Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Students who receive financial aid must not only demonstrate financial need, but must also make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as determined by Howard Community College in accordance with federal regulations.

Financial aid recipients are required to be in good academic standing and to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree/certificate requirements for each semester in which they are enrolled. Satisfactory academic progress is evaluated at the end of every semester: fall, winter/spring, and summer. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress standards will result in the cancellation of financial aid awards. Federal regulations require HCC to evaluate all students for satisfactory academic progress each semester regardless of whether or not they receive financial aid. Satisfactory academic progress is evaluated based on the student’s cumulative academic record, from the date of entry to the college. Per federal regulations, financial aid SAP calculations do not consider academic amnesty. Therefore, your college cumulative GPA may be different than your financial aid cumulative GPA.

Students must meet the following requirements:

Cumulative Completion Rate

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

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

Maximum Timeframe

Students must complete an educational program within a timeframe no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program (for example, complete a program after attempting a maximum of 90 credits for a 60 credit program).

Required developmental courses are calculated into the GPA and are counted as regular coursework. Up to 30 required developmental course credits will be added to the program length when determining compliance with the maximum timeframe requirement.

Students who exceed their maximum timeframe will bypass the Financial Aid Warning status and are immediately placed on Financial Aid Restriction. Aid eligibility may be limited or terminated for excessive program changes.

TRANSFER STUDENTS—Transfer students will be treated as first time students for their first semester. Accepted credits from another institution will be considered as both attempted and completed credits in the evaluation of the cumulative completion rate, cumulative GPA requirements and 150% maximum timeframe.

Treatment of W, I, L, and N Grades and Repeated Course Work—

1. Course withdrawals (W) after the drop/add period are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non-completion of attempted course work.
2. Incomplete “I” grades are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the incomplete grade is replaced with a permanent grade and academic progress can be re-evaluated. Any student who completes an “I” grade contract(s) with a “C” or better should contact Financial Aid Services to have their Satisfactory Academic Progress status recalculated.
3. The “L” grade is an incomplete achievement of course objectives. The “L” grade is treated as a non-completion of attempted coursework and impacts GPA.
4. An audit “N” grade is not considered attempted coursework. It is not included in the GPA calculation or completion rate determinations.
5. The highest grade earned in a course that is repeated will count in the GPA computation, but every repeated attempt will be included in completion rate determinations.

Only students currently awarded aid will receive a notification if they are on warning or restriction. Additional services are available on campus that contribute to student success. For information regarding these services, please see Student Services or refer to the college’s website.

Treatment of “Never Attended” indicators

A student who registers for a course and does not report to class within the first twenty percent of the scheduled class sessions will be reported by the faculty as having never attended and will be dropped from the course. This class will not be eligible for financial aid. Therefore a student’s financial aid may be reduced or canceled based on the number of NA classes that have been reported for the semester.

Evaluation of Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

FINANCIAL AID WARNING—A student who fails to meet the prescribed minimum requirements for satisfactory academic progress will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the subsequent semester attended. During the semester the student is on warning, he or she is eligible for financial aid. At the end of the Financial Aid Warning semester, the student must meet the prescribed minimum standards or the student will be placed on Financial Aid Restriction.

FINANCIAL AID RESTRICTION—A student who fails to meet the minimum requirements after being on financial aid warning will be placed on Financial Aid Restriction and is not eligible to receive financial aid. All future awards will be cancelled. The student may appeal the restriction status based on mitigating circumstances.

FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC PLAN–A student who appeals the status of Financial Aid Restriction and whose appeal is approved may be placed on Academic Plan status. Students on this status will have their academic progress reviewed at the end of each semester and must continually meet the terms and conditions of the Financial Aid Academic Plan that was completed with an advisor. If a student fails to meet the terms of the Financial Aid Academic Plan, the student loses financial aid eligibility and is returned to the status of Financial Aid Restriction. In addition, a student can regain financial aid eligibility by meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid– Reinstatement of financial aid after a student has been placed on Restriction can be achieved in two ways:

1. The student attends HCC during the restriction period, pays for tuition and fees without financial aid and subsequently meets the required satisfactory academic progress standards.
2. The student submits a Financial Aid Restriction Appeal form and the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee approves the appeal. The student is placed on a Financial Aid Academic Plan status.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process– Financial Aid Restriction appeals must be made by submitting the Financial Aid Restriction Appeal Form to Financial Aid Services by the date specified in the Financial Aid Restriction Notification letter. All appeals received will be reviewed by the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee. Late appeals will not be considered. The appeal must include an explanation with supporting documentation of why the student failed to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. The basis on which a student may file an appeal may include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. Appeals that do not contain these required elements will be denied.

If the appeal is denied the student is responsible for either officially dropping the classes or paying for the classes. Any student whose appeal is denied and who fails to officially drop the classes during the 100% refund period is responsible for the cost incurred.

A student who fails to follow the terms and conditions of the Financial Aid Academic Plan and who returns to financial aid restriction may appeal the status of Financial Aid Restriction a second time. However, second appeals will only be accepted if the student has a different documented mitigating circumstance then the one used in a previous appeal request. If a second appeal is granted, the student will be required to follow the terms of the revised Financial Aid Academic Plan, in addition to any other terms established by the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Committee.

If a student fails to meet the terms of the Financial Aid Academic Plan following the second appeal, a third and generally final appeal with appropriate and explicit documentation will only be accepted if all of the following conditions are met:

• the student has successfully completed at least six credits in one semester at HCC (without financial aid), or at any other accredited postsecondary institution if the credits are transferred to and accepted by HCC as applicable to the student’s educational program; AND
• the student experienced an mitigating circumstance that is different than any previously provided to the committee as part of a SAP appeal, or if the same, is substantially more difficult in degree or scope; AND
• the student meets with a financial aid counselor to review his or her remaining aid eligibility for all federal programs, as compared to the degree audit for the educational program in which the student is enrolled. The student and the counselor will develop a plan for the student to best achieve his or her educational goals by leveraging remaining financial aid eligibility.

The decision of the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee is final and cannot be appealed. The passage of calendar time by itself is not considered a mitigating circumstance and does not entitle a former student to submit any additional appeals.

Because this process can be lengthy, students who register for classes before or while a third SAP appeal is pending must make other payment arrangements with the Finance Office, including cash, check, credit card or money order, or the establishment of a payment plan.