Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal regulations require that students receiving Federal financial aid must make satisfactory progress as defined by the college. Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute has elected to apply the standards set forth below to all students who received aid from any of the following programs: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Work-Study Program, North Carolina Community College Grant, North Carolina Student Incentive Grant and institutional aid.
Satisfactory academic progress will have three standards of measurement. These are qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time frame.
GPA Rule
The qualitative measurement shall be the grade point average requirements adopted by the institution and published in the catalog, under the Academic Standards section.
67% Rule
The quantitative measurement will be a completion rate of two-thirds of all (cumulative) attempted credit hours. Better referred to as the 67% rule. Students must successfully complete 67% of the hours attempted (registered for) to meet the minimum requirements. Successful completion is defined as receiving a grad of A, B, C, or D.
150% Rule
The maximum time frame allowable will be 150% of the required credit hours in the recipient's current academic program. For example, if a program of study requires 64 credit hours to complete a degree, the student may attempt a maximum of 96 hours before the student exceeds his or her eligibility for financial aid (i.e. 64 X 1.5 = 96). Up to 30 credit hours of required remedial course work will not be a part of the attempted hour count. Students that reach the maximum time frame will automatically be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Procedures
- Grade point averages will be checked prior to the beginning of each academic year.
- The completion rate will be checked at the end of each semester.
- The 150% allowance will be checked prior to the beginning of each academic year.
- Should either the GPA or two-thirds requirements not be met, one semester's probation will be allowed where aid will continue to be made available to regain satisfactory academic standards.
- Should either the GPA or two-thirds requirements fail to be met at the end of the probationary semester; eligibility for aid will be suspended.
Regaining Eligibility Procedures
- Recipients who have had their eligibility suspended due to the GPA rule and/or the 67% rule may appeal their suspensions for mitigating circumstances to the Director of Financial Aid. Mitigating circumstances are considered to be (1) the death of a relative of the student, (2) an injury or illness of the student and/or an immediate family member related by marriage or birth, or (3) other special circumstances causing undue hardship to the student and beyond the reasonable control of the student.
- The Director may reinstate after reviewing the appeal documentation by initiating a Reinstatement Contract with the student. This contract will remain in effect for the signer for three academic semesters. If the student has not regained SAP standards by the end of the third academic semester or does not meet the requirements of the contract for any of the three semesters the student will then be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. The student would have to regain their eligibility by self-support until they met the academic standards.
- Students who exceed the maximum allowable time frame to complete a program of study must appeal by using the standard financial aid appeal process and must provide a graduation plan signed by a college official (i.e. academic advisor). If the plan is considered reasonable, students will receive financial aid on probation for one or more semesters until the degree is complete. Any withdrawals, incompletes, or failures during this probation time will automatically end the agreement and the student will be suspended from financial aid.
- The Director may select to have the Financial Aid Committee review any or all appeals.
What is Included
- All credit hours ever attempted are to be considered in computing Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards, even during periods when the student was not an aid recipient. All hours that were earned as requirements for a previous degree or diploma (as long as the diploma is not part of the currently sought degree) will be ignored in the computation of eligibility.
- Students that are on Financial Aid Probation or Financial Aid Suspension will not be allowed to early register for classes at early registration unless they are covering the charges themselves. Registration using Financial Aid will only be allowed after grades are in for the current term and SAP standards have been met.
- Each aid recipient will be provided with a copy of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy with the Financial Aid Award Packet. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are also posted on the college web site.
Revised Effective 3/2007
