Policies

The Office of the Registrar oversees the following policies:

• Authorization for the Release of Information
• Academic Guidelines for NAIA Eligibility
• International Student Enrollment

Authorization for the Release of Information

According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), educational records can only be released to parents, spouses, or others if one of the following conditions is met:

• Written consent of the student — Students must file a completed “Authorization for Release of Information” available on My Cougar Connection in the section marked Form Central.
• In compliance with a subpoena
• By submission of evidence that the parents declared the student as a dependent on their most recent federal income tax form

For more information regarding FERPA regulations, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

Directory Information

These items can be released/discussed via any communication without the student’s permission.

• Student’s name
• Campus and off-campus address
• Email address and telephone
• Photograph
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Full- or part-time status
• Admission or enrollment status
• School, college, or division
• Class standing
• Degrees, honors, and awards (including Dean’s List) and date granted
• Participation in university activities and sports
• Physical and performance statistics of members of athletic teams
• The most recent previous institution attended by the student

Non-Directory Information

These items can only be released/discussed with written consent from the student and in person only.

• Birth Date
• Religious Affiliation
• Citizenship
• Disciplinary Status
• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Marital Status
• Student I.D.
• Grades/Exam Scores
• Test Scores (e.g., SAT, GRE, etc.)
• Progress Reports
• SSN
• Anything else that is not on the Directory Information list

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Academic Guidelines for NAIA Eligibility

To become certified for athletic competition, students must meet the following requirements.

Initial Eligibility for Students Entering Saint Francis Directly from High School

To be eligible, the student must:

• Receive official clearance from the NAIA Eligibility Center
• Meet all admissions requirements, including receipt of all final, official transcripts
• Meet two of the following three academic requirements:
  • A minimum score of 18 (for tests taken before March 2016 *) on the Enhanced ACT or 860 on the SAT
    *Exception – For ACT tests taken beginning March 2016, a minimum score of 16 will satisfy this requirement. This exception will apply through the 2018-19 academic year, after which time the exception will expire.
  • An overall high school grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  • Graduate in the upper half of the student’s high school graduating class
• Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
• Declare a bachelor’s degree major

Initial Eligibility for Students Transferring to Saint Francis

To be eligible, the student must:

• Receive official clearance from the NAIA Eligibility Center, if necessary
• Meet all admissions requirements, including receipt of all final, official transcripts
• Complete the NAIA Transfer Player Eligibility Statement
• Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
• Have earned a minimum combined cumulative GPA of 2.0 from all previous institutions
• Have earned a minimum of 24 credits in the two immediately previous terms of attendance
  Note: Transfer credits from previous institutions are calculated at face value only for the first term of attendance at Saint Francis. Thereafter, only transferred credits accepted by Saint Francis and posted to the Saint Francis transcript will be used for calculating athletic eligibility
• Declare a bachelor’s degree major

Continuing Eligibility for All Students

To Maintain Eligibility, students must:

• Students must be in good academic standing.
• Be currently enrolled (not waitlisted) in 12 credits
• Have earned 24 credits in the two immediately previous terms of attendance (unless second term Freshman, then must have earned nine credits in the previous semester), including credits earned in the term after one or both of the two immediately previous terms of attendance
• All students must be in Good Academic Standing according to the University’s catalog
• Declare a Bachelor’s degree major
• All students are awarded a total of 4 seasons of competition and must complete them within 10 full-time terms of attendance

Eligibility for Upcoming Seasons

To be eligible for upcoming seasons, the following applies:

Previous Seasons of Competition	Minimum Number of Earned Credits
1	24
2	48
3	72

• Repeated courses will affect certification for athletic eligibility
• Check with the coach before dropping courses
• In certain circumstances, other restrictions apply
• This information is not a guarantee of eligibility

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International Student Enrollment

International students interested in attending Saint Francis should start their correspondence 8-12 months prior to enrollment.

In addition to completing an application, international students must provide the following:

• Official records of completion of academic work comparable to a secondary school program in the United States. All documentation in languages other than English must be accompanied by certified English translations and a course-by-course evaluation completed by World Education Services (WES) or a similar organization.
• Certification of English proficiency on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of
  • 550 or above on the paper and pencil test80 or above on the internet-based test, or213 or above on the computerized version
  Students who do not complete this requirement must demonstrate their mastery of English by completing an ESL (English as a Second Language) program prior to beginning their Saint Francis coursework.
• Proof of financial capability sufficient to meet all expenses for one year. Once an applicant has provided this documentation, and after the applicant has been accepted for academic admission, a deposit of $150 in U.S. currency must be submitted to the University of Saint Francis Office of Financial Aid. After the deposit is received, the I-20 form needed to obtain a student visa will be issued. The University of Saint Francis offers no financial support to international students.
• Proof of adequate health and accident insurance coverage upon arrival in the U.S. or arrangements for such coverage.