUS Loans. In almost all instances, the amount of the tuition and fee refund will be less than the amount that must be returned as "unearned" aid. A portion of this "unearned" aid is paid back by UCLA during the tuition and fee refund procedure, since the repayment by UCLA of the refund amount is first credited toward the total federal aid awarded for the same time period. If the refund amount is less than the calculation of the "unearned" aid, the student is responsible for paying the difference between the amount of the refund and the total "unearned" aid calculation.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The below policies are subject to change:
SAP Policy2020-21 SAP Appeal
Introduction Federal regulations require that all students receiving financial aid from Title IV funds maintain satisfactory academic progress. To comply with this requirement the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM) has adopted a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) that applies to all medical students receiving any form of financial aid. Students who fail to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements become ineligible to receive Title IV (Federal loans) and institutional aid (DGSOM scholarships and loans) until they are in compliance with these requirements.
NOTE: Satisfactory Academic Progress is not equivalent to the category of "Good Academic/Professional Standing." The designation of Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined below, and may apply to students who are placed in the category of "Academic/Professional Probation."
Standard Requirements
The School uses both qualitative and quantitative standards to measure progress toward M.D. degree completion. The following standards are equally strict for all students enrolled in the M.D. program whether or not they are receiving financial aid. To be eligible for financial aid or be considered in good standing, students must meet or exceed the following standards. Failure to do so may result in suspension of financial aid eligibility.
Qualitative Standard - Complete coursework with Passing grades. Grading is pass/no pass for pre-clinical years. The third year clerkships will have a 4 tier system (no pass, pass, high pass, honors).
Each student is required to successfully pass all coursework, clerkships, examinations, and scholarly projects in order to graduate with an M.D. degree. DGSOM does not measure academic progress with grade point average but instead with Pass or No Pass for the pre-clinical years, and No Pass, Pass, High Pass, and Honors for the clinical years. No student is allowed to progress to the next year if he or she has not passed all required coursework and exams.
Quantitative Standard (Pace Requirement) - May not exceed 150% of the published length of the program. The normal time frame for completion of required coursework for the M.D. program is four (4) academic years or 8 semesters and 1 summer period. For normal academic progress, students are expected to complete satisfactorily the following requirements:
*The units cited above are for the current curricular requirements, and are subject to revision and change.
Remediating Courses A student who does not satisfactorily complete all course requirements or who does not have academic standing consistent with graduation requirements may be permitted to remediate. The Academic Performance Committee and Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion (CASPP) are responsible for developing individualized remediation plans for students with deficiencies in meeting academic performance, professionalism, or technical standards set forth by DGSOM. The only acceptable grade for remediation is "Pass." If the student repeats the course and receives a Pass, the satisfactory re-evaluation will appear on the transcript with a designation that the course was repeated (P*).
Maximum Time Frame Students must successfully complete the designated four-year program of medical education. DGSOM does not offer a formal extended program. Recognizing that some students may need additional time, students may take no longer than six years of academic enrollment to complete the program. The maximum time frame for financial aid eligibility is 6 years (150% of the 4 year program). The six (6) year financial aid limit includes any semester or summer period the student was enrolled, regardless of whether or not the student received financial aid during that time. An approved Leave of Absence (LOA) is defined by an absence from the curriculum of more than six consecutive weeks. Students on an approved Leave of Absence for any reasons other than an Academic Leave of Absence are not eligible for financial aid. An approved Leave of Absence for any reasons other than an Academic Leave of Absence is not counted as enrollment time and is excluded from the 6-year time-to-degree requirement. However, in the event a student withdraws from school after the first day of the term, the semester in which the student withdraws will count as a period of enrollment for financial aid purposes.
Combined and Articulated Degree Programs The combined and articulated programs include: M.D. / M.P.H, M.D. / M.P.P., and M.D. / M.B.A. The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Luskin School of Public Policy, and the Anderson School of Management, with the David Geffen School of Medicine, have programs designed to enable students to complete both the specific master’s and the M.D. programs in five years. Therefore, the maximum timeframe for financial aid eligibility is 7.5 years (150% of the 5 year program).
M.D. / Ph.D. - Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) The traditional course of study begins with the first two years of medical school, followed by PhD training, and concluding with the third and fourth years of medical school. The maximum time period for financial aid eligibility is 150% of the sum of enrollment periods established by MSTP and the David Geffen School of Medicine.
Review and Notification of Lack of Satisfactory Academic Progress The Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion (CASPP) of Medical Students is a standing subcommittee of the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM). On behalf of the faculty of the DGSOM, CASPP promulgates standards and evaluates the academic performance, professionalism, and ability to meet the technical standards of each student on an ongoing basis from matriculation until graduation with an MD degree or the conclusion of enrollment at DGSOM. CASPP reviews the standards for academic performance for preclinical classes, clinical clerkships, and other academic programs of the school on an annual basis. Because the faculty conceives of the medical curriculum leading to the MD degree as a single course of study, CASPP oversees uniform standards of academic and professional performance across similar courses and clerkships and departmental boundaries. These standards are monitored in consultation with the course or clerkship chairs and the Academic Performance Committee's, and are subject to review and approval by the FEC on an annual basis.
CASPP reviews the professional development and academic performance of each student on an annual basis or more often as needed. Each student is reviewed annually and considered for promotion to the next year of study. The recommendation for promotion of each student is made to the FEC and is based on the student’s fulfillment of professional, academic, and technical standards, and successful completion of all requirements of the curriculum for the given academic year.
CASPP oversees uniform policy and procedural guidelines for determining and remediating professionalism, academic, or technical deficiencies. These guidelines include, but are not limited to, remediation procedures that are instituted by the Academic Performance Committee (APC) when a student fails one or more examinations, courses, or clerkships, or otherwise demonstrates deficiencies in satisfactory professionalism, academic, or technical performance. In collaboration with the identified APC, CASPP may review any student's professionalism and academic performance in the event there are concerns about the student's ability to meet the academic, professional, or technical standards. Students are notified of this action, including the scheduled date when their professionalism, and academic and technical performance will be reviewed by CASPP. CASPP and the identified
APC have the authority to interrupt a student’s course of study at any time, including removing students from preclinical courses or clinical rotations, or any other action deemed necessary based on professional, academic, or technical performance concerns, including but not limited to:
Upon successful completion of the curriculum of DGSOM, the student is recommended to the FEC for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The final approval for graduation is made by the FEC and the DGSOM Vice Dean for Education.
In conjunction with the Student Affairs Office, the Financial Aid Office will monitor at the conclusion of each academic year the students that are not making satisfactory academic progress.
Suspension of Financial Aid A student who fails to meet one or more of the standards for SAP (qualitative and/or quantitative) is ineligible for financial aid beginning with the term immediately following the term in which the SAP requirements were not met, pending results of the appeal process.
Appeals A student who has had financial aid eligibility suspended for failing to maintain the standards for SAP may regain financial aid eligibility by coming into compliance with the qualitative components of academic progress standards, or successfully appealing to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal must state the reasons for failing to meet SAP requirements (e.g., injury or illness, death of relative, or other circumstance) and the changes in circumstances that will allow the student to demonstrate SAP at the next evaluation (provides an academic plan). Students who have exceeded the Maximum Timeframe may regain eligibility through the appeal process.
Financial Aid Probation Once an appeal has been approved a student is placed on financial aid probation and is eligible for financial aid. The FAO will be provided with the student’s academic plan that will ensure, if followed, that the student is able to meet the SAP Standards by a specific point in time (usually one academic year). If the student has not met the SAP requirements by the probationary period, financial aid will be suspended, and will not be able to establish financial aid eligibility until they are in compliance with SAP standards.
Implementation The David Geffen School of Medicine Student Affairs and Financial Aid Office will have joint responsibility for implementation and enforcement of this satisfactory academic progress policy for students receiving financial aid. The FAO will inform any student whose financial aid has been impacted. All notifications are kept in the student’s financial aid file.
