Eastern Oklahoma State College Financial Aid. Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Transcription

1 Eastern Oklahoma State College Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy WHAT IS SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND HOW IS IT MET? Federal regulations (CFR ) require that all recipients of student financial assistance make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree or eligible certificate. Students applying for Title IV funds assistance through the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Work Study, Oklahoma Tuition Grant (OTAG), Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and Direct Parent PLUS Loan must meet THREE requirements to maintain their financial aid eligibility at Eastern Oklahoma State College. First, students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 each semester. (GPA) Second, students are required to complete (pass) a certain percentage of hours they attempt. (PACE) Also known as Quantitative. Third, students must complete their degree within a timely manner. (Maximum time frame) Also known as Qualitative. These three requirements are summarized below. After the initial semester of attendance in an academic year failure to meet ALL of these minimum academic standards will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students are expected to know, based on this Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, when they may be placed on financial aid warning, probation, or suspension. Satisfactory academic progress is reviewed at the end of each semester once grades have been posted. 1. GPA- Total Hours Attempted from all institutions ( C average) 2. Quantitative- Students must successfully complete and pass 67% of all courses they attempt. Courses with the following grades are considered as courses attempted but not

2 completed, F,I, W, AW,and NP. Grades of A, B, C, D, and P will count as attempted and completed (earned). The 67% completion is determined by dividing the cumulative hours earned by the cumulative hours attempted. Example: Student has attempted 24 hours at Eastern, but only completed 14 of those hours. The PACE would be 14/24 = 58.33% Student has attempted 32 hours at Eastern, but only completed 28 of those hours. The PACE would be 28/32 = 87.5% 3. Qualitative- Ability to complete degree or certificate within 150% maximum time frame limit. Be aware that hour limits are cumulative; therefore, all hours from all institutions attended will be included, even if a student did not receive federal student aid. Once students reach their maximum time frame for their specified degree, they are no longer eligible for federal student aid. Example: Your degree program requires 64 hours. You are allowed 150% of that time frame to complete the program. You have already completed 109 college hours. Your maximum time frame is 64 x 150%= 96 hours. You have exceeded the maximum time frame. *Note-Student s planning to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor s degree should be aware of the federal maximum time frame on the various programs to ensure they do not run out of eligibility before completing their bachelor s degree. Students may appeal the maximum time frame suspension by submitting the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form requesting continued eligibility. The form must be submitted to the EOSC Office of Financial Aid with supporting documentation before the

3 appeal will be considered. Students will be notified by mail and through their EOSC of the decision. If the student does not have access to , the decision will only be mailed to the address listed on the appeal. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Remedial/Developmental Courses Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 12 hours of remedial courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and SAP requirements continue to be met. Student must demonstrate successful progress toward completion of a degree. Remedial courses are included in the calculation of cumulative GPA and the 67% pace requirement, but not in the 150% time limit. Repeated Courses A student may receive financial aid for a repeated class under these conditions: Once for a previously passed class. An exception will be made for required courses for athletic, music and dance participation, or any similar required participation class; Until student receives a passing grade for a non-completed or non-passed class; If allowed by the College as published in the current course catalog. Some courses require a C or better in a prerequisite class. In such situations, for financial aid purposes only, a D is not considered passing the prerequisite course. Transfer Credits Credits taken at another institution that are officially accepted toward the student s degree or certificate will be used in the calculation of SAP standing and will count toward the 150% maximum time frame credit limit. Non-Traditional Credits Non-traditional credits, such as AP, CLEP, Military, etc., that are accepted for credit at EOSC and applied toward a student s program of study will not be used in the calculation of SAP standing, but will be counted in the calculation of the 150% maximum time frame credit limit for financial aid.

4 Consortium Agreements Students enrolled in more than one institution under consortium agreements are subject to the home institution s SAP policy. When EOSC is the home institution, credits earned at the host institution will be included in calculation of Financial Aid SAP standing and toward the 150% maximum time frame credit limit. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS STATUSES Financial Aid Warning: Students who fail to achieve SAP will be placed on financial aid warning. A student is able to receive financial aid while on financial aid warning status, but must meet SAP standards during that term of enrollment to remain eligible for subsequent financial aid. Suspension: If the student fails to successfully complete the necessary requirements to return to satisfactory academic standing, then they will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students on financial aid suspension are not eligible for Title IV aid and must meet their own financial expenses. Financial aid suspension will be in effect until the student completes one full-time semester at EOSC with 12 hours of a 2.0 GPA at their own expense (without EOSC financial aid programs). Students suspended due to exceeding the maximum number of hours cannot earn reinstatement (except in a few majors). A student who fails to complete a course or has a complete withdrawal from EOSC after receiving financial aid may be automatically placed on suspension. Students are required to submit official academic transcripts to the EOSC Registrar s Office from all schools previously attended. All transfer hours (including grades of W) will be counted to maintain SAP for financial aid. Financial aid eligibility will not be determined until all official transcripts have been submitted to the EOSC Registrar s Office and are recorded on the EOSC academic transcript. Financial Aid Appeal:

5 If SAP standards are not met after the financial aid warning term, and the student is suspended, the student may file for an appeal. The Satisfactory Academic Progress Financial Aid Appeal form can be picked up in the financial aid office or you may download it from the financial aid page on Eastern s website. Appeals must explain in detail why the student failed to meet the minimum academic standards, what extenuating circumstances caused the failure, and how the situation has since improved. Examples of extenuating circumstances include illness, medical issues with immediate family members, or a death in the family. The appeal must include supporting documentation to substantiate the request for reinstatement. Failure to adequately explain your reason(s) and failure to submit appropriate documentation will lead to a denial of your request. The appeal and all documentation will be reviewed by an Appeals Committee. An appeal will only be approved if the student will be able to meet Eastern s Financial Aid SAP standards at the end of the next semester of enrollment. Action taken on a financial aid appeal is final. The student will be notified of the decision by mail and through their college . If the student does not have access to , the decision will only be mailed to the address listed on the appeal. Probation: If a student s SAP appeal is approved, the student is placed on probation for the next semester of enrollment. The student is eligible for additional Title IV funds during this period. The student must meet with their academic advisor and may need to establish an academic plan to get the student back to SAP. This may include referral to support services, a reduced course load, and/or scheduled counseling sessions. Students are expected to participate in their academic plan and provide a copy of said plan to the financial aid office. Each appeal will be unique. If an academic plan is part of the student s probation, details of the plan and processes will be given to that student. Student Responsibility: Students are held responsible for reading and understanding the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and knowing their status at the end of each semester. It is the suspended student s responsibility to notify the financial aid office upon regaining compliance or when requesting reinstatement. *Please note: Financial aid warning, probation, and suspension are separate from academic probation and suspension.

6