Final answer:
The statement that a cumulative GPA includes only courses from a student's program of study is false. A cumulative GPA encompasses all courses taken by a student. To improve GPA, one should focus on class attendance and study time, as they are directly influential according to the given model.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cumulative grade point average (GPA) generally includes the grades from all courses a student has taken at an educational institution, not just those within their program of study. Therefore, the statement 'A cumulative GPA includes only the courses in a student's program of study' is false.
The cumulative GPA is a measure that reflects the average performance of a student across all completed courses. It is an important indicator of academic success and is often used by employers and graduate schools as a criterion for evaluation. To improve one's GPA, a student can focus on improving their class attendance and increasing their study time, as suggested by the given equation which emphasizes study time being twice as important for the GPA calculation.
Moreover, once a student is already in college, SAT scores are already set and cannot be changed, underscoring the importance of focusing on factors that can still be influenced, such as study habits and class participation.