You came to the University of Florida to get an education, and you can be sure the University of Florida will hold you to that. The school maintains clear academic standards, and should you fail to measure up to those standards, you can find yourself on probation or even dismissed from the university altogether.
Of course, we all make mistakes. In fact, college students are prone to make a lot of them. Maybe getting up at 8 AM for that one class that's only offered at that time is just too much for you. Maybe Shakespeare is your Achilles heel. Maybe you were just a little too hungover when you took that calculus final.
Given that we all make them, Joseph D. Lento doesn't think a few mistakes here, and there should put your academic progress in jeopardy. And you won't find another attorney-advisor who will work harder to make sure they don't. Joseph D. Lento has spent years learning how academic justice works. He understands how faculty and administrators communicate, he knows how to navigate university bureaucracy, and he's ready to put his knowledge and skills to work for you.
Academic Progression Requirements at the University of Florida
When it comes to achieving “good” academic standing at UF, the requirements are relatively straightforward. You need to keep a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Fail to do that, and you wind up on academic probation. For the most part, academic probation is merely a warning that you are having trouble. You are still allowed to register for classes, and probation does not appear on your permanent record. In addition, you can return to good standing simply by meeting the 2.0 GPA standard. Further, you can remain on probation for multiple semesters without facing dismissal.
However, below the 2.0 mark, the school has another scale of grade points based on how many credit hours you've completed. For example, the corresponding grade point for a student with 50 credits is 1.70. Fall below that number, and you can be dismissed, whether you're on probation or not.
Fighting Probation and Dismissal Decisions
The University of Florida has no formal procedures in place for fighting academic standing decisions. When your GPA falls below the 2.0 threshold, you are placed on probation automatically. When your GPA sinks below the sliding scale standard that corresponds to your credit hours, you are dismissed.
However, you don't have to simply accept an academic sanction. There are many useful ways to prevent probation or dismissal.
- If extenuating circumstances have caused your poor academic performance, you can petition for a waiver of standing requirements and gain another semester of probation in place of dismissal.
- Likewise, unfair treatment by a professor might be grounds for a waiver.
- Professors have been known to make mistakes in calculating student grades. You can always ask an instructor to re-figure your scores for the semester.
- You may also be able to convince an instructor to simply reconsider your work. In the midst of the semester, they may not have recognized your true level of ability. Or, maybe they didn't notice that even though you had low scores, you were still making real progress toward meeting the learning objectives.
- Sometimes faculty are willing to offer extra-credit assignments or allow you more time to finish outstanding work. These, too, could help raise your grade, and a single higher grade could be enough to prevent probation or dismissal.
Your advisor may not tell you about all these options. Joseph D. Lento will, and he can help you pursue them.
In addition, Joseph D. Lento can help if you should ultimately wind up dismissed. The University of Florida offers a readmission application process. Of course, filing such an application does not guarantee you'll be allowed back at the school, but Joseph D. Lento can help you gather evidence of your academic ability and even help you draft the application itself.
SAP Requirements
There is yet another set of academic standards you are subject to if you receive financial aid at the University of Florida. The federal government requires all colleges and universities to maintain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to prevent students who aren't progressing toward their degree from benefiting from any form of federal aid—grants, loans, or even work-study.
The UF Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFA) reviews SAP at the end of each Spring semester, looking specifically at three criteria.
- First, you must complete at least 67 percent of all the courses you attempt. Failures and withdrawals obviously count against this percentage, and Incompletes count against it until they are revised.
- Second, you must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- Finally, you must complete your degree within 180 credit hours.
Failure to meet any one of these three standards makes you ineligible for aid. You can petition the SFA if you believe you have mitigating factors that caused your academic distress. Successful petitions can gain you an additional semester of aid under probationary status. Otherwise, however, you remain ineligible until such time as you are again meeting SAP criteria.
You may have noticed that SAP standards can be more stringent than academic standing standards. For example, you can still enroll in courses if your GPA should fall below 2.0, but UF will discontinue your aid. That is, you can continue as a student even if you're not meeting SAP criteria. However, most students find it difficult to continue once they are no longer receiving federal funds.
Joseph D. Lento can help with SAP issues as well as standing issues. If you're concerned about your aid package or have already lost your package, don't wait to see what will happen next. Contact Joseph D. Lento today to find out how he can help.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Many students assume that once they get to college, they're supposed to handle all their own problems by themselves. After all, you're supposed to be “adulting” now, right? They may not know how to go about fighting a dismissal decision, and so when they get that letter telling them they've been dropped from the university, they just accept it.
You know better. You know there are many ways to salvage your academic career, even if you've made some mistakes. More importantly, you know you don't have to handle this situation all on your own. There's help available to you.
Joseph D. Lento knows how the University of Florida system operates. He knows the processes and procedures, and he knows how to use them to your best advantage. Whether you're trying to satisfy probation requirements, facing dismissal, or working to be readmitted, Joseph D. Lento is on your side and ready to do what it takes to keep your future bright.
To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
