Students’ academic progress will be evaluated at the end of each quarter. A satisfactory progress report indicating progress and academic standing in the program can be found in the Student Portal in the format of an unofficial transcript.
1. Good Standing
Students earning a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 are considered to be in good academic standing. Good Standing will be noted on the student’s official transcript.
2. Honors
Students, enrolled half-time or more, with a quarterly grade point average of 3.25 or higher in a given quarter are eligible for honors, according to the following table:
| GPA Range | Honor List |
|---|---|
| 3.75 - 4.00 | President's List |
| 3.50 - 3.74 | Dean's List |
| 3.25 - 3.49 | Merit List |
The appropriate honor will be noted on the student’s official transcript for the term in which it is earned.
Students who graduate from a program with a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher will earn graduation honors, according to the following table:
| CGPA Range | Graduation Honor |
|---|---|
| 3.75 - 4.00 | Summa Cum Laude |
| 3.50 - 3.74 | Magna Cum Laude |
| 3.25 - 3.49 | Cum Laude |
3. Academic Probation
A student earning a cumulative grade point average below a 2.0 or being reinstated from an academic dismissal will be placed on academic probation Academic Probation will be noted on the student’s official transcript. Students will receive written notification if placed on academic probation.
Students on academic probation will be required to be advised and/or tutored for assistance prior to registering for future courses. Students on academic probation may still be eligible for financial aid.
A third subsequent quarter with a cumulative grade point average below the 2.0 minimum will result in academic dismissal.
Students will return to an academic status of Good Standing once the cumulative grade point average is a 2.0 or higher and/or the reinstatement requirements have been met.
4. Academic Dismissal
Academic Dismissal results when a student has met at least one of the following criteria:
- Fails to earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better for a third quarter in the program.
- Fails the same course for a second time. This criterion is not applicable to students whose latest signed Enrollment Agreement specifies enrollment or re-enrollment in the Spring 2023 term or any term thereafter.
Academic Dismissal is noted on the student’s official transcript. Students will receive written notification if academically dismissed.
Hondros College of Nursing does not award advanced placement for previous work experience. Students in the Associate Degree in Nursing program receive advanced standing quarter credits for previous education completed. Advanced standing credits are noted on the academic transcript.
Students interested in auditing a course must receive approval from the Medical Assisting Coordinator or the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee. Depending on the course, there may be associated lab/material fees charged to the student. Students repeating a course may also be required to audit an additional course(s) as indicated by their academic advising. Depending on the course, there may be associated lab/material fees charged to the student. Audit courses are added to the student schedule and appear on the academic transcript. Audit courses do not count as attempted or earned credits, or apply to the CGPA for SAP purposes.
Students required to audit a course due to the Repeat Policy are subject to all applicable attendance policies. If the student is subject to an administrative course withdrawal from an audit course, the repeating course, and any other associated audit course, will also be subject to the administrative course withdrawal regardless of that course’s attendance.
A critical incident is defined as any incident that reflects poor performance in providing nursing care, managing care, or performing as a student in a professional manner. This behavior may or may not result in failure of the course in which the incident occurred. Critical incidents may be given for unsatisfactory behavior in the classroom, lab, and/or clinical. Critical incidents include, but are not limited to, the following: unsafe clinical or laboratory practice, violation of HIPAA, excessive tardiness, violations of the Student Code of Conduct, and dishonesty.
One critical incident, or a pattern of critical incidents, could result in failure of the course, or dismissal from the College, depending upon the severity of the incident. Violations will be reviewed, as applicable, by the Dean of the Medical Assisting Program, the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing, or designee. Documentation of the Critical Incident will be kept in the student file on a Critical Incident Form.
Students who have completed a quarter through week 9 may request to receive an incomplete grade (“I”) if they are unable to complete assignments, projects, and/or a final exam due to documented extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control (for example, hospitalization or death of an immediate family member). Permission must be granted from the Medical Assisting Coordinator or the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee.
Students receiving an incomplete will have until the start of the following quarter course(s) to submit all work required to complete the course(s). Deadlines for missing work will be outlined by the Medical Assisting Coordinator or the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee, in conjunction with the faculty member who will be working with the student to resolve the student’s incomplete coursework. If the student fails to complete the incomplete coursework within the established timeline, the “I” will be changed to an “F”. Failure of a course will result in the student needing to repeat the course; in addition, the student may be placed on academic probation, or may be academically dismissed.
Students receiving an incomplete may not progress in the program until they have successfully completed the course(s) by earning a “C” or better. Students successfully completing incomplete coursework prior to the end of the allotted quarter timeline must wait until the start of the next quarter to progress in the program.
As of 12/31/2023 no new Leave of Absence requests will be considered. Students should refer to the Medical Leave Policy or the Withdraw Policy
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study and refers to a specific time period when a Hondros College of Nursing student is not in academic attendance. An approved LOA is necessary for unscheduled breaks in attendance. Students are considered to remain in an “in-school” status when on an approved LOA. During the LOA the student is not considered withdrawn and a federal financial aid Return of Funds Calculation is not required. However, a LOA may impact loan and/or grant disbursement dates and amounts that have been awarded. Students require to restart the quarter (LOA occurred during a “quarter in progress”) will not be assessed additional institutional charges upon return form a LOA. Students that complete a quarter, subsequently request, and are approved for a LOA for the following quarter(s), will be assessed appropriate charges upon return.
To be approved for a LOA, there must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA; this condition is specified to make clear that Hondros College of Nursing will not grant a student an LOA merely to delay the return of unearned Title IV funds. Further, LOA’s will only be considered for the following reasons: medical, military, financial, personal, College/facility closure or declared natural disasters.
Length and Number of Approved Leaves
Students may be approved by Hondros College of Nursing for multiple leaves of absence as long as the total number of days for all leaves does not exceed a total of 180 days in a 12-month period.
The LOA start date will always equal the day after the student’s last date of class attendance and will be used to count the number of days in the leave. The count is based on the number of days between the last date of attendance and the end date of the LOA. The start date of the first approved Leave of Absence is used when determining the start date for the 12-month period. HCN accounts for all periods of nonattendance, including weekends and scheduled breaks.
Return Requirements and Failure to Return
It will be required for a student to return to class before the end date of the LOA to review material previously covered. However, until the student has resumed the academic program at the point he or she began the LOA, the student is considered to still be on the approved LOA. (If an LOA occur anytime during a “quarter in progress” student will be required to return to HCN and re-start the quarter in its entirety).
For students required to return early, the days the student spends in class before the course reaches the point at which the student began his or her LOA must be counted in the 180-day maximum for an approved leave of absence. That is, a student repeating coursework while on an LOA must reach the point at which he or she interrupted training within the 180 days of the start of the student’s LOA.
Since a student is still considered to be on an LOA while repeating prior coursework, if the student fails to resume attendance at the point in the academic program where he or she interrupted training at the beginning of the LOA (start date), the student will be administratively withdrawn from HCN, and the withdrawal date will be the student’s last date of attendance.
Failure of Return
If the student does not return as required and re-start the quarter, he or she will be administratively withdrawn from the College. The withdrawal date will be the student’s last date of class attendance. If a student on an approved LOA fails to return, HCN must report to the loan holder the student’s change in enrollment status as of the withdrawal date.
Another possible consequence of a student not returning from an LOA and being withdrawn from the College is that the grace period for a Title IV loan might be exhausted. Additionally, if the student previously exhausted their grace period, loan repayment will begin immediately. If the student is unable to begin repayment of a loan they may apply for deferment or forbearance of payment.
Qualified students with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who are seeking academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, or other support services should refer to our Accommodations Policy. Temporary medical conditions are not considered a disability under the ADA unless they are severe enough to result in a substantial limitation of one or more major life activities. Such a determination is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the duration or expected duration of the impairment, and the extent to which it actually limits a major life activity of the individual. If you believe that your medical condition may qualify as a disability under the ADA and require support services or other accommodations, please contact an Accommodations Liaison.
Students who are placed on a Medical Leave of Absence are treated as a drop/ withdrawal for Financial Aid purposes. If the student received federal financial aid funding for the term in which the student withdrew, a calculation of the amount of aid earned for that term will be performed along with a calculation of the student’s tuition obligation for the same period. As a result of these calculations, the student may have a tuition balance, may have unearned federal aid funds that must be returned by the College or student, or may have a tuition refund due. These calculations will be performed according to federal guidelines and institutional policy, and the student will be notified of the outcome. If a tuition refund is due to the student, it will be returned to the student. Refunds will be paid to the appropriate funding agency within 45 days, and the student will be billed for any remaining unpaid balance. See the Refund Policy.
Students with federal financial aid, federal loan obligations, or military tuition assistance must contact their lenders and the military financial aid specialist to ascertain their loan repayment status or repayment of tuition assistance during the Medical Leave. Students who received federal student loans at any point during their enrollment at the College will receive further information regarding their loan obligations and repayment in an exit interview provided by the College within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal date. Students who return from a Medical Leave of Absence will have their eligibility to apply for financial aid reinstated, but the funding package may be different from the term in which the student withdrew due to changes in student eligibility.
Applying for Medical Leave of Absence
To apply for a Medical Leave, the student must obtain the Medical Leave Request Form from their Academic Support Advisor. The student will be required to present and upload a signed note from a professional therapist/physician on letterhead where the professional practices. The note must include a timeframe, specifically the expected start date of the leave and the anticipated conclusion of the leave. The student cannot remain enrolled in the quarter/term in which the leave begins.
Returning After Medical Leave of Absence
To return from Medical Leave, the student must complete and submit the Medical Leave Return Request Form prior to the first day of the quarter/term in which the student wants to return to complete the reentry process. Additionally, the student must submit a signed note from the student’s professional therapist and/or physician stating the student’s medical situation and that the professional therapist/physician believes the student is able to return to the College. A student returning after a Medical Leave of Absence will be returned to their previous program and catalog.
Policy Regarding Grades in the Event of a Medical Leave of Absence
• If the student takes Medical Leave before the start of an upcoming quarter those course(s) will be dropped without being recorded on the student’s transcript and tuition will not be charged.
• A grade of “W” will be recorded for each course for which a student was registered if the student takes Medical Leave from the College at any time following the course drop period of the quarter/term. The student will need to repeat any course required in their program for which the W grade was awarded.
• When a student completes any course(s) and then takes a Medical Leave, the letter grades earned for the completed courses will remain on their transcript.
• Academic probations, warnings, and dismissals related to Satisfactory Academic Progress remain applicable to students who take a Medical Leave. If a student is already on probation or is placed on probation while on leave, the conditions of his or her probation are continued to the quarter/term in which they return to the College.
Medical Leave Withdrawal
Students who do not return to their academic program following their Medical Leave will be withdrawn with a status of Medical Leave Withdrawal.
Returning After Medical Leave Withdrawal Re-enrollment will require a student to reapply to the College and the terms of the Re-Entry policy will apply.
Hondros College of Nursing supports our students who are service members and veterans, their spouses, and other family members.
A. Eligibility:
Students or prospective students with service requirements that make it difficult or impossible for them to succeed in their academic program are eligible for a military leave. For purposes of granting Military Leave, service requirement is defined as (a) deployment, (b) mobilization leading to deployment, or (c) mandatory training.
B. Military Leave Procedures:
• Students must contact their Academic Support Advisor to request Military Leave and provide a copy of their military orders for authentication. Students who have yet to receive orders need to provide a memo from their commanding officer supporting the request for Military Leave.
• The student cannot remain enrolled in the quarter/term in which the leave begins.
• If the student is currently enrolled for the quarter/term in which their requested leave is to begin, it is the responsibility of the student to request military leave and drop/withdraw from their classes.
• Students receiving benefits under any of the GI Bills will have their enrollment certifications terminated for the initial term of the military leave and any subsequent terms for which leave is approved.
Financial Aid and Tuition/Books/Fees Impact of a Military Leave:
• Students are treated as a withdrawal from the College for financial aid purposes because students who take a military leave are generally not able to return to the same point in their academic studies upon return, as certain scheduling adjustments may be required.
• If the student received federal financial aid funding for the withdrawal term, a calculation of the amount of aid earned for the withdrawal term will be performed, along with a calculation of the student’s tuition obligation for the same period. As a result of these calculations, the student may have a tuition balance, have unearned federal aid funds that must be returned by the College or the student, or have a tuition refund due. These calculations will be performed according to federal guidelines and institutional policy, and the student will be notified of the outcome.
• If a tuition refund is due to the student, it will be returned to the student. Refunds will be paid to the appropriate funding agency within 45 days, and the student will be billed for any remaining unpaid balance. See the Refund Policy.
• Students who return from a Military Leave will have their federal financial aid reinstated, but the funding package may be different from the term of withdrawal due to changes in student eligibility.
• Students with federal financial aid and federal loan obligations must contact their lenders; in addition, if receiving military tuition assistance must also contact the military financial aid specialist to ascertain their loan repayment status or repayment of tuition assistance during the Medical Leave.
• Students who received federal student loans at any point during their enrollment at the College will receive further information regarding their loan obligations and repayment in an exit interview provided within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal date.
• If the student discontinues their program, any supplies or textbooks issued to and paid for by the student become the student's property. Electronic resources, access to which the student paid for as part of the Technology Fee, shall remain accessible to the student as long as the license provided by the publisher/ content owner allows. Licenses for electronic resources, which are utilized in most courses at Hondros College of Nursing, are typically active for a length of 180 days to two years, depending on the publisher.
C. Academic Impact of a Military Leave
• A grade of “W” will be recorded for each course for which a student was registered if the student takes Military Leave from the College at any time following the course drop period of the quarter. The student will need to repeat any course for which the W grade was awarded.
• All academic probations, warnings, and dismissals remain applicable to students who take a Military Leave. If a student is already on probation or is placed on probation while on leave, the conditions of their probation continue until the quarter in which they return to the College.
• The standard transfer of credit policies apply for courses taken elsewhere while on leave to any academic work done by the student while on Military Leave from the College.
D. Long Term Military Leave for More Than Two Quarters in Length
Military service members who are given official orders to deploy for state or federal needs, as well as their spouses, who cannot complete the academic quarter due to the deployment, may withdraw without penalty from any or all classes in which they are enrolled, even if the established deadline for withdrawal has passed. These students are entitled to a full refund of tuition and mandatory fees for the term, subject to applicable laws governing federal or state financial aid programs and allocation or refund as required under those programs. Students in good standing who withdraw under this policy may be readmitted and reenroll into the same program under the catalog that is current at the time of re-enrollment, without penalty or redetermination of admission eligibility, within one year following their release from active military service upon submission of military orders showing their military deployment has been completed. Programs with specialized admissions requirements are excluded from this policy; students must meet those additional requirements at the time of re-enrollment.
E. Short Term Military Leave for Up to Two Quarters in Length
Military service members who are given official orders for mandatory training and cannot complete the academic quarter due to military training may withdraw without penalty from any or all classes in which they are enrolled, even if the established deadline for withdrawal has passed. Each leave may be for up to two consecutive quarters. There is no limit to the total number of Military Leaves that a student may accumulate during their enrollment with the College. Students in good standing who withdraw under this short-term (up to two quarters in length) leave policy reenroll at the start of the next term/quarter after the military training is complete and will be allowed to return into the same program under the catalog that the student was enrolled in prior to the military leave. The student will be charged the same tuition rate as their original program or the new tuition rate, whichever is lower. The student must contact their Academic Support Advisor at least one week prior to the first day of the quarter/term in which the student wants to return to complete the reentry process and submit the military orders showing their military training has been completed. If the student reenrolls after more than one quarter, they will reenroll under the catalog and tuition rate that is current at the time of re-enrollment, without penalty or redetermination of admission eligibility, within one year following their release from military training. Programs with specialized admissions requirements are excluded from this policy; students must meet those additional requirements at the time of re-enrollment.
A Short-Term Leave status is a form of administrative withdrawal that may be initiated by Hondros College of Nursing under the following circumstances when the student has expressly indicated an intent to return in the next scheduled quarter/term:
- A student who has completed all of their registered courses in the quarter/term prior to the end of the quarter/term.
- A student who has no viable options to maintain at least a part-time student status through the end of a quarter/term due to a Hondros College of Nursing -initiated policy or decision to cancel a course, temporarily suspend a student’s participation in a course or program, temporarily suspend a program’s operation, or temporarily close a campus location.
- A student residing within an area declared a disaster by a state or federal agency may initiate a request. The address on file in the student’s record is the address that will be used to determine eligibility.
- A student who experiences the death of an immediate family member (spouse/domestic partner, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, parents/guardians) and is unable to complete the quarter in which they are currently enrolled. Documentation will be required.
A student in a Short-Term Leave status is reported as withdrawn to the U.S. Department of Education, and any outstanding student loans will enter the applicable grace period/ repayment period. A student who is placed on Short-Term Leave may have their federal financial aid recalculated per the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy. This recalculation may result in the return of federal financial aid funds to the U.S. Department of Education and result in a balance owed to the College. A student placed on Short-Term Leave may return to the College on the next scheduled quarter/term start date and continue their studies. A student on Short-Term Leave who does not resume their studies by the end of the first week of the subsequent term will be administratively withdrawn from the College.
Students should be aware that for every hour of on-campus lecture, they should expect to spend two (2) to three (3) hours outside of class completing assigned work, including, but not limited to, readings, case studies, papers, homework assignments, and preparation for quizzes and exams, per the course’s topical outline. As an example, in a three (3) credit hour courses, students are expected to spend from six (6) – nine (9) hours outside of class in order to succeed in the lecture portion of the courses. Lab and clinical experiences may also require additional hours outside of the scheduled time to be successful in those portions of the course.
A former student who has been withdrawn, voluntarily or administratively, may apply to the College for re-entry to his or her previous program. The former student must satisfactorily demonstrate that the barriers that prevented him or her from completing the program during the previous enrollment have been resolved, and there is reasonable probability that he or she can complete the program of study within the maximum allowable timeframe. Applicants seeking re-entry should contact the Campus Manager prior to the start of the re-entry term. All re-entry requests are due by the end of week 9, prior to the re-entry term. The College will evaluate the former student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to determine if the former student is eligible for re-entry. Students withdrawn for more than
two quarters may be required to restart the program.
Former students approved for re-entry are required to sign a new enrollment agreement, which lists the current curriculum, current tuition, fees, term of enrollment, and other required disclosures. Former students approved for reentry
must meet all admissions requirements to his or her program in effect at the time of re-entry. In addition, they may be required to complete a new background check in accordance with the policy in effect at the time of re- entry. The College reserves the right to deny re-entry to any former student that carries an unpaid balance from his or her previous enrollment. Re-entry is not guaranteed and is dependent upon previous academic history, space, and availability.
Students previously dismissed pursuant to the College’s academic dismissal policy should refer to the Reinstatement
Policy.
Students who have been academically dismissed may seek reinstatement by submitting the Request for Reinstatement form to the Medical Assisting Coordinator or the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee. Supporting documentation may be required. All requests for reinstatement will be reviewed by the College’s Reinstatement Committee. Students will be notified in writing of the Committee’s decision. The Committee’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. Reinstatement is not guaranteed.
The Reinstatement Committee will meet twice per quarter. The Week 9 meeting is for students who were academically dismissed prior to the previous quarter. The Week 13 meeting is for students who were academically dismissed in the previous quarter. Those requesting reinstatement should contact their campus for request deadlines.
Students granted reinstatement will be placed on Academic Probation if their cumulative grade point average is below the required 2.0. Students granted reinstatement must follow all policies in effect at the time of the reinstatement.
Reinstated students may be required to sign a new enrollment agreement, which lists the current curriculum requirements, tuition, fees, term of enrollment, and other required disclosures.
In addition, reinstated students may be required to complete a new background check in accordance with the policy in effect at the time of reinstatement.
A reinstated student may also be required to make a payment toward their balance to be registered.
Students who have been dismissed due to a Student Code of Conduct violation are not eligible to be reinstated to Hondros College of Nursing.
Students must repeat and pass any courses in which they receive a failing grade or from which they have withdrawn or dropped. Students who need to repeat a course must complete an academic advising session to review scheduling options and registration. Students may be required to repeat in an on-ground modality section, if the option is available. Students who need to repeat a course that is no longer offered due to a revised curriculum may have a blended curriculum, which may consist of a revised progression plan. Students cannot repeat a course(s) they have previously passed to simply improve their cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
- Students on academic probation are not permitted to take any additional course(s) out of sequence when repeating a failed course. Students repeating a course, but not on academic probation, may request to take a general education course, excluding BIO 254, out of sequence if space is available. Students must make the request in writing to the Medical Assisting Coordinator or the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing. Courses taken out of sequence are subject to all policies regarding unsuccessful progression and attendance. Students that are unsuccessful in a course taken out of sequence may be required to successfully complete only that course prior to advancing in their program.
- All earned grades will become part of the student’s academic record and will be reflected on the academic transcript. Repeated coursework in which a passing grade was earned will be marked with an “R” on the academic transcript to indicate the course was repeated.
- Once a course has been repeated with a passing grade, only the latest earned passing grade for a repeated course will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Withdrawals (W) are not counted as an earned grade when recalculating the cumulative grade point average. If a student is repeating a previously passed course due to starting a program over, only the highest grades earned will calculate into the cumulative grade point average.
- Repeated coursework must be taken at Hondros College of Nursing.
- The student is responsible for all costs associated with repeated coursework. In some cases, financial aid may not be available for repeated coursework.
- The student may not receive Title IV aid for retaking previously passed courses if the student is required to retake those courses because the student failed a different course in a prior term.
- Students required to repeat a course will be able to do so only when space is available. If the student is required to repeat a course that is not offered in the following term, he or she must repeat the course the next time the course is offered.
- Students repeating a course may be required to audit an additional course(s) in accordance with their academic advising plan. Audit courses may have associated lab/material fees changed to the student.
Students may drop from one or more individual course(s) once up through the end of week 9 of the quarter and will receive a grade of “W”. Students must meet with their Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee to complete a Course Drop form. A grade of “W” has no effect on cumulative grade point average, but does impact pace of progression and maximum timeframe. Students must post attendance to be eligible for a course drop.
Students that drop all courses within a quarter will be considered withdrawn from the College.
Students must successfully repeat any dropped course prior to progressing in the program. Students may be required to audit additional courses when repeating a dropped course. Please refer to the Repeat Policy for more information.
Attendance must be evident by the end of the first week for continuing students, or the student will be administratively withdrawn from the College. Students who post week 10 attendance and then stop attending or fail to meet the attendance requirements during or after week 10 will receive the grade earned at the end of the quarter, which may result in academic probation, an administrative withdraw, or academic dismissal from the college.
The student gives notice of the intent to withdraw from the College by contacting the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee in person, in writing, by e-mail, or by phone. Withdrawals initiated with a last date of attendance up through the end of week 8 will earn a grade of “W”; a grade of “W” has no effect on cumulative grade point average. Withdrawals initiated with a last date of attendance after week 9 will receive the grade earned at the end of the quarter. Failure of a course may result in the student being placed on academic probation or being academically dismissed. The withdrawal will not supersede academic probation or academic dismissal. Withdrawal from the College may require funds to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.