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Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

To remain eligible for federal financial aid, students must meet minimum academic standards established by the U.S. Department of Education. These standards include:

  • Maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA)

  • Successfully completing a minimum percentage of all attempted credits

  • Completing their program within 150% of the published program length, measured in attempted credits

In compliance with federal regulations, Howard Community College (HCC) evaluates Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each semester—Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer. These requirements apply to all financial aid applicants, regardless of whether aid was received in prior semesters.

To remain eligible for financial aid, students must be in good academic standing and demonstrate ongoing progress toward completing their degree or certificate. SAP evaluations are based on a student’s complete academic history, including all attempted HCC coursework and accepted transfer credits—even for terms when financial aid was not awarded.

Please Note: Federal rules prohibit the use of academic amnesty in SAP calculations. As a result, a student’s financial aid GPA and completion rate may differ from the academic GPA reflected on their transcript.

To continue receiving financial aid at HCC, students must meet all three of the following SAP standards:

  1. Cumulative GPA Requirement

  2. Cumulative Completion Rate (Pace)

  3. Maximum Timeframe for Program Completion

Pace/Cumulative Completion Rate

Attempted credits

Minimum Cumulative
Completion Rate

0–30

50%

31-40

57%

41 or higher

67%

For example, a student who has attempted 24 credits must have a cumulative completion rate of at least 50% (credits completed divided by credits attempted). For students enrolled in certificate programs less than two years in length, quantitative progress is defined as a 67% completion rate at all times.

Cumulative GPA

Attempted credits

Minimum Cumulative
Required GPA

0–15

1.00

16-30

1.50

31-40

1.75

41 or higher

2.00

For example, a student who has attempted 16 credits must have a cumulative GPA of 1.50.

*Please note that students in the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree program are required to earn a minimum cumulative G.P.A of 2.75 for graduation.  Those students, even if dually enrolled in another program, are required to have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 after attempting 51 credits.

Maximum Timeframe

To remain eligible for federal financial aid, students must complete their academic program within 150% of the published program length. For example, a student enrolled in a 60-credit program must complete it within a maximum of 90 attempted credits.

Developmental and Supporting Coursework
Required developmental courses, including credit-based ESL courses, are factored into the GPA calculation and are included when determining a student’s completion rate (pace) and maximum timeframe. Students may receive financial aid for up to 30 attempted developmental credits. The maximum timeframe will be extended to account for these additional credits.

Transfer Students
New transfer students are treated as first-time students for their first semester at HCC. Accepted transfer credits are counted as both attempted and completed credits when calculating completion rate and maximum timeframe. However, grades from other institutions are not included in the GPA calculation and do not affect the qualitative SAP measure.

Change in Area of Study
All attempted coursework is included in the calculation of GPA, cumulative completion rate, and maximum timeframe—even when students change their area of study. The maximum timeframe is applied based on the student’s current declared program. Programs offered at HCC include the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.), Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.), Associate of Science in Engineering (A.S.E.), and various certificate programs.

Changing an area of study within the same degree program is not considered a change in program for SAP purposes. All credits attempted toward the degree—including credits from previous areas of study—are counted in the SAP evaluation.

Treatment of Grades, Prior Learning credits, and Repeated Course Work

 

Withdrawals (W):
Course withdrawals made after the drop/add period are not included in GPA calculations. However, they are considered attempted but not completed credits and are factored into the student’s completion rate (Pace).

Incomplete Grades (I):
Courses assigned an “I” (Incomplete) are not included in the GPA until a final grade is posted. However, they are treated as attempted but not completed credits in the completion rate calculation. Once a permanent grade is assigned, students who earn a passing grade should contact Financial Aid Services to request a re-evaluation of their SAP status.

F and L Grades:
Both are considered attempted but not earned credits. They negatively affect both GPA and completion rate.

FW Grades (Failure to Withdraw):
These are treated as attempted but not earned credits and are included in both GPA and completion rate calculations.

Audited Courses (N Grades):
Audited courses are not eligible for financial aid and are excluded from all SAP calculations, including GPA and completion rate.

NA Grades (Never Attended):
NA grades are assigned when a student registers for a course but fails to attend or participate during the first 20% of the class. These are not considered attempted coursework, are not included in GPA calculations, and are ineligible for financial aid. Students may see their aid reduced or canceled if they receive NA grades during a semester.

Missing Grades:
HCC does not evaluate a student’s academic progress for a given semester until all grades for that term have been officially submitted.

Prior Learning Credits:
Credits from prior learning assessments—such as transfer credits, Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), and Joint Services Transcript (JST)—are considered attempted and completed for completion rate and maximum timeframe purposes, but do not impact GPA.

Repeated Courses:
All repeated courses are counted as attempted in the completion rate calculation. Only the highest grade earned is factored into the GPA. For completion rate, only the first successful attempt is counted as a completed credit.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Evaluation and Statuses

All HCC students are reviewed for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each term—Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer. Students who apply for financial aid and do not meet the SAP requirements will be notified through their HCC email. Notifications are sent only to students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning or Restriction status.

Financial Aid Warning Status

Students who fail to meet the minimum SAP standards for their first payment period of enrollment will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester. Returning students may be placed on Financial Aid Warning if they were making satisfactory academic progress in the prior payment period for which they were enrolled. Students in Warning status remain eligible for financial aid during that term.

Financial Aid Restriction Status

Students who fail to meet SAP standards while on Warning will be placed on Financial Aid Restriction. Students in Restriction status are not eligible for financial aid, and all pending awards will be canceled. Additionally, students who have exceeded or are close to exceeding the maximum timeframe for program completion will be placed on Restriction status immediately, without a Warning semester. Students in Restriction status may submit a SAP Appeal citing documented mitigating circumstances.

Financial Aid Probation / Academic Plan Status

Students whose SAP Appeal is approved will be placed on Academic Plan status for one semester. During this probationary semester, students remain eligible for aid.
At the end of the term, the student’s progress will be reviewed:

  • If the student meets SAP standards, they will return to Good Standing.

  • If the student does not meet SAP, but is meeting all requirements of their Academic Plan, they may continue under Academic Plan status for future semesters.

  • If the student fails to meet the plan requirements, they will return to Restriction status and lose aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Academic Plan

Students on Restriction must develop an Academic Plan in partnership with an academic advisor before submitting a SAP Appeal. The Academic Plan is customized to help students return to compliance with SAP standards and successfully complete their program. Plans may include requirements such as a reduced course load, specific courses, tutoring, or other support services.

For additional student support resources, please visit the Student Support Services page on the HCC website.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process

To appeal a Financial Aid Restriction status, students must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process by the deadline outlined in the notification email or letter. Appeals must include the following:

  • A completed Academic Plan reviewed by an academic advisor

  • A detailed explanation of the circumstances that prevented the student from meeting SAP standards

  • Supporting documentation relevant to the student’s situation

Acceptable reasons for appeal may include, but are not limited to, personal illness or injury, the illness or death of an immediate family member, military deployment, or other special circumstances. Incomplete or unsupported appeals may be denied. Late appeals will be reviewed for the next enrolled semester.

The Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee will review all submitted appeals and notify students of their decision via email within 14 business days.

Appeal Requirements Must Include:

  • A clear explanation of why the student failed to meet SAP standards

  • A demonstration of understanding regarding the factors that impacted their academic performance

  • A description of the steps the student has taken to ensure future academic success

  • Supporting documentation (e.g., medical records, deployment paperwork, or repair receipts)

If an appeal is denied, the student remains ineligible for federal and state financial aid and may be responsible for any charges on their account. To avoid being charged, students should drop classes during the 100% refund period. Students who choose to remain enrolled are encouraged to establish a payment plan through the Finance Office.

If a student fails to meet the terms of their Academic Plan and returns to a Restriction status, they may submit a new appeal. However, this appeal must specifically address why they were unable to meet their previous Academic Plan and must include updated documentation and a revised plan.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid

Financial aid eligibility may be reinstated in the following ways:

  1. Self-Reinstatement: The student attends without financial aid, pays out-of-pocket, and successfully meets SAP standards.

  2. Appeal Approval: The student submits an appeal that is approved and is placed on an Academic Plan and becomes eligible for aid.

  3. Continued Academic Plan Compliance: The student continues to meet the conditions of the Academic Plan and remains aid eligible.

  4. Return to Good Standing: The student meets overall SAP standards while on an Academic Plan and is returned to “Good Standing.”

Note: Students who fail to meet the terms of their Academic Plan will return to a Restriction status and lose aid eligibility. A new appeal may be required to be reconsidered for future aid.

For questions or assistance, contact Financial Aid Services at 443-518-1260 or by submitting a ticket at www.howardcc.edu/myfas.