If you're in the midst of dealing with a dismissal from a college or university in West Virginia, you're probably very worried about what's going to happen to you. After all the years that you put into going to college and doing your best, you're in danger of losing everything.
Don't give up hope. The good news is that there may be solutions that can help you get out of your current predicament. Retain the services of national academic attorney-advisor Joseph Lento and the team at the Lento Law Firm so that they can help you figure out the next steps. Call 888-535-3686 to find out more.
Challenging Academic Progress Dismissal
West Virginia has 44 public and private colleges and universities located all around the state. In addition to these schools, there are also two-year colleges, technical schools specializing in a specific career path, and other institutions of higher learning. One thing that many of the students attending these schools have in common is that they use federal loans to help pay for their tuition. In order for them to continue to receive those federal loans, the students must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress, also known as SAP, means that a student must maintain a minimum grade point average of at least 2.0 in order to qualify for aid.
Four-year universities like Alverson Broadus University and the University of Charleston, in addition to two-year colleges like Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, list out institutional and federal policies in their student handbooks that make it clear to students what will happen if they fail to make SAP.
Federal law prohibits universities from even extending federal loans to students if they fall below the 2.0 threshold. In addition to following federal laws regarding extending loans to students, West Virginia colleges and universities also have internal policies in place that dictate what students must do in order to stay in good academic standing.
When a student fails to meet SAP, schools have several options available to them. They can put the student on academic probation, allow the student to withdraw from the school for a period of time, have the student retake the class, or dismiss them entirely. These decisions are supposed to be based on a fair and just internal process. Unfortunately, schools are not always fair, and they sometimes dismiss students who should have been given other options.
There are many different reasons that a student might not be able to maintain a satisfactory grade point average. Some students are dealing with serious physical or mental health issues that prevent them from staying on top of their studies. Other students may be struggling to figure out ways to pay for school.
There are many different extenuating circumstances that could make it impossible for a student to maintain a good grade point average. Schools are supposed to base their decisions regarding dismissal on each student's individual circumstances. Unfortunately, that's not always the case, and they end up dismissing students who should have been able to have had other options extended to them.
If you're in danger of being dismissed from your West Virginia college or university, or if you've already been dismissed, take action. Don't worry about it being too late: nothing is irreversible when it comes to these types of matters. Retain the services of national academic attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and the experts at the Lento Law Firm so they can determine if there are alternative solutions to your situation. They've dealt with these issues for years for many other students, and they know exactly what they need to do to help you resolve the situation and move forward with your academic life.
Challenging Misconduct Dismissal or Discipline
Failure to maintain SAP is not the only reason that a student could get dismissed from school. They may also be dismissed because of alleged academic misconduct or other types of misconduct.
West Virginia colleges and universities must make sure that their campuses are safe and fair places for students to study and live. There are federal and state laws and regulations that schools must abide by in order to keep their students safe.
One of them is Title IX. Title IX is a federal law that was created in 1972 to help ensure that students didn't experience sexual discrimination on US campuses. West Virginia colleges and universities use federal laws like Title IX to ensure that students remain safe on campuses. They also have their own internal policies in place regarding safety and academic misconduct. When students violate these policies and rules, they could be dismissed.
One of the reasons that West Virginia colleges and universities react swiftly and firmly to allegations of misconduct is because they could be held liable if it is shown that they did not respond quickly to allegations. For this reason, schools sometimes overreach when it comes to discipline for alleged misconduct.
Just as with the lack of fairness that takes place when it comes to a student being dismissed for not making SAP, the same lack of fairness comes into play when it comes to the way West Virginia colleges and universities deal with students who have been accused of some sort of misconduct.
In certain cases, West Virginia colleges and universities may not have investigated the alleged misconduct properly, and the accused student ended up getting expelled because they were not able to defend themselves properly. Students who are in this position often don't take the allegation seriously. They simply defend themselves, finding out too late that they should have hired professional support instead.
In some cases, the evidence brought against a student may have been misinterpreted or brought about with nefarious intentions. In cases where there was some sort of misconduct, the penalty of dismissal didn't fit the crime. However, the dismissal came about, the student ends up losing.
If you're that student, don't give up. You don't have to go through this alone. Joseph Lento and the experts at the Lento Law Firm have spent years defending students against allegations of academic misconduct. They've helped students who've been dismissed from West Virginia colleges and universities get reinstated, and they want to help you.
Consequences of Dismissal or Discipline
It can be hard to land back on your feet if you've been dismissed from a West Virginia college or University. The consequences of dismissal can be very severe and set you back years.
- If you assume you can just transfer to another school, think again. Getting accepted into a new school after being dismissed from your existing school can be extremely difficult. Whether you were dismissed because of academic or other types of misconduct or you were dismissed because of failure to maintain SAP, the other school may look at your record negatively.
- You can't just transfer to a new school. Your existing credits will be erased, so you'll have to start from scratch. This can be extremely difficult to deal with if you're far along in your program.
- If you've already graduated from your West Virginia college or university, you can still deal with negative consequences. Students who have been found guilty of academic misconduct or other types of misconduct sometimes get their degrees revoked, even if they've already left the school.
Appealing School Discipline or SAP Dismissal
If you've already been dismissed by your West Virginia College University, you may think all is lost, but it may not be. You need to fight as hard as you can to protect yourself. There may be alternatives to dismissal that may be available to you.
By working with national academic attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento and the experts at the Lento Law Firm, you have the best chance of overturning a dismissal or preventing one from happening in the first place. Joseph Lento and his team have been defending students for years against everything that you're going through right now. They have strong relationships with attorneys in the general counsel offices of many West Virginia colleges and universities. These relationships make it possible for them to be able to negotiate a better outcome for you. You may think that simply going with a local West Virginia attorney is in your best interests: it's not. It's an academic issue, and Joseph D Lento has years of fighting for students dealing with academic issues. He and his team are the people you need in your corner to help you have an alternative outcome.
Retain a National Academic Attorney Advisor
It's not too late. Whether you've already been dismissed by your West Virginia college or university or you're in danger of being dismissed, don't give up hope. Now is the time to fight harder than ever. Reach out to Joseph Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm so that they can help you with the next steps.
Reach out to Joseph Lento and his team today at 888-535-3686 so that you can get back on track towards your future.
