Financial Aid and Work Study

Academic Progress & Probation

Regardless of the program, enrollment status (part-time or full-time), all students will be held to the same satisfactory academic progress standards unless otherwise specified for graduation/degree requirements under the headings MSTCM and DAOM.

Grading is done on the four-point system, where 4.0 corresponds to an A and is considered excellent, and F is assigned a value of 0.0 and is failing.

Satisfactory academic progress is measured on an ongoing and trimesterly basis when the dean and program administrator review grades and grade points. Comprehensive examinations are given at the 4th, 7th, and 10th trimesters. Students must pass each comprehensive exam (minimum 73%) in order to be permitted to graduate from the Academy. Retake exams scheduled in the 2nd week of each trimester are given for those students who do not pass initially.

Faculty must submit five Comprehensive Exam questions in English or Chinese for each course taught to be entered into the Academy’s Comprehensive Exam question bank. These questions should not duplicate the questions given on the midterm or final exams. Each question must be followed by four possible answers with the correct answer clearly marked.

Trimesterly, students must maintain a 2.3 grade point average (GPA) each trimester in order to maintain good academic standing. A student whose GPA falls below 2.3 will be placed on a two-trimester academic probationary period, during which the student must maintain a 2.3 GPA for each trimester within the probationary period. Mandatory tutoring shall be required during the first trimester of probation. Any class not completed with at least a 2.0 must be retaken at the next available time. Probationary students who have maintained a 2.3 GPA for the length of the probationary period will have their probationary status removed. If a student fails to maintain a 2.3 GPA for each trimester during the two trimester, probationary period, he/she will be dismissed from the Academy.

If dismissed due to failing academic standards and satisfactory academic progress, students may be considered for re-admission after a significant amount of time separated from the Academy, and after the student has demonstrated some or all of the following: Remedial course work at an accredited college; academic or personal counseling; or demonstration of having overcome the difficulties that led to the dismissal. Once a student is readmitted, s/he is expected to maintain at least a 2.7 trimester GPA. Failure to do so after being readmitted may result in immediate and final dismissal from the Academy.

Restriction: The course credit load of a student who has been academically dismissed or is on probation will be determined through consultation with the academic advisor.

Graduation Requirements

Students may also enroll part time, but should be advised that the legal requirements for graduation may change, thereby lengthening their time in the program. Completion of the MSTCM program must be within 8 years. Completion of the DAOM program must be within 4 years.

MAcCHM

1. All candidates for graduation from the MSTCM program must:
2. Complete each class and term of clinic with a grade of 2.0;
3. Maintain a GPA of at least 2.3 in all graded work;
4. Pass all comprehensive examinations and completion of research project;
5. File a Notice of Candidacy for Graduation during registration for the final term before graduation; and
6. Have cleared all financial obligations to the Academy, including the graduation fee, which covers the cost of: California License exam application processing; diploma and diploma cover; cap and gown, and attendance at the graduation ceremony.

DAOM

All students will be held to graduation requirements, which were in effect at the time of their admittance to the Academy, barring a change in state law, or state or national authorization of the Academy’s degree program. All candidates for graduation from the Academy must:

1. Complete each class and term of clinic with a grade of 2.5
2. Maintain a GPA of at least 2.7 in all graded work.
3. Successfully complete the Capstone project
4. File a Notice of Candidacy for Graduation during the final term before graduation.
5. Have cleared all financial obligations to the Academy

When a candidate for graduation has completed all requirements listed above, his or her file is reviewed for degree eligibility by the DAOM Academic Standards Committee. Those candidates who have satisfactorily met all the requirements set forth by the Committee are awarded the degree of Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

When candidates for graduation have completed all requirements listed above, their file is reviewed for degree eligibility by the Academic Standards Committee. Those candidates who have satisfactorily met all the requirements set forth by the A.S.C. are awarded the degree of Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine or Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

The Academy complies with the Federal Family Rights and Privacy Act 1974 (Buckley Amendment), which protects student records from public disclosure. All faculty members are required to be familiar with and observe the procedures of the Buckley Amendment. Simply stated, except for specifically defined reasons, information about a student’s record may not be shared with any individual outside of a faculty member’s department.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal and State regulations governing student financial aid programs require the Academy to ensure that each student who is receiving financial aid maintains satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward his or her degree objective. These regulations allow the institution to set standards of satisfactory academic progress as long as “those standards are reasonable, are applied consistently, are at least as strict as the requirements for all students, and measure progress toward the degree for all periods of enrollment regardless of whether the student is receiving financial aid.”

Course Grades

Grading is done on the four-point system, and their interpretations are as follows:

Grade Interpretation Grade Point Equivalent %

• A — 4.0 — 94 -100
• A- — 3.7 — 90 – 93
• B+ — 3.3 — 87 – 89
• B — 3.0 — 83 – 86
• B- — 2.7 — 80 – 82
• C+ — 2.3 — 77 – 79
• C — 2.0 — 73 – 76 (minimum passing)
• C- to D- (Not good, Fail) 1.7 – 0.7 60 – 72
• F — Fail 0.0 0 – 59
• In Incomplete 0.0 0

Individual instructors may grade certain courses on a “pass/no pass” basis. A “no pass” will be included in an individual’s grade point average as 0.0, and a pass will not be reflected in the GPA as a 2.0. A failed course must be repeated and passed before the student enrolls in any course for which the failed course is a prerequisite.

Transcript Grades for Repeated Courses or Cleared Incompletes

Grades for courses repeated to clear a failure, or to improve a low grade(s), and to clear an incomplete will be recorded on the student’ academic record, which will show both the original grade and the new grade.

All Incompletes must be resolved and changed into a letter grade by the end of the second week of the following trimester. Incomplete grades that are not resolved by the end of the second week of the following trimester will receive a failing grade unless the instructor associated with the course extends the incomplete.

Repeating Courses

For financial aid purposes, the Academy allows one course per year to be repeated for credit and be applicable to the total, trimester, overall unit load when applying for Federal student aid. There are no non-credit remedial courses at ACCHS.

Academy Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy and Requirements

The standards developed for financial aid recipients at ACCHS include three major requirements: completing the required number of units in each trimester; passing courses with a C+ or better; and maintaining a general overall GPA of at least 2.3. In the event a student does not meet the academic requirements, he or she may be in violation of the satisfactory academic progress policies (SAP) and may be placed on academic probation. A student who is placed on academic probation will receive a letter from the dean of the program indicating that the student is not meeting SAP and is being put on academic probation.

Financial aid recipients must successfully complete the minimum unit requirement for all types and amounts of financial aid they receive each term in order to maintain SAP. The minimum number of units a student is required to complete may differ from the enrollment requirement.

ACCHS Total Unit Policy and In-School Status:

Students must maintain 10 units or more per trimester in order to be designated full-time students at ACCHS. Students must maintain 6-9 units per trimester in order to be designated part-time students at ACCHS. Students who wish to include units from enrolled courses outside of ACCHS for financial aid purposes must evidence a legitimate course registration receipt and fee bill (paid) from an accredited school – the document must list the registered courses and demonstrate that the courses have been paid for in part or full. You may furnish a signed “enrollment verification” document to the ACCHS FA office.

Unit Deficiency:

Students who complete less than the minimum requirements while receiving aid may incur a unit deficiency. A unit deficiency is the difference between the student’s minimum unit requirement and the units the student completed during the term. For example, a student receiving full-time financial aid must complete a minimum of 10 units during the trimester. If he/she successfully completes only 6 units, he/she will incur a 4 unit deficiency for that term. If a student withdraws from all classes, the Financial Aid Office will apply a repayment formula to determine if the student must repay any financial

aid. SAP is monitored every trimester, when the registrar provides grade reports associated with students receiving financial aid. Therefore, within an academic year a student who completes less than the minimum unit requirement during one trimester may avoid a unit deficiency by completing more than the minimum number of units during the other trimester. For example, a student receiving full-time aid who successfully completes only 6 units in the Fall trimester must successfully complete 14 units (6+14=20) in the Spring trimester. Because ACCHS is an all-year-round program, students rarely fall below the required number of units. Full-time students typically enroll in at least 30 units/per year.

Unit Deficiency Tolerance:

Unit deficiencies at the end of the academic year are added to any unit deficiencies from previous academic years to determine a student’s cumulative unit deficiency at ACCHS. If the student’s cumulative unit deficiency does not exceed the unit deficiency tolerance level, he/she will remain eligible for financial aid. For graduates the tolerance is 6 units. Once the student’s cumulative unit deficiency exceeds the tolerance level, he or she will not be eligible to receive financial aid until the cumulative deficiency has been reduced within tolerance.

Disbursement Policy for Returning Students:

Students, who return after withdrawing or dropping all classes during any trimester, will not receive a financial aid disbursement until thirty days after the first day of the trimester in which they re-enroll. Returning students, who drop or withdraw from all classes in any trimester, must pay at least one-third of the total tuition for the current trimester for which he or she will register. If you depend on financial aid disbursements to help with living expenses, you will need to make your own financial arrangements.

Passing Grades:

The quality of the student’s academic performance will also be monitored. In order for units to be recognized as successfully completed, the grade must be one of the following: A, B, C, Cr, or P. Grades not accepted as units successfully completed are: F, NC, NP, D, C-, or I. If the grade is changed after the official posting of the trimester, it is the student’s responsibility to bring the verification of the grade change to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Maximum Time Frame/Units:

Financial aid recipients are monitored for the length of time needed to complete their degree by measuring their total units completed. All ACCHS students will be eligible to receive financial aid only until they receive or earn a maximum of 181 trimester units. Students who transfer courses into the graduate program will automatically reduce the maximum time frame allowable. ACCHS will subtract the total number of transferred units from the maximum time frame units allowed (181).

The Office of Student Financial Aid will attempt to notify a student when it appears that he or she will exceed the unit maximum, Unless a student can provide information which could justify why the degree has not been granted, his or her financial aid will be canceled.

Grade Point Average (GPA): Financial aid recipients must be in good standing with the Academy. The Office of Student Financial Aid will adhere to the Academy’s academic standards. Students are ineligible to receive financial aid if they are disqualified by the Academy based on the quality of their performance and progress toward their degree objective. Please refer to the Academy catalog.

Academic Notice

A student who is placed on academic probation will receive a letter from the dean of the program indicating that the student is not meeting SAP and is being put on academic probation. Additionally, a student will be put on academic notice when s/he has failed a course twice. The Academy will dismiss the student if on the third attempt s/he is unsuccessful at passing the course.

Leave of Absence / Withdrawal

A student who chooses to interrupt his or her course of study may apply to the administration for a leave of absence. Each request will be considered individually and on its own merits. Requests for a leave should be in writing, addressed to the administration. A student who fails to complete course work and who does not withdraw or obtain a leave of absence shall receive a grade of “F” in each course not completed.

Involuntary Withdrawal

A student’s continued enrollment at ACCHS is a privilege based not only on satisfactory scholastic status and adequate clinical TCM psychomotor skills, but also upon good psychological health and personal conduct — including the students’ attitudes, actions, appearance and attire. If, in the opinion of the faculty, administration and/or dean of the Academy, a student demonstrates evidence of a psychological problem, an informal meeting will be scheduled with the student to inquire into his/her conduct or attitude and to notify the student of the Academy’s concerns. Subsequent to this meeting, the administration will seek professional opinion as to the likely implications of such conduct from the Academy. The decision to require counseling shall be based on cumulative conduct, similar to a decision in academic evaluations. If it is determined that counseling is suggested or necessary, an effort will be made to have the student attend counseling on a voluntary basis. However, refusal to obtain counseling, initially or on a subsequent basis, shall be cause for involuntary withdrawal from the Academy. The administration shall inform the student, in writing, of the effective date of the involuntary withdrawal, and shall explain in writing the procedure for re-admission to ACCHS.

Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards

Failure to meet the above standards results in ineligibility for financial aid. As stated above, students who have exceeded the maximum units allowed to receive aid may not receive further aid. Students who have been disqualified by the Academy are also ineligible for aid until they have been reinstated by the Academy. Students who have exceeded the unit deficiency tolerance may requalify for aid by reducing their cumulative unit deficiency in one of the following ways:

• Completing more units in one trimester than the minimum unit requirement;
• Completing vacation clinic or enrolling in the summer term.
• Completing classes without receiving aid simultaneously.

If dismissed due to failing academic standards and satisfactory academic progress, students may be considered for re-admission after a significant amount of time separated from the Academy, and after the student has demonstrated some or all of the following: Remedial course work at an accredited college; academic or personal counseling; or demonstration of having overcome the difficulties that led to the dismissal. Once a student is readmitted, s/he is expected to maintain at least a 2.7 trimester GPA. Failure to do so after being readmitted may result in immediate and final dismissal from the Academy.

Restriction: The course credit load of a student who has been academically dismissed or is on probation will be determined through consultation with the academic advisor.

Extenuating Circumstances

Students who have experienced drastic changes in their personal or financial situation should contact the Financial Aid Counselor listed on their Offer Letter. The Counselors in the Department of Student Financial Aid are trained to assist you in your individual family’s financial situation and all information will remain confidential. Documentation of your special circumstances will be required. Requests for changes to your eligibility for financial assistance or the amount you are offered will only be honored after sufficient documentation and careful review has been completed by your Counselor.

Appeals

Appeals to the above SAP policy will only be considered for students who can document extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control may include but are not limited to, medical reasons (legible documentation from a physician must be included), extenuating family reasons, such as death in the family, US court orders regarding family and/or health (legible documentation from a court must be included). If a student feels he or she can document extenuating circumstances, he or she may submit an appeal packet to the Academic Standards Committee. The appeal packet consists of an appeal letter, documentation from a physician or judge, a Graduation Plan, an unofficial grade transcript, and any documents needed to explain special circumstances, including why they failed to meet SAP. The student must also explain what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to meet SAP at the next evaluation. The Committee, the comprised staff, and members will not review incomplete appeals.

All financial aid recipients should speak to the financial aid counselor to discuss the impact of any proposed changes in enrollment such as dropping a course, repeating a course, or withdrawing from the Academy. Any of these changes may affect his or her satisfactory academic progress and future eligibility for financial aid.