Academic Bankruptcy for Returning Southern Arkansas University-Magnolia (SAU-M) Graduate Students

A Southern Arkansas University-Magnolia graduate student who has not been enrolled in any college or university for a period of at least five-years (60 months) immediately preceding the intended enrollment at Southern Arkansas University may file for academic bankruptcy. The student must apply for and declare academic bankruptcy at the time of admission to SAU or within the first semester or term of enrollment. The following criteria will apply only to course work attempted at SAU-M:

1. The academic bankruptcy policy will be limited to semesters or terms completed during any consecutive 12-month period.
2. The student will forfeit the use of all college or university credits earned during any declared academic bankrupt semester or term.
3. A declaration of academic bankruptcy may be exercised once in a student’s academic career, and the declaration is final and irreversible.
4. A student who declares academic bankruptcy must be a graduate student seeking a graduate degree.
5. The notation “academic bankruptcy” and the date will be noted on the student’s permanent record for each declared academic bankrupt semester or term.
6. The credits will appear on the student’s permanent record or transcript, but no courses in any declared academic bankrupt semester or term will be used in computing the student’s grade point average.
7. Policies related to academic bankruptcy pertain only to Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, and may not be honored by other universities for admittance to graduate schools, or admittance to professional schools.
8. In regard to financial aid history, accumulated semester and award limits include all semesters of enrollment, including any semester of declared academic bankruptcy.
9. In regard to VA certification, accumulated semester and award limits include all semesters of enrollment, including any semester of declared academic bankruptcy.
10. A student who declares academic bankruptcy will be subject to all University policies.

To request academic bankruptcy, a student must submit a Petition for Academic Bankruptcy and all transcripts of prior college or university work to the School of Graduate Studies at the time of application for re-admission to SAU School of Graduate Studies or within the first semester or term of enrollment. After reviewing all records to determine that, the student has met the five-year period of non-enrollment, the dean of graduate studies will verify the request, counsel the student, and contact the advisor. The Petition for Academic Bankruptcy will be forwarded to the registrar by the graduate dean.

Petition for Academic Bankruptcy