Satisfactory Academic Progress
To maintain your eligibility for financial assistance, both from the institution and the federal and state governments, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Progress is defined as completing a required number of credits each academic year with an appropriate grade-point average. The requirements are as follows:
A student must maintain full-time status to receive the maximum amount of aid. Full-time status for federal and institutional purposes is the completion of 12 credits for each of the first and second terms. (The winter term is optional as long as 12 credits are completed during the spring term.) The second and third (winter/spring) terms have been combined for registration and payment purposes and require completion of 12 credits. Full-time status for federal, state and institutional aid is the completion of 12 credits for fall and winter/spring terms.
If you take less than a full-time course load (11 credits or less), you will receive a pro-rated amount of federal aid. No institutional aid can be received at less than full-time status.
There is a time limit and number of credit limit set for eligibility for financial assistance. One year is allowed beyond the normal length of time of your course of study. You must appeal, however, to receive aid past your 9th term of attendance. (Winter/spring is counted as one term of attendance.) No student may receive financial assistance once they have received 150 semester credits during their academic career.
Eighty Percent Completion Requirement
A student must also complete 80 percent of attempted credits to maintain progress. This means that any credits dropped after the drop and add period or receiving an F grade in a course may affect your satisfactory progress if the 80 percent completion rate is not met.
An acceptable grade point average must be maintained in order to continue to receive financial assistance. The criteria is the maintenance of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
The standards for progress will be applied uniformly, regardless of the source of funding. After review of students' academic records, notification letters will be sent to students who do not meet the academic criteria. The letters are as follows:
Students falling below the standards for the first time will receive a Warning Letter. After the next academic year, progress will be checked again and aid will be continued if standards are met.
If the standards are not met, a Financial Aid Suspension letter will be sent to the student. A student may receive only one warning status during their enrollment at the College. After the first warning has been received, a student will be placed on financial aid suspension at any point that the standards are not met.
If a student is suspended, reinstatement can be accomplished by completing a full term at full-time status at the student's own expense, or by appealing the suspended status. (The appeal process is explained in the following section.)
Appeal process: Students denied financial assistance may appeal this decision by completing an appeal form (available from the Office of Student Financial Services), securing a recommendation from their academic advisor and submitting these materials to the Office of Student Financial Services. This office will then present a student's appeal materials and academic transcripts to the Financial Aid Committee, which will review the student's performance and make a recommendation for reinstatement of funding or other options.
Treatment of Special Academic Situation
Incompletes
Incompletes completed during the academic year in which they are incurred may be counted toward the academic progress standard.
Withdrawals
Withdrawals will reduce the number of credits earned and will affect the academic progress standards.
No Completed Courses
Failure to earn any credits in an enrollment period will result in loss of eligibility for aid in the next period.
Non-Credit Remedial Courses
These classes will count as part of the course load for the purposes of meeting the standards.
Repeated Courses
Courses may be repeated in accordance with the policies in the general catalog and satisfactory progress standard.