Scholarship Policies

All Scholarship Policies

Satisfactory Academic Progress

D'Youville students who wish to be considered for financial aid must maintain satisfactory progress in their selected course of study.

Federal and State regulations require D'Youville to establish and apply reasonable standards of satisfactory academic progress for the purpose of the receipt of financial assistance under the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act and the New York State Tuition Assistance Program. These laws require institutions to develop policies regarding satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Each institution must design criteria, which outlines the definition of student progress towards a degree and the consequences to the student if progress is not achieved.

The D'Youville Merit Scholarship program is also subject to SAP.

D'Youville students who wish to be considered for financial aid must maintain satisfactory progress in their selected course of study as set forth in these policies:

Withdrawal Policies

The formal withdrawal process begins with a form the Registrar's office. To start this process, students must complete and submit a Leave of Absence Withdrawal form.

Informal Withdrawal

For a student that has attended past the drop/add period but unofficially withdrawn the withdrawal date will be considered the midpoint of the semester or term.  In this case, a Return of Title IV Funds will be performed using the 50% point in the semester as the date of withdrawal.

Drug Convictions

Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations

Federal law provides that a student who has been convicted of an offense under any federal or state law involving possession or sale of a controlled substance during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving financial aid shall not be eligible to receive any federal or institutional grant, loan, or work assistance during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified below:

If convicted of an offense involving:

The possession of a controlled substance, ineligibility period is:

  • First Offense: 1 year
  • Second Offense: 2 years
  • Third Offense: Indefinite

The Sale of a Controlled Substance:, ineligibility period is:

  • First Offense: 2 years
  • Second Offense: Indefinite

A student whose eligibility has been suspended based on a conviction for possession or sale of a controlled substance may resume eligibility before the end of the ineligibility period if:

  1. The student satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that complies with the criteria prescribed in the federal regulations and includes two unannounced drug tests.
  2. The student successfully passes two unannounced drug tests conducted by a drug rehabilitation program that complies with the criteria prescribed in the federal regulations; or
  3. The conviction is reversed, set aside, or otherwise rendered nugatory.

Undergraduate Merit Scholarships

For students who have been awarded an undergraduate merit scholarship (Honors, Academic Distinction, Achievement, Advantage, President’s, Founder’s, Dean’s, Heritage or Transfer Achievement), the following will apply: 

  1. Scholarships will be applied to tuition only.
  2. Scholarships will be applied to fall and spring semesters only (no summer).
  3. Scholarship recipients must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester to maintain eligibility.  Students with a merit scholarship that is based on a percentage of their tuition (50% for Honors or 25% for Academic Distinction) who drop below full-time status during the tuition liability period will receive either 50% or 25% of the tuition for which they are liable.  This will be counted as one semester of scholarship eligibility.  
  4. Scholarship recipients must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.25 to maintain their award. 
  5. After the first semester that a student does not attain the required cumulative grade point average (CGPA), they will be placed on scholarship “warning”.  They will continue to be eligible to receive their scholarship in their next semester of enrollment on a probationary basis. 
  6. After the second consecutive semester that a student does not attain the required cumulative grade point average (CGPA), they will lose scholarship eligibility with the option to appeal.  Should an appeal be granted, the student will continue to receive their scholarship in their next semester of enrollment.  Should an appeal be denied, the student will lose scholarship eligibility until the required CGPA is attained.
  7. Should an appeal be granted, if in the third consecutive semester that a student does not attain the required cumulative grade point average (CGPA), the student will lose scholarship eligibility without the option to appeal.
  8. For entering first time students in 4-year programs, the award will cover a maximum of 8 consecutive semesters. 
  9. For entering first time students enrolled in 5-year combined degree programs, the scholarship will cover a maximum of 10 consecutive semesters.  Eligible 5-year dual degree programs include:  Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Nutrition and Dietetics.
  10. For entering first time students entering into the Undecided program, the scholarship will be awarded for a maximum of 8 or 10 semesters, dependent upon the declared academic major. 
  11. A scholarship recipient who changes their program from a 4-year (8 semesters) to a 5-year (10 semesters) will have scholarship eligibility for a maximum of 10 semesters. 
  12. A scholarship recipient who changes their program from a 5-year (10 semesters) to a 4-year (8 semesters) will have scholarship eligibility reduced to 8 semesters. 
  13. For transfer students who receive the Transfer Achievement scholarship, the length of the award will be based on the number of semesters needed to complete the undergraduate or combined or 5-year degree program, as determined by the registrar and academic program. 
  14. Students decelerating or needing extra time to complete their degree may find that the scholarship award does not cover extra semester’s work. 
  15. Students who meet the scholarship requirements and take an official leave from the university will be allowed to take up to 2 semesters of official leave without the loss of any scholarship eligibility. Students called to active duty under the Military Leave of Absence Policy will be processed according to the military leave regulations. 
  16. Students who meet the scholarship requirements and file for an official leave of absence after the add-drop period will incur prorated charges from the university.  Scholarship recipients will be given the option of using one semester of eligibility to help in paying off those charges, which will use one semester of scholarship eligibility.  The student can also choose or to pay their charges in lieu of their scholarship to preserve that semester of eligibility.  Students called to active duty under the Military Leave of Absence Policy will be processed according to the military leave regulations. 
  17. Students who withdraw from the university or leave the university without filing an official leave of absence will lose scholarship eligibility. 
  18. Students who are eligible for institutional waivers (GNSH, Family Tuition Waiver, etc...) may also be eligible for a need based D’Youville Grant.  The combination of these awards cannot exceed the cost of tuition.  
  19. Students who receive discounted tuition via online programs are not eligible for Merit Scholarships, Donor-Funded Scholarships, D’Youville Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal SEOG nor Perkins Loans.  
  20. Students who are attending the university on the CICU or any other full tuition exchange program are not eligible for Merit Scholarships, Donor-Funded Scholarships or D’Youville Grant. 
  21. Physician Assistant students complete their final year between May and December.  As a result, their final two semesters are summer and fall.  Their merit scholarship will be awarded on a prorated basis in the summer, based on actual charges, and in full in the fall. For percentage-based residential scholarships during the summer session, the award will cover 50% or 25% (depending on the type of scholarship) of the total cost of their summer residency. 
  22. Students enrolled in the 6 year doctor of physical therapy (DPT) track who complete the undergraduate portion of their program after 6 semesters will be able to apply the remaining 2 semesters of their merit scholarship to the 4th year of the program, fall and spring only.  In the 4th year of the program, the student must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester to be eligible for the award.  The award for this graduate work will be based on the undergraduate tuition rate or the graduate per credit hour rate, whichever is less. 
  23. Students who enter the university with the intention of enrolling in the professional pharmacy program will retain their scholarship for the undergraduate portion of their studies, not to exceed 8 semesters.  Once accepted into the professional pharmacy program, if the student has used 6 or fewer semesters of scholarship eligibility will be entitled to 2 semesters of eligibility at the professional level. The award for these 2 semesters will be based on the undergraduate tuition rate.  In the professional level of the pharmacy program, merit awards will only apply to the first year (P1) of the program.  
  24. Recipients of the Dillon Scholarship, Diocese of Buffalo Scholarship and Say Yes Scholarship will maintain eligibility for 8 or 10 semesters, depending on their program of study. 
  25. Recipients of the Dillon Scholarship and Say Yes Scholarship who later matriculate into the professional pharmacy (Pharm. D.) program are eligible to retain the scholarship for a maximum of 8 consecutive semesters.  This award will be disbursed at the prevailing undergraduate tuition rate, including the first four semesters of the professional pharmacy program when students are billed at the professional pharmacy tuition rate. 
  26. The D'Youville Grant is applicable to Undergraduate students only. Please direct your inquiry to the Financial Aid Office if you believe you are eligible for this grant as a Graduate student.

Updated: October 2023