The College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards measure each student’s quantitative (credit completion) and qualitative (cumulative grade point average) progress toward the completion of the student’s program of study. The SAP standards are used primarily to determine a student’s eligibility to receive federal financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act; however, the SAP standards are applied to all students and represent a minimum standard of academic achievement required by the College for continued enrollment.
SAP Evaluation Periods
The College’s SAP standards measure a student’s satisfactory academic progress at the end of each Quarter. The College will provide an academic grade report to each student at the end of each Quarter which will include the student’s grades earned in each course attempted. The grade report will also provide cumulative information for all credits attempted and completed and a cumulative grade point average at the end of each grading period.
Maximum Time Frame
The maximum time frame in which a student may complete his or her program of study is the period of time in which it takes the student to attempt 150% of the academic credits contained in his or her educational program.
Quantitative Requirement - Credit Completion
Each student must complete a minimum number of credits by the end of each SAP evaluation period. Only satisfactorily completed course credits are counted as credits completed. Satisfactorily completed course credits include those for which a student receives a grade other than a “W,” “WF,” or “F.” All courses for which a student receives a grade, whether passing or failing, a withdrawn (“W”), a withdrawn failing (“WF”), or a repeated course are counted in determining credits attempted. Transfer credits accepted for the student’s program, as well as “CR” credits, will be counted as credits attempted and credits completed. A student’s SAP standing will be calculated based on the student’s entire history of enrollment in a specific program of study, except as noted below. (See Credit Completion requirements at each Evaluation Level in the charts below.)
Qualitative Requirement – Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)
The College measures qualitative progress on the basis on a 4.0 scale. All courses for which a student receives a grade will be included when calculating the student’s CGPA, except that of a withdrawal (“W”) or incomplete (“I”) will not be included in determining a student’s cumulative CGPA, and if a student repeats a course, only the highest grade for that course will be included when calculating the student’s GPA. (See CGPA requirements at each Evaluation Level in the charts below.)
Academic/Financial Aid Warning
Students who do not meet the minimum standards for credits completed or cumulative grade point average in accordance with the requirements at the appropriate “Evaluation Level” will receive written notification from the Dean of Education or his/her designee stating that he or she is being placed on an Academic/Financial Aid Warning. A student in Academic/Financial Aid Warning status will have one additional Quarter to correct the deficiency and meet the minimum requirements at the end of his or her next Quarter. The Academic/Financial Aid Warning period shall be one Quarter. The student will remain eligible for federal financial aid while on Academic/Financial Aid Warning. If the student does not achieve the minimum quantitative and qualitative requirements by the end of the Academic/Financial Aid Warning period, the student will no longer be eligible for any form of federal student assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act and will be dismissed from the College unless the student submits an Appeal (see description below) and is granted a “Probationary” period by the Financial Aid Committee (“Committee”). A student whose enrollment is terminated because he or she failed to achieve SAP and who does not successfully appeal such termination may make application for re-admission.
SAP Tables
The following charts provide the minimum quantitative and qualitative requirements for each evaluation level.
Programs of Study One Academic Year
| Evaluation Levels | Cumulative Credits Attempted (including transfer credits) | Minimum Percentage of Cumulative Credits Completed (including transfer credits) | Minimum CGPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 to 16 | 50% | 1.75 |
| 2 | 16.5 to 32 | 66.67% | 2.00 |
| 3 | 32.5 & Higher | 66.67% | 2.00 |
Programs of Study More Than One Academic Year
| Evaluation Levels | Cumulative Credits Attempted (Including transfer credits) | Minimum Percentage of Cumulative Credits Completed (including transfer credits) | Minimum CGPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 to 16 | 50% | 1.75 |
| 2 | 16.5 to 32 | 50% | 2.00 |
| 3 | 32.5 to 48 | 66.67% | 2.00 |
| 4 | 48.5 & Higher | 66.67% | 2.00 |
Nursing, Radiologic Technology, and Surgical Technology Programs
| Evaluation Levels | Cumulative Credits Attempted (Including transfer credits) | Minimum Percentage of Cumulative Credits Completed (including transfer credits) | Minimum CGPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 to 16 | 50% | 1.75 |
| 2 | 16.5 to 48 | 50% | 2.00 |
| 3 | 48.5 to 64 | 66.67% | 2.00 |
| 4 | 64.5 & Higher | 66.67% | 2.00 |
In addition, for those programs that are more than two academic years in length, a student must have a “C” average at the end of the second academic year in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
SAP Appeals and Financial Aid Probation
Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements after an Academic/Financial Aid Warning period are permitted to appeal the termination of their federal financial aid eligibility and termination from the College if the student can demonstrate in his or her written appeal that mitigating circumstances were the contributing factors to the student’s failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress. Mitigating circumstances would include the death of a relative of the student, injury, disability, or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. An SAP appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving notice of the failure to achieve SAP after an Academic/Financial Aid Warning period. All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Director of Financial Aid. The student’s letter of appeal must explain and document, to the satisfaction of the Financial Aid Committee, the mitigating circumstance(s) which caused the student not to achieve SAP after the Academic/Financial Aid Warning Period and what circumstances have changed that will allow the student to achieve SAP at the next evaluation period. The Financial Aid Committee consists of the Campus President, Dean of Education, and Financial Aid Director, or their designees.
The Financial Aid Committee may grant one additional Quarter as a Financial Aid Probationary period, approve an “Academic Improvement Plan,” which may require the student to fulfill specific terms and conditions, or deny the appeal. By approving an additional quarter, as a Financial Aid Probation Period, the Committee determined that the student should be able to meet the College’s satisfactory academic progress standards by the end of that Quarter.
The Committee, in conjunction with the student, may also develop and approve an individual Academic Improvement Plan if the Committee determines that the student’s circumstance warrants. The Academic Improvement Plan will measure incremental improvement, and if the student does not meet the incremental improvement requirements, the student would no longer be eligible for federal financial aid assistance and would be terminated from the College. The Academic Improvement Plan must also ensure that the student is able to meet SAP standards by a specific point in time.
If the appeal is approved by the Committee, the student will be eligible for federal student assistance (Grants, Loans, & FWS) during a Financial Aid Probationary Quarter or the period of an Academic Improvement Plan. If a student submits a timely and complete written appeal to the Financial Aid Director, the College may permit the student to continue his or her enrollment while the appeal is pending; however, the student would be responsible for the full payment of his or her tuition and fees if his or her appeal is not successful. The SAP appeal decision of the Financial Aid Committee is final, and the Committee’s decision will be provided to the student in writing within 30 days of the appeal filing.
If a student successfully appeals his or her loss of federal financial aid eligibility, the student’s financial aid eligibility will be re-established. In most cases, the Committee will place the student on an SAP Financial Aid Probationary status for one additional term or establish a time frame for meeting the minimum requirements under an Academic Improvement Plan.
Cancellation of Aid
If a student’s financial assistance is cancelled for failure to meet satisfactory academic progress standards after either a SAP Academic/Financial Aid Warning period or a SAP Financial Aid Probationary period, the student will be notified in writing informing him or her of the cancellation of federal financial aid and termination from the College as well as the requirements for the submission of an appeal and the requirements for re-admission to the College .
Re-Establishment of Satisfactory Academic Progress at the College and Reinstatement of Financial Aid
Students who have been terminated from the College for failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress may qualify for readmission to the College for the purposes of reestablishing their satisfactory academic progress. However, during this period, students will not be eligible to receive any form of federal financial aid.
Students may regain federal financial aid eligible by achieving the minimum qualitative and quantitative standards. Students can accomplish this by raising their cumulative GPA and/or completing an appropriate number of courses to raise the number of credits successfully completed versus attempted. This can be achieved by successfully completing the necessary course(s) at the College at the students’ own expense or through transferring credits into the College.
When a student who has lost his or her eligibility to receive federal student assistance meets the required cumulative GPA and/or the appropriate minimum percentage of cumulative credits completed, their financial aid eligibility may be reinstated. Students are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Director and Dean of Education in writing when they believe they have corrected their satisfactory academic progress deficiencies.
Transfer and Readmitted Students/Students Changing Majors
If a student transfers to the College from another postsecondary institution, the transfer credits that were accepted by the College will count as credits attempted and credits completed for purposes of calculating the student’s quantitative progress. The corresponding grades will not count toward the student’s qualitative progress.
If a student is re-admitted into the College , changes program of study, or seeks to earn an additional credential, the credits that are applicable to the student’s current program of study will be included in determining the student’s satisfactory academic progress standing and the appropriate evaluation level for the student in terms of establishing the total number of credits attempted and completed at each of the student’s evaluation periods.
Students receiving federal financial aid may repeat a course in accordance with the College’s academic policy. Credits from both course attempts will be counted in total credits attempted and in minimum cumulative credits completed at the College, but only the highest grade earned will be included in the calculation of minimum cumulative GPA. Credits from both course attempts will also count towards the Maximum Time Frame for Completion. Students may receive financial aid for each repeated course provided that a student may not repeat a passed course more than once.
Remedial Courses
Credits associated with remedial courses will not count as either credits attempted or Minimum Cumulative Credits Completed at the College.
Termination
The College reserves the right to terminate a student’s enrollment if, during the student’s program of study, the College determines that the student has failed to maintain the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress, or has reached the maximum timeframe (150% of the program credits/hours) without successfully completing the program; failed to comply with the College’s rules and regulations as published in the College’s Catalog; or has failed to meet his or her financial obligations. Any refund due to the student or other agencies will be calculated and refunded according to the Tuition Refund Policy. A student who has been dismissed from the College for failure to maintain SAP may reapply for admission; however, until SAP status is re-established, the student will not be eligible for any form of federal financial aid. A student making an application for re-admission must first satisfy all current requirements for admission. In addition, if a student’s enrollment was terminated for failure to maintain SAP, the applicant’s academic records will be evaluated to determine if it is possible for a satisfactory cumulative grade point average to be achieved and if the program can be completed within the maximum time frame.