Academic Policies

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:

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:

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:

1. Fails to earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better for a third quarter in the program.
2. 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 but do not appear on the academic transcript. Audit courses do not count as attempted or earned credits, or apply to the CGPA for SAP purposes.

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.

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).

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Repeated coursework must be taken at Hondros College of Nursing.
5. The student is responsible for all costs associated with repeated coursework. In some cases, financial aid may not be available for repeated coursework.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

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 11, 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 re-entry 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.

The Medical Leave (ML) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study and refers to the specific period during a program when a student is not in attendance. 

Hondros College of Nursing (HCN) elects to provide students who encounter significant medical situations a pathway to a Medical Leave (ML). The ML allows students the ability to have an interruption in their enrollment without withdrawing or being administratively withdrawn from the College.  The ML may be granted for following reasons:

Medical Leave Situations
Physical Illness or Injury - an illness or injury that is expected to incapacitate the student for an extended amount of time or that incapacitates a member of the student’s documentable immediate family (limited to parents, spouse, and children).

Mental Illness – a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder affecting the student, or immediate family member (limited to parents, spouse, and children). 

Students will be required to submit third party documentation supporting their significant medical situation requiring the ML. 

The student should submit the ML request on or before the requested ML start date (see below) by completing the “Medical Leave” request form, which is available upon request from Campus Leadership. The form must be completed in its entirety, signed and dated. 

HCN acknowledges that there may be unforeseen circumstances that prevent a student from requesting prior approval for a ML; in such cases, HCN may submit the ML request on the student’s behalf, and if granted, proper submission of the ML Request Form and documentation will be required at a later date.

The Vice President of Operations will review submitted requests and may require additional information or documentation from the student. The Registrar’s Office will issue a ML approval or denial letter to the student. The approval letter will indicate the student’s last day of attendance (LDA); approved ML start date; and ML end date (scheduled date of return) (see below).

The ML may be approved only if the requesting student demonstrates an intention and ability to return to HCN. Upon return, the student must resume training at the same point, term, in the academic program that the ML began. A student’s ML must not exceed a total of 180 days in a 12-month period, either alone or in combination with other approved MLs.

Medical Leave Request 
MLs requested while courses are in progress must be submitted prior to an attendance violation occurring and/or prior to completing final exams.  

The ML start date is the day following the student's last day of attendance (LDA). The student’s LDA, ML start date, and the ML end date will be reflected on the ML approval letter. When determining the length of a student’s ML, HCN accounts for all periods of nonattendance, including weekends and scheduled breaks. As noted above, a student’s ML may not exceed a total of 180 days in a 12-month period, either alone or in combination with other approved MLs.

Students who are placed on a Medical Leave are treated as a withdrawal for program academics and Financial Aid purposes. This may result in a debt owed to the college from charges no longer covered by aid.  The student will not be eligible for additional Title IV federal financial aid for the returning quarter because of a ML. 

Students approved for a ML must return by the date on their official approval letter or they will be administratively withdrawn.

Students must provide a fit for duty and have appropriate clearance from a medical provider. The documentation will be reviewed and approved by the Campus Dean/Director of Nursing or designee.

Students denied a medical leave will be processed as a withdraw, according to 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.

The College does not allow extended enrollment status.

When a student or a spouse has been deployed for military reasons, the student must contact the Campus Executive Director or Registrar and provide official military documentation. Upon return, the student is responsible for adhering to policies currently in effect. This applies to all students in all programs.

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.

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 9 attendance and then stop attending or fail to meet the attendance requirements during or after week 9 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 8 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.

Students may drop from one or more individual course(s) once up through the end of week 8 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.