Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the standard of measurement a school uses to ensure a student is successfully progressing through their degree requirements. CCCB uses SAP to determine whether a student is eligible for financial aid. Two components of SAP include:
- A qualitative component which is equal to the student’s CGPA.
- A quantitative component which is the calculation of the student’s pace of progression to ensure completion within the maximum time frame.
The student’s CGPA includes grades from all institutional courses that apply to their degree program. For repeated courses, the course with the higher grade will be used in CGPA calculations.
The pace of progression is calculated by Financial Aid:
Credit hours earned / Credit hours attempted = Pace
Credit hours earned are the hours in which the student earned a grade. This also includes credits transferred into the student’s degree program from another college or university institution. Credit hours attempted are classes the student either received a non-passing grade or withdrew from after the grace period. For repeated courses, both attempts at the course will be used in the credit hours attempted.
Additional to the qualitative and quantitative components, the DOE requires a specific qualitative review at the end of a student’s second academic year. The students to be reviewed receive federal financial aid and have been enrolled in a degree-seeking program of more than two years.
Withdrawing from too many classes will have a negative impact on a student’s pace and may lead to being suspended from federal and institutional financial aid as well as placed on Academic Suspension.
SAP Evaluation
The Financial Aid Office evaluates each student’s SAP at the end of each payment period (see P&P manual for definition). Evaluations include courses in which the student did not earn aid but do not include courses outside of the student’s program.
Each student must satisfactorily meet both the qualitative and quantitative requirements of SAP.
- Qualitative evaluation:
- 2.0 CGPA
- Quantitative evaluation:
- Pace of 67%
- Ability to complete the program within 150% of its length
If a student’s delayed grades for a term change their SAP for that term after the next term has started, their SAP status must be updated. However, aid that has already been disbursed in the next term will remain in place.
Deficiencies of SAP
Any student who fails an SAP evaluation is placed on a financial aid status and is notified from Financial Aid by email.
Financial Aid Warning
Financial Aid places a student on financial aid warning for one term if they fail SAP. The student will be eligible for aid without appeal and will have one semester to regain SAP. They can clear their status by regaining SAP.
Financial Aid Suspension
A student is placed on financial aid suspension if they continue to fail SAP after a semester on financial aid warning. During this time, they are not eligible for institutional or federal student aid. Students on a suspension can clear their status and restore their aid eligibility by regaining SAP.
Appeals
A student on financial aid suspension may appeal the suspension within 10 days of receiving notification on the basis of the student’s injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other special circumstance. The appeal must be submitted to Financial Aid and explain why the student failed to make SAP and what has changed in their situation that will allow them to make SAP at the next evaluation. Financial Aid may request the student to provide supporting documentation.
Students who withdraw from school on a status will return on the same status when they re-enroll. However, they have the ability to appeal it during the re-enrollment process.
Financial Aid will review the appeal and may consult with the Academic Office and Student Development if the situation includes them. If the student is granted their appeal, Financial Aid will place them on financial aid probation.
Financial Aid Probation
Financial Aid places a student on financial aid probation for one term if they successfully appeal their financial aid suspension. The student will have all federal aid benefits restored and retention of institutional aid will be evaluated on an individual basis.
When a student is placed on probation, Financial Aid works with the Academics Office to determine if they can regain SAP in one term. If true, the student will not be required to be on an Academic Recovery Plan (ARP). If the student cannot regain SAP in one semester, they must be placed on an ARP monitored by the Academics Department.
At the discretion of Financial Aid, a student on an ARP may receive delayed financial aid disbursements until Financial Aid determines that the student is meeting the requirements of the ARP.
Students on financial aid probation can clear their status by regaining SAP. If they do not meet SAP but do fulfill the requirements of their ARP, they can continue to receive federal aid. If a student does not meet SAP by the end of their ARP, they will be placed on financial aid suspension.