Undergraduate Academic Standing FAQs

How is my TESU GPA calculated?
Only grades earned at the University will be considered in the calculation of the official Thomas Edison State University GPA. Transfer grades will not be used in calculating the official TESU GPA.

For more information, please see the Policy on Grade Point Average

How do I increase my TESU GPA?
The first step in improving your TESU GPA is to identify the TESU courses that are causing it to be below a 2.0.

All C-, D, F and IF grades in TESU courses are negatively affecting your TESU GPA. You can identify these courses on your Academic Evaluation. In the case of a C- or D grade, it may be listed as fulfilling a general education degree requirement. All F and IF grades will be listed in final section of the evaluation titled "Other Courses".

For courses in which you have an F or IF, you should consider repeating the exact same course and earning a grade of C or better. This new grade will remove the F or IF grade in the calculation of the TESU GPA altogether and the new grade will be used. For example, if you took Introduction to Psychology and have an IF or F grade, when you retake Introduction to Psychology and earn a passing grade (A, B, C or D), the passing grade will be calculated into your TESU GPA and the F or IF no longer will be counted at all in your TESU GPA.

For courses in which you earned a C- or D grade, the decision to repeat the exact same course is not so straightforward. In some cases, courses with C- or D grades can be used to fulfill general education requirements. If this is the case on your evaluation, you have two options:

repeat the exact same course to replace the C- or D grade in the TESU GPA with the new, better grade (as in the scenario for the If or F grade above), or
take other TESU courses needed to fulfill your degree requirements and work to earn C, B and A grades to offset the C- or D. This will bring your TESU GPA up more slowly, but it may be your preferred method instead of retaking a course that is already fulfilling a degree requirement.

You may wish to use a GPA calculator to assist with these decisions. Be sure to count all course grades and all credit amounts in the calculation. https://www.chesapeake.edu/students/raise-my-gpa

We are prepared to assist you in making these decisions. We encourage you to contact us early in the process so we can help you develop a plan that meets your degree and TESU GPA requirements and keeps you on track to graduation.

Undergraduate Academic Standing vs. Satisfactory Academic Progress
The Undergraduate Academic Standing Policy applies to all Thomas Edison State University undergraduate students. In addition, undergraduate financial aid recipients and students using military/veteran tuition assistance programs are required to meet the separate satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards established by the TESU Office of Financial Aid, and/or the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success in addition to the standards established by this policy. The military/veteran tuition assistance SAP and financial aid SAP are calculated differently than TESU Academic Standing.

	Undergraduate Academic Standing	Satisfactory Academic Progress for continuing Financial Aid Students	Satisfactory Academic Progress for students using Veteran Education Benefits
Who	All undergraduate enrolled students	Students utilizing state and federal financial aid	Students utilizing Veteran Education Benefits as defined by the Veterans Administration (VA)
What	Each undergraduate students’ TESU grade-point average (GPA) is reviewed to determine academic standing.	Financial aid recipients must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 (C) to meet the minimum standards for satisfactory academic performance. In addition, the student must complete 2/3 percent of all courses attempted, which includes transfer credits which count toward the student's current program.	Students using Veterans Education Benefits must maintain a minimum cumulative and term GPA of 2.0 and successfully complete a minimum of 66 percent of the courses attempted.
When	At the end of every TESU term	Satisfactory academic progress will be monitored at the end of each academic year.	At the end of every TESU term
Result	Depending on the term GPA, a student may be assigned one of the following four levels of academic standing: satisfactory, warning, probation, and dismissal.	If a student’s cumulative average falls below 2.0 (C) or does not meet the 67 percent criterion, the student is not maintaining satisfactory academic performance. Students not making satisfactory academic progress will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next term.	Failure to make satisfactory academic progress will result in Veteran Academic Probation (VAP) being placed on the student's record, restricting open registrations for future terms. Not meeting SAP may eventually restrict a student's ability to use veteran education benefits at Thomas Edison State University. If while on a VAP, if the student does not meet the minimum cumulative and term GPA of 2.0 and does not successfully complete at least 66 percent of the courses attempted for that term, the student will be placed on a Veteran Benefit Denial (VBD). This action will be reported to the VA by the University through the VA's formal process.
Notified	By email and mail by the Office of the Registrar	By email by the Office of Financial Aid
Who to contact with questions	Office of Academic Advising	Office of Financial Aid	Office of Military and Veteran Student Success