opportunities for success . . .
Ø Policy Statement
Ø Qualitative Standards
Ø Quantitative Standards
Ø Continuance of Eligibility
Ø Failure to Maintain Satisfactory Progress
Ø Right to Appeal
Ø SAP Appeals Committee
Ø Effects of Consortium
Policy Statement
It is the student’s responsibility to meet and maintain
satisfactory progress while earning a degree or certificate. This policy
applies to students receiving federal and state financial aid and should not be
confused with the College’s Academic Continuation Policy.
Satisfactory Progress includes three elements:
1. Minimum grade point average (GPA);
2. Maximum number of credit hours after which a degree /certificate must be
granted;
3. Minimum number of credit hours completed per semester or academic year.
These 3 standards measure both qualitative and quantitative progress. Students will be ineligible for federal and state financial aid if these standards are not met. Student progress will be reviewed at the end of the academic year (spring semester) to determine eligibility for federal and state financial aid for the upcoming semester/academic year and/or summer session. The academic year begins with Fall semester and continues through Spring. Students who have completed a sufficient number of credit hours within the academic year are eligible to receive federal and state financial aid for the summer session. Students who have not completed the required number of credit hours for which they were funded will be placed on probation for the next semester. Students who receive Title IV funds on a probationary basis must meet the stated probation requirements or their eligibility will be suspended.
Qualitative Standards
Students receiving Title IV funds must maintain a minimum
cumulative grade point average of 2.00 after completion of their second
semester.
Ø Students receiving Title IV funds must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point
average of
2.00 after completion of their second
semester.
Ø Students receiving Title IV
funds who transfer in with a cumulative grade point average of less
than a 2.00 and less than 24 credit
hours will be placed on probation their first semester in
attendance.
Ø Students receiving Title IV
funds who transfer in with a cumulative grade point average of less
than a 2.00 and greater than 24
credit hours are not considered to be making Satisfactory
Academic Progress and are not
eligible for financial aid funds.
Quantitative Standards
Maximum Number of Credit Hours: The maximum time frame for completion of a degree or
certificate is measured by the total number of credit hours a student has
attempted. This includes transfer hours and all semesters of enrollment
(including summer session) and applies to each degree or certificate pursued
whether or not financial aid was received. Once the maximum number of hours is
completed, the federal financial aid eligibility ends.
The maximum number of credit hours for which a student may
receive federal financial aid funding toward the completion of a degree or
certificate, includes all transfer and CCC credits, cannot exceed 150% of the
credit hours required for that program. Once this 150% of credit hours is
reached, students are not considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress
and are not eligible for financial aid funds.
A student with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher will be considered to have
exhausted maximum timeframe eligibility.
Second Degree or Certificate
The student must meet the College’s criteria for a second degree. The student
may be eligible for federal financial aid funding beyond first degree or
certificate, ranging from 7 to 24 credit hours depending on program type,
certificate or degree.
Dual Majors
The student may be eligible for federal financial aid up to 24 credit hours
beyond first major.
Minimum Number of Credit Hours per Academic
Year:
Students receiving Title IV funds are expected to complete at
least 80% of the semester credit hours enrolled as outlined in the following
chart:
Credit hours load 80% Minimum completion each semester
Full time
based on 12 credit hours 9 credit hours
3/4 time based on 9 credit hours 7 credit hours
½ time based on 6 credit hours 4 credit hours
Less than ½ time based on 5 credit hours 4 credit hours
Students enrolled for less than 5 hours must complete the number of hours funded (i.e., if a student is funded for 1 credit hour, the student must complete the 1 credit hour).
The following grades do not count toward the "Minimum Credit Hours per Academic Year" requirement: W, I, AU, U, NR and F, Repeated courses will be treated in accordance with established College policy. In progress (IP) grades will not be counted until a final grade has been posted.
Remedial Courses
A maximum of 30 credit hours of developmental classes may be
counted towards a student’s "Minimum Credit Hour per Academic Year" requirement;
however, the credit hours for developmental classes will not be charged against
the total maximum credit hours allowed. The exact number of allowable
developmental credit hours will be determined by the student’s academic skill
assessment results.
Continuance of Eligibility
Student records are reviewed at the end of each academic year for compliance
with the 3 Satisfactory Progress elements: minimum cumulative GPA, maximum
number of credit hours earned, and minimum number of credit hours completed per
academic year. Students who meet all 3 of these standards are eligible for
further federal and state financial aid consideration for the following academic
year. Students receiving Title IV funds are strongly encouraged to meet with an
academic advisor to ensure they are meeting certificate/degree requirements.
Failure to Maintain Satisfactory Progress
Students, both continuing and transfer, who fail to meet the minimum cumulative
GPA must use their own financial resources (unless an appeal is approved for a
probationary semester) and attend 1 semester/summer session earning at least 6
credit hours at CCC to raise their cumulative GPA.
Students who fail to complete the required minimum number of credit hours for which they were funded will be placed on probation the following semester.
Students who have exceeded the established maximum credit hours will be required to submit an appeal and have eligibility status determined on an individual basis. Until a determination is made on the appeal, the student will be ineligible to receive federal financial aid funds.
Students who have been placed on financial aid probation must meet the conditions of the appeal or attain academic good standing by the end of the semester or eligibility will be suspended. Suspended students will not be eligible to receive funds until such time as academic good standing is attained. Students in this category will be required to appeal in order to be re-evaluated to have eligibility reinstated.
Students who are placed on academic probation will automatically be placed on financial aid probation.
Students who are placed on academic suspension will automatically be placed on financial aid suspension.
Right to Appeal
In order to receive funds during the probationary period, students must submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form with supporting documentation
to Financial Aid Services. Satisfactory progress appeals may fall into 1 of 3
categories:
I. Withdrawal /
Waivers of a Semester
Students who have not completed the necessary number of credit hours for
federal funding because the student withdrew from the semester may appeal to
have the semester waived under extenuating circumstances such as personal
illness or accident, serious illness or death within the immediate family,
serious personal problems, or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control
of the student. The following supporting documentation is required: letter from
attending physician, counselor, medicine man/woman, hand trembler/shakers, etc.,
addressing the specific problem, dates student was unable to attend school, and
a comment on their current condition and ability to complete course work in the
future.
II.
Probation Extension (1 semester only)
Students who have failed to earn the minimum number of credit hours during a
probationary semester for which the student was funded may appeal to receive
federal funding for the following semester if extenuating circumstances, as
identified above, have prevented completion of the minimum number of credit
hours. The following supporting documentation is required: letter from
attending physician, counselor, medicine man/woman, hand trembler/shakers, etc.,
addressing the specific problem, dates student was unable to attend school, and
a comment on the student's current condition and ability to complete course work
in the future.
III.
Maximum Credit Hour Extension
Students may appeal for an extension of the maximum hour limit if extenuating
circumstances, as identified above, have prevented completion of a degree in a
timely fashion. The following supporting documentation is required: letter
from attending physician, counselor, medicine man/woman, hand trembler/shakers,
etc., addressing the specific problem, dates student was unable to attend
school, and a comment on the student’s current condition and ability to complete
course work in the future; and a letter from advisor providing number of hours
needed to graduate and projected graduation date.
Appeals that fall outside the scope of these 3 categories will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Director for Student Support Services and Financial Assistance.
Students who have conditions set forth in the appeal approval and do not meet these conditions will be suspended from financial aid and must complete a minimum of half-time status within one semester at CCC using their own resources to regain eligibility or may submit a new appeal.
SAP Appeals Committee
A student may appeal the decision of the Director for Student Support Services
and Financial Assistance by submitting a written request to have his/her appeal
forwarded to the SAP Appeals Committee. The composition of the SAP Appeals
Committee will be the following: Registrar/Director for Admissions, 1 Advisor, 1
Faculty, and 1 Student Affairs representative; the Director for Student Support
Services and Financial Assistance will serve in an ex-officio capacity. In this
written request, the student must attach any additional documentation to support
his/her appeal.
Financial Aid Services staff will schedule a SAP Appeals Committee meeting to review any appeals submitted. The student will have the option of being in attendance and will be scheduled for a specific time if he/she chooses to be in attendance. The Committee may uphold, reverse, or modify the decision of the Director for Student Support Services and Financial Assistance. The SAP Appeals Committee will review the student’s case and make a recommendation to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Vice President for Student Affairs will render a final decision based upon the recommendation of the SAP Appeals Committee. The Financial Aid Services will notify the student, in writing within 10 business days, of the Vice President for Student Affairs’ decision.
Effects of Consortium Credits on Satisfactory
Progress
If a student has a consortium agreement between CCC and another institution in
which CCC is the parent institution, credits earned at the non-parent
institution will count as though they were earned at CCC and will count towards
Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
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Flagstaff, AZ 86001-2701
928-226-4219
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CCC is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer. This material may be made available in an alternative format upon request by contacting the Disability Resources Office at 928.226.4243.