In addition to the policies stated below, please also carefully and thoroughly review the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook linked above and visit Policies and Procedures.

To remain in good academic standing, all students are expected to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average. A student whose semester GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic warning. A student whose semester GPA falls below 2.0 for the second consecutive semester will be placed on academic probation. If the student’s semester GPA falls below 2.0 for a third consecutive semester and/or the cumulative GPA is below 2.0, the student may be placed on academic dismissal from the school and must wait for one semester before applying for readmission. The student will no longer be certified for GI Bill® benefits when the semester GPA falls below 2.0 for the third consecutive semester. For GI Bill® benefits to be restored, the student must be under a monitoring program that requires the student to maintain a semester GPA of 2.0.

All students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better to maintain status for any institutional scholarships awarded.

Ascent College awards credit for life experience. No more than 30% of the credit in a student’s degree program may be awarded for life or work experience. 

• Prior Learning Assessment Policy
• Prior Learning Assessment Request Form 
• Transfer Credit Policy

All students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better to maintain status for any institutional scholarships awarded.

Every student expects to have quality educational experiences. However, if circumstances arise that challenge those expectations, the student has the right to address the issue. 

Students are encouraged to follow the Biblical principles found in Matthew 18 to resolve conflicts, concerns, or complaints. Written complaints shall be responded to in writing within ten (10) days of receipt of the complaint. If the complaint is rejected, the student shall be notified of the reasons for the rejection. None of the student’s rights or remedies shall be limited by participating in the complaint procedure. In addition, a student participating in the complaint process will not be subjected to retaliation or adverse action.

The student complaint will follow these steps below:

1. Students are encouraged to resolve the complaint themselves by speaking directly to the person involved. If no resolution can be made, then the student is encouraged to complete the next step.

2. Complete the Student Grievance Form and submit it to the Student Dean. The administration will acknowledge receipt of the form to the student within 48 hours.

• Ascent College Student Grievance Form 

3. If necessary, a meeting will be set up to include the parties involved.

4. If no resolution is achieved, the complaint shall be transmitted to the College President for review and resolution.

Students should always follow the Grievance Policy of Ascent College first. If the issue remains unresolved, please follow the guidelines listed below. 

5. If you are a Virginia student, please submit a grievance complaint form to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

6. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) is a private nonprofit organization [501(c)(3)] that helps expand students’ access to educational opportunities and ensure more efficient, consistent, and effective regulation of distance education programs. Ascent College is a participating institution in SARA.

If you are a non-Virginia student taking distance education under the aegis of SARA, you may submit a complaint form to the SARA State Portal Entity (SPE), the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. You may also contact the SARA State Portal Entity in your state to file a complaint against the College. 

Additional information on filing a SARA complaint is available here. 

The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA) is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. This office investigates complaints of G.I. Bill® beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved at the school, the beneficiary should contact the SAA office via email at saa@dvs.virginia.gov. G.I. Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about educational benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at VA.gov | Veterans Affairs.

Students may also contact The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) at 5575 S. Semoran Blvd. Suite 26, Orlando, Florida 32822-1781 and phone number 407-207-0808 to file a complaint against the College. 

Click here to view our Sexual Misconduct and Violence Policy.

In the case of prolonged illness or accident or other special circumstances that require a student to pause their studies, a leave of absence may be granted to a student who submits the Leave of Absence Request Form through that student’s Academic Advisor. The Leave of Absence Request Form requires an anticipated return date that must be within 180 days of the start of the leave of absence. If a student has not returned as an active student in that time frame, that student will be administratively withdrawn and will need to reapply to continue their studies. If a student would like to resume taking courses within those 180 days, they may do so as long as their student account balance has been fully satisfied and they have satisfied any academic disciplinary measures required. No additional fees will be incurred during a leave of absence. Upon the student’s return from the leave of absence, he or she will be permitted to resume taking courses in their program of study. A leave of absence is not permitted to extend beyond 180 days within a 12-month period.

• Leave of Absence Request Form

A student must submit a form to the Registrar’s Office to officially withdraw from Ascent College. Failure to attend classes is not considered an official notice and could result in a grade of “F” for all courses in progress at the time the student ceases attendance. An official withdrawal is recorded after the student completes all exit interviews and associated tasks.

• Institutional Withdrawal Form