I have been Academically Dismissed...what does this mean?

Being Academic Dismissed means that you are no longer a matriculated student (pursuing a degree) at Southern and your classes for the next semester have been dropped.

Can I appeal my dismissal?

Yes, please see "Academic Dismissal Appeal" below for details.

Besides appealing, are there other ways I can eventually return as a matriculated student?

Yes...if you are not eligible to appeal, there are two other ways to return to Southern as a matriculated student.
 

Apply for Readmission: You may apply to be readmitted as a matriculated student once you raise your cumulative GPA to a 2.0 or higher. As a dismissed student, the only way to do this would be to take courses as a non-matriculated (visiting) student at Southern and earn high grades so that you can raise your GPA. It is important to note that financial aid does not cover courses taken as a non-matriculated student. You would need to pay for these courses out-of-pocket or by securing alternative educational loans.
 

Fresh Start Program : If you earned less than 60 credits before being Academically Dismissed, you may be eligible for Fresh Start. This program provides the opportunity to return as a matriculated student, but has very specific criteria. Click here for more information on Fresh Start.   

Example One:

"After completing their first year at Southern, student is on Academic Probation with a cumulative GPA of 1.5. During their third semester, they earn a term GPA of 2.2...raising their cumulative GPA to 1.7. This student will be Academically Dismissed."

Explanation: This student has been Academically Dismissed because their cumulative GPA is still below a 2.0 and their term GPA was below 2.3. If this student earned a term GPA of 2.3 or higher but maintained a cumulative GPA below 2.0, they would have continued on Academic Probation.  If this student earned a term GPA of 2.3 or higher and raised their cumulative GPA to 2.0 or higher, they would have been back in Good Standing.
   

Example Two:

"Student has just completed their third consecutive semester on Academic Probation. During that semester, they earned a term GPA of 2.4. However, their cumulative GPA is now a 1.9. This student will be Academically Dismissed."

Explanation: This student has been Academically Dismissed because their cumulative GPA was still below 2.0 after their third consecutive semester on Academic Probation. If this student was able to raise their cumulative GPA to 2.0 or higher, they would have been back in Good Standing.

If eligible (see below), you can file an appeal to return as a matriculated student. You can return no earlier than the semester after your first semester away. For example, if you are dismissed after completing the Fall 2023 semester and are granted a dismissal appeal, you can return no sooner than the Fall 2024 semester.

Dismissal Appeal Deadline for FALL 2025 Readmission

To appeal your academic dismissal and be considered for readmission for the fall 2025 semester, you must submit a dismissal appeal no later than 5pm on Friday, February 21, 2025. Decisions will be emailed no later than Friday, March 7, 2025.

Dismissal Appeal Eligibility and Process

In order to be eligible to appeal your dismissal, you must be 12 or less credit hours at a B average away from an overall GPA of 2.0. This does not guarantee your appeal will be granted, it just means you are eligible for consideration.

In order to determine whether or not you're eligible to appeal your dismissal, click the yellow button below to submit a dismissal appeal inquiry. Someone will reply to you within 2-3 business days.

• If you are eligible to appeal, they will provide you with the dismissal appeal form.
• If you are not eligible to appeal, they will provide you with information about your best options.

Once a student’s dismissal appeal has been granted, they will be ineligible to appeal if they are dismissed a second time.

Check Dismissal Appeal Eligibility

Students who have been Academically Dismissed are only able to take courses at Southern as non-matriculated students. Non-matriculated students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.