STUDENTS

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Students Receiving Title IV Federal Student Aid

General. As required by the U. S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid, to remain eligible for Federal Student Aid funds, a student must attain and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The criteria for an SAP policy are both qualitative and quantitative. While this policy applies only to Title IV aid recipients, it is at least as strict as the policy for non-Title IV aid recipients.

Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), and the Federal Direct Loan Program (DL).

Qualitative Policy (grade-based). A student whose cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale is considered to be maintaining SAP.

Quantitative Policy (time-based). A student must complete his/her program of study at a pace that is within 150% of the program length. Please refer to the chart below for specific programs.

The Pace component requires students to receive a passing grade in 67% of the total credit hours attempted to ensure students will complete within the maximum time frame established for their program.

Incomplete Grades and Grade Changes

Incomplete grades (I) count as attempted hours and a non-passing grade. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the financial aid office if a grade is changed. Eligibility for aid could be recalculated based on an increase in earned hours. This would include having a non-passing grade changed to a passing grade.

Dropped Courses

Attempted credits include all courses in which a student remains enrolled beyond the last day of the add/ drop period of the course, whether or not the student began attending. Courses in which the student drops after the add/drop period are given a grade of "W." A grade of W does not count in the student’s GPA.

 

Repeat Coursework

All course attempts are calculated in the pace of completion and maximum timeframe. The financial aid SAP policy abides by the College's academic policy regarding the treatment of repeated courses and the replacement of grades in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.

Frequency of SAP Evaluation. Students will be evaluated for SAP at the conclusion of each term, including summer. All attempted courses will be included in the SAP Evaluation. Attempted courses include those in which students earn a grade of A, B, C, D, F, W or I. Students who receive any combination of all F, W, or I grades during a term will lose Federal Student Aid eligibility. Any grades for credit hours not posted at evaluation time will be considered as attempted but not earned.

Pace will be calculated by dividing the cumulative number of hours students have successfully completed by the cumulative number of hours the students have attempted. Credit hours that are accepted from another institution toward the student’s educational program will be counted as both attempted and completed hours.

Federal Student Aid Warning. During each SAP Evaluation, students who fail to maintain SAP will be placed on Federal Student Aid Warning and immediately notified in writing of their Federal Student Aid Warning status. Students placed on Federal Student Aid Warning status will schedule an appointment with their advisor for the preparation of an Academic Improvement Plan, Grade Check Schedule, and completion of an Exit Interview. Once the Academic Improvement Plan has been submitted and approved by the Financial Aid Office, the student will receive the Federal Student Aid for which he/she is eligible for one (1) semester. Students who fail to attain SAP at the end of the term for which they have been in Federal Student Aid Warning status will be notified in writing that they have lost eligibility for Federal Student Aid.

Letter of Appeal (Request for Financial Aid Exception Checklist). Students who lose eligibility for Federal Student Aid may obtain a Request for Financial Aid Exception Checklist from the Financial Aid Office, follow the instructions, and submit the required documents within fourteen (14) days of receipt of written notification to the Director of Financial Aid. Students must submit an Education Plan and Academic Action Plan. The Academic Action Plan must include matters of extenuation and mitigation that hindered the student’s ability to comply with SAP and the circumstances that have changed that will contribute to student success. Examples of extenuating and mitigating circumstances include: personal illness or injury that required a lengthy recovery time, death or illness of a family member, or a trauma that impaired emotional and/or physical health. Other circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the SAP Appeals Committee. The student’s Letter of Appeal will be reviewed by Financial Aid Office personnel and then referred to an SAP Appeals Committee within fourteen (14) days of receipt by the Director of Financial Aid. The SAP Appeals Committee will communicate their decision to the Director of Financial Aid within fourteen (14) days of receipt from Financial Aid Office personnel. Financial Aid Office personnel will communicate the decision of the SAP Appeals Committee in writing to the student within fourteen (14) days of receipt. The decision of the SAP Appeals Committee is final.

An Education Plan and Academic Action Plan for an exception to the quantitative portion of the SAP policy may be considered for a student who changes her/his program of study. The instructions described in the above paragraphs apply. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Federal Student Aid Probation. In the event that the student’s appeal is approved by the SAP Appeals Committee, the student will be placed on Federal Student Aid Probation. If the student fails to attain SAP and/or follow the approved Education Plan and Academic Action Plan during the term of Federal Student Aid Probation, the student will lose eligibility for Federal Student Aid.

Students who have completed 62 or more credit hours or have attempted 93 or more credit hours and have not met the requirements of their program will lose eligibility for Federal Student Aid. An exception may be requested for this policy through the appeal process as described above. If the appeal is approved, Federal Student Aid will only be provided for the remaining required courses. If the program of study is going to be completed at another college, the Letter of Appeal must include a list of remaining required courses signed off on by an advisor of the other college on that college’s letterhead.

Reestablishing Federal Student Aid Eligibility. In order to reestablish Federal Student Aid eligibility, a student must complete coursework that will bring her/him into SAP compliance; the student must attain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale; and present an Education Plan and Academic Action Plan as described above for the approval of Financial Aid Office personnel.

[Updated May 2021; July 2023]