Presidential Scholars Program Policies
General Policies
Recipients of the Presidential Scholarship are expected to participate in the University Honors Program to an extent appropriate to their course of study. Presidential Scholars receive academic advisement according to the policies established within their respective colleges.
The Director of the University Honors Program will advise Presidential Scholars regarding the Honors Program curriculum, and the Director of the Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF) will provide direction with respect to opportunities for developing strong candidacy for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Together, these advisers are responsible for the intellectual and cultural development of the Presidential Scholars.
Students are informed that they must comport themselves in a manner that assures the continuance and enhancement of the University's high purposes and traditions. Scholarships are renewable annually, and final decision regarding renewal of scholarships rests with the Director of the Presidential Scholars Program (PSP) with the advice of the PSP Advisory Board.
Academic Standing
The Presidential Scholarship allows us to provide our students with the opportunity to pursue their studies and transform their lives at Villanova. This award comes with a set of responsibilities and expectations. Presidential Scholars are academic and cultural leaders on campus, charged with embodying lives of academic excellence combined with service. Any Presidential Scholar who fails to live up to these responsibilities and expectations jeopardizes their scholarship.
Academic expectations for Presidential Scholars are as follows:
- Each Scholar is required to maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.33.
- During their first year, Presidential Scholars cannot be placed on probation. If their GPA falls below 3.33, they will receive a letter of concern that requires them to meet with their academic advisor, who will discuss their academic performance and offer suggestions and resources. The first time they can be placed on probation is the second semester of their sophomore year.
- Once on probation, a Scholar has three semesters to attain an overall GPA of 3.33 before losing the Scholarship. Each semester they are on probation, a letter is sent informing them of the fact and they are asked to meet with their academic advisor who will discuss their academic performance, offer suggestions and resources, and mandate certain actions as a condition of maintaining the Scholarship.
- If a Scholar receives a letter of concern or probationary letter, they must abide by any stipulations their academic advisor, the college administration, and the Presidential Scholars Program requires or risk losing the Scholarship.
- If a Scholar’s overall GPA goes above a 3.33, they will be removed from probation. If it falls below 3.33 again, the probationary process starts again from the beginning.
In cases where there are extenuating circumstances, exceptions can be given at the discretion of the Director of the Presidential Scholars Program (PSP) with the advice of the PSP Advisory Board, particularly if a student is making good academic progress semester to semester.
Students who are on academic probation who study abroad get their probation deferred for the time that they are abroad.