The Financial Aid office is required by federal regulations to periodically review financial aid recipients to ensure that they are making academic progress towards the completion of their program of study. Satisfactory academic progress for financial aid recipients is measured by both qualitative and quantitative standards and is an assessment of a student’s cumulative academic record while in attendance at the institution.
Qualitative Standard
Cumulative GPA Component
A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average as noted below to be considered as making satisfactory academic progress.
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required for the Program
| Total Credits Earned Toward Program | Certificate | Associate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-13 | 1.50 | 1.50 |
|
14-27 |
2.00 | 1.70 |
|
28-40 |
1.80 |
|
| 41+ | 2.00 |
Quantitative Standard
Completion Rate Component
A student must successfully complete more than two-thirds (66.66%) of the total credits s/he attempts throughout his/her academic career at the College. All attempted credits resulting in either an academic grade or administrative transcript notation will be included in the quantitative calculation.
For example, a student who has enrolled in 36 credits throughout their academic career at the College must pass more than 24 credits to be making satisfactory academic progress.
Maximum Timeframe Component
A student may receive student federal aid for any attempted credits towards his or her program of study as long as those credits do not exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s program of study.
For example, a student enrolled in an eligible 24 credit certificate program can receive financial aid for up to 36 credits attempted. Likewise, a student enrolled in a program of study that requires 64 credits to earn the degree can receive student federal aid for a maximum of 96 credits attempted.
Academic Periods Included in the Review
The qualitative and quantitative standards of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy will be used to review the academic progress for all periods of the student’s enrollment. Even periods in which the student did not receive FSA funds will be included in the review. Additionally, periods for which the student was granted academic amnesty will be included in the review.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Review Process (SAP):
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is my academic progress reviewed? | At the end of each semester |
| Are there probationary periods? | Yes, Probation prior to Suspension |
| Is there an appeal process? | Yes |
| Can you re-gain Financial Aid eligibility once you lose it? | Yes |
The qualitative and quantitative components of the SAP policy will be reviewed at the end of each semester within the academic year of the student’s program of study.
Students who meet SAP standards will be coded as making satisfactory academic progress and will retain eligibility for Student Federal Aid for the following semester.
Students who do not meet SAP standards will be placed on SAP probation for one semester. Students placed on SAP probation will retain their eligibility for Student Federal Aid for the following semester.
Students placed on SAP probation:
At the end of the probationary period, SAP standards will be reviewed. If the student meets SAP standards, s/he will once again be coded as making satisfactory academic progress and will retain eligibility for Student Federal Aid for the following semester.
If the student is still unable to meet SAP standards, s/he will no longer be eligible to receive FSA at the institution until such time that s/he is able to meet the standards of SAP.