Criswell College Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

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1 Criswell College Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy Federal and State regulations require students receiving financial aid to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAPS). All degree-seeking students must meet both the qualitative and quantitative measures to remain eligible. Qualitative Measure of Progress (Grade Point Average): Grade Point Average (GPA) applies to a student s Criswell College cumulative academic record regardless of whether or not a student has applied for or received financial aid during those terms, and/or how much time has passed between terms. Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average required for SAPS: Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.00 GPA under Title IV Funding Graduate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA under Title IV Funding Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.50 CGPA for Criswell Gift Aid Graduate student must maintain a 3.00 CGPA for Criswell Gift Aid Grade Point Average (GPA) is the total number of quality points earned by the student, divided by the total number of credit hours attempted on a regular grade basis. Please refer to the College Grading Policy for quality point calculations. Treatment of Grades and Credits: Courses in which a No Credit (NC) is earned are not included in the GPA calculation. Audited courses are included in the GPA calculation. Courses for which a financial aid consortium/common market agreement has been established are included in the GPA calculation. All remedial/developmental courses are included in the GPA calculation. The last grade earned in a repeated course will be the student s final, official grade and the only grade included for that course in the GPA calculation. Transfer credits are included in the GPA calculation. Quantitative Measures of Progress (Completion Percentage and Maximum Timeframe): Completion Percentage applies to a student s cumulative academic record that includes Criswell College credits and credits transferred from other postsecondary institutions, regardless of whether or not a student has applied for or received financial aid during those terms, and/or how much time has passed between terms. Undergraduate and graduate students must maintain a cumulative completion rate of at least 67%. The Completion Percentage is calculated as follows: Cumulative Earned Credits Completion Percentage = P a g e

2 Cumulative Attempted Credits Cumulative Earned Credits = Number of credits marked A (+/-), B (+/-), C (+/-), and D (+/- ). Cumulative Attempted Credits = Number of credits marked A (+/-), B (+/-), C (+/-), D (+/- ), F, NC, I, WF, WP, S, and RC). Treatment of Grades and Credits: Satisfactory course completion is defined as the completion of courses which have received grades of A (+/-), B (+/-), C (+/-), D (+/-), and S. Courses assigned grades of F, NC, I, WF and WP are not completed in a satisfactory manner. Courses with assigned grades of I (Incomplete) and W (Withdrawal) count as attempted credits but do not count as earned credits for the determination of Completion Percentage. Audited courses are not included in the calculation of completion percentage. Courses for which a financial aid consortium/common market agreement has been established count as attempted credits and earned credits. All remedial/developmental courses count as attempted and earned credits. Repeated courses count as attempted credits each time a course is taken, but are only included once as earned credits. Transfer credits count as attempted credits and earned credits. Maximum Timeframe applies to a student s cumulative academic record that includes Criswell College credits and credits transferred from other postsecondary institutions, regardless of whether or not a student has applied for or received financial aid during those terms, and/or how much time has passed between terms. The maximum timeframe allowance is 150% of the minimum required credits for the particular program of study: degree, certificate, or licensure. Treatment of Grades and Credits: All postsecondary academic credits, including attempted at Criswell College are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation, with the exception of remedial/developmental credits. Courses with assigned grades of I (Incomplete), WF and WP (Withdrawal) are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. Audited courses are not included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. Courses for which a financial aid consortium/common market agreement has been established are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. The remedial/developmental credits are excluded from the Maximum Timeframe calculation. Repeated courses are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation each time a course is taken. Transfer credits are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. Evaluating Satisfactory 2 P a g e

3 Budgeting and Awarding Purposes: Undergraduate students taking 12 or more credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending full time Undergraduate students taking 9 to 11 credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending three-quarter time Undergraduate students taking 6 to 8 credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending half-time Graduate students taking 9 or more credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending full time Graduate students taking 6-8 credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending three-quarter time Graduate students taking 5 credit hours during a semester or term are considered to be attending half-time Academic Progress Standards: Returning students academic records will be evaluated to determine whether they meet SAPS at the end of their first term of attendance at Criswell College and subsequent terms of enrollment thereafter. New student s academic records will be evaluated to determine whether they meet SAPS at the end of their second term of attendance at Criswell College and subsequent terms of enrollment thereafter. The College will evaluate student academic records with regard to defined qualitative and quantitative criteria at the end of each semester when grades are due and recorded for the term. Students whose financial aid eligibility is impacted by the SAPS evaluation will be notified of their status in writing; this communication is sent via U.S. mail and/or electronically to the student s college account. Consequences of not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards: If a student fails to meet one or more of the above standards, the student will be placed on one of three SAP statuses, as described below, and the student will be notified by of the change in his/her SAP status: Warning status: If the student was previously under a Satisfactory SAP status, the student s status will be moved to a WARNING status for one semester, meaning that the student is being warned that he/she is not meeting SAP eligibility and has one semester to correct his/her eligibility before being placed on financial aid suspension. During this semester, the student will continue to be able to receive financial aid. A Warning status cannot be appealed since students are still eligible to receive financial assistance. Student is notified of his/her Warning status by U. S. Mail and/or electronically to the student s college account. Suspension status: If the student was previously under a Warning or Probation SAP status and fails to meet SAP eligibility requirements during the next semester, the student s status will be moved to a SUSPENSION status and he/she will NOT be able to receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid during the next semester he/she attends. Student is notified of his/her Suspension status by . Students who are 3 P a g e

4 placed on financial aid suspension may appeal this decision by completing the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process (see below). Please note: Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress eligibility is different from academic probation or suspension. Students who are on financial aid Suspension may be allowed to register for and attend classes in future semesters if they are not also on academic suspension. See the Registrar for more information. Probation status: If a student is placed on financial aid suspension, he/she has the option to appeal this suspension through the SAP appeal process. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for the next semester, and he/she must bring his/her SAP eligibility to Satisfactory during that semester or be placed on financial aid suspension. While on probation, the student may continue to receive federal, state, and institutional aid if he/she is otherwise eligible. Student is notified of his/her Probation status by . In certain cases where the student has been approved for Probation status, but will clearly not be able to return to Satisfactory status in the span of one semester, the Financial Aid Committee may choose to create a work plan for the student. This will be determined by the Financial Aid Committee on a case-by-case basis. When a work plan is to be used, the student will receive written instruction providing clear expectations and time frames. Likewise, if the evaluation of academic records projects it to be mathematically impossible for a student to meet the required Cumulative Grade Point Average and/or Completion Percentage requirements within the timeframe allowed, they will be immediately placed on financial aid suspension without being placed in financial aid warning status. Students placed on financial aid warning status will have the next academic term (Fall, Spring, Summer) for which they are enrolled to meet SAPS requirements. Achieving the required Grade Point Average and Completion Percentage will result in reinstatement of financial aid eligibility following the close of that term. Failure to achieve the required cumulative CGPA and/or completion percentage will result in suspension of financial aid eligibility following the close of that term. Financial Aid Suspension: Students who are suspended due to not meeting the SAPS requirements are ineligible for the financial aid funding from all funding programs identified. The ineligibility is effective immediately and includes any funding not yet disbursed to a student, including future and previous terms. Suspension status for financial aid will remain in effect until all required satisfactory academic progress qualitative and quantitative measures are met and/or an appeal is submitted and approved. Students who are ineligible for financial aid funding due to SAPS suspension may still attend Criswell College unless suspended from the institution for other reasons, i.e. academic suspension, judicial suspension, etc. 4 P a g e

5 SAPS Suspension Appeal Process: Students whose financial aid eligibility has been suspended for not meeting the SAPS qualitative and/or quantitative measures have the right to appeal based on extenuating circumstances that occurred during the terms of academic difficulty and that directly affected academic performance including, but not limited to: Physical or mental illness, accident, or injury experienced by student or by significant person in student s life. (Examples of required documentation: Physician s statement, police report, health care professional statement, and/or medical billing document). Death of a family member or significant person in student s life. (Documentation required: a copy of the obituary or a copy of the death certification). Divorce experience by the student or his/her parent. (Documentation required: attorney s letter on law firm s letterhead or copy of divorce decree). Personal hardship or issues with spouse, family, roommate, or other significant person. (Examples of required documentation: written statement from a medical doctor, counselor, attorney, other professional advisor, family member or friend on official letter. If not on official letterhead a notarized letter signed by a notary. Students who have been suspended also have the right to request a review of their status based on the following situations: Pursuing a second undergraduate or dual degree program Pursuing multiple undergraduate majors for first bachelor s degree Pursuing a graduate degree with licensure Changing academic major, if due to extenuating circumstances Students who choose to appeal their suspension status must complete and return an appeal form with appropriate documentation. Documentation requirements will vary based on the student s individual situation. A statement of support and assessment of future progress potential from an academic advisor, faculty member, professional staff member and/or family member in a position to address the situation will be required for all appeals. Appeal forms are provided with the notice of suspension and are also available at the Financial Aid Office. Appeals must be submitted indicating on the Appeal Form the academic term for which the student is requesting funds. Appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee appointed by the Director of Financial Aid. 5 P a g e

6 Communication regarding the student s appeal decision is sent via U.S. mail and/or electronically sent to the student s college account. Appeals submitted after the deadline date of the semester will be returned without being considered. Appeals submitted incomplete will not be reviewed. Students may appeal the following term if they do not meet the current term s deadline, if the appeal was submitted incomplete, or if the appeal is denied. Students who submit an appeal of suspended status are not guaranteed reinstatement of financial aid eligibility and are responsible for any institutional charges incurred for the term(s) suspended, regardless of the status of the financial aid appeal, except as provided by the Satisfactory Academic Progress. Deadlines to submit appeals are as follows: Fall term September 15 th Spring term February 15 th Summer terms June 15 th Regaining Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Eligibility Students who are placed on financial aid suspension for not maintaining the required SAP eligibility standards for cumulative GPA must complete courses at Criswell College at their own expense to regain their eligibility for financial aid. Students who are placed on financial aid suspension for not maintaining the required SAP eligibility standards for pace of progression must complete, at their own expense, courses at Criswell College, or courses that transfer in from an accredited institution. After the student has completed sufficient coursework to remove the suspension status, his/her SAP status will be re-evaluated at the end of the following semester; and his/her status will be updated based on current SAP standards. Again, changes in status will be reported to the student via U.S. Mail and/or electronically to the student s college account. Students who are placed on financial aid suspension because they have not met the program completion time frame requirements and have reached the maximum number of hours or time frame allowed to complete their degree program may not regain eligibility to receive financial aid, unless the student has submitted an appeal application and the appeal has been approved. If the appeal is denied and the student feels that the maximum number of hours or time frame calculations are incorrect, he/she may contact the Director of Financial Aid and ask for a formal review of eligibility. Otherwise, in order to complete a degree program and graduate from Criswell College, the student will have to complete those courses without receiving federal financial assistance. If the student feels that these calculations are incorrect, he/she may contact the Director of Financial Aid and ask for a formal review of eligibility. Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility: Reinstatement of financial aid eligibility under this policy occurs when: The Grade Point Average and Completion Percentage criteria have been met; or 6 P a g e

7 The Financial Aid Appeals Committee approves the student s appeal Students whose financial aid eligibility has been reinstated will be notified of their status in writing; this communication is sent electronically to the student s college e- mail account. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may require a student with an approved appeal to meet certain academic term progress measures to retain financial aid eligibility; in these cases the student will be placed in a financial aid probation status. Financial aid probation status may be in effect for one or more academic terms, depending on the individual situation. While on financial aid probation, the student must achieve academic term progress measures of at least 2.00 GPA and 100% completion percentage. A student placed on financial aid probation who achieves the required cumulative Grade Point Average and cumulative Completion Percentage for SAPS will have his/her financial aid eligibility reinstated. A student placed on financial aid probation who fails to meet the cumulative Grade Point Average and/or cumulative Completion Percentage for SAPS but who meets the required academic term progress measures will have financial aid eligibility continued through his/her next term of enrollment. A student placed on financial aid probation status who does not achieve the required cumulative Grade Point Average and cumulative Completion Percentage and who also fails to meet the required academic term progress measures will have his/her financial aid eligibility suspended. Students whose financial aid eligibility has been reinstated and who subsequently fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAPS) will be placed in financial aid warning status, subject to the requirements as outlined above. If a student is placed on suspension of financial aid eligibility following a reinstatement, a new or updated written appeal for consideration of reinstatement will be required. Other Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Guidelines: Dual Enrollment: A student may not receive a Federal Pell Grant from more than one institution at the same time. A student transferring to Criswell College from another institution must have his/her aid canceled at the former institution. A "Cancellation of Aid form may be required. Under certain circumstances, a student may receive Direct Loans simultaneously from more than one institution; however, the combined loans may not exceed the yearly or aggregate limit(s). Repeat Courses: Students may not receive federal financial aid for repeat courses in which a previous grade of F was received. Funding for remedial courses will only be provided once. If a student registers for a course in which he/she has previously received a grade of D or higher, an evaluation of the student s history taking that course will be made and aid will be paid accordingly. Institutional scholarships cannot be applied toward any repeat courses regardless of course grade or status. 7 P a g e

8 Incomplete grades: Courses in which a grade of "I" is received will affect a student s pace of progression and may lead to the student being placed on financial aid warning or suspension. Once the student has completed the course(s), he/she may request an evaluation to reassess his/her SAP status using the Suspension Evaluation or Appeal Request form. Second Bachelor s Degree/Courses Not Needed for Program of Study: Federal Aid funds are not available to students seeking a second bachelor s degree, including accredited and non-accredited degrees, nor are Federal Aid funds available to cover courses not required in a student s degree plan. At this time, the registrar manually creates a Degree Plan Audit for each student. The student, Registrar, and Academic Advisor consult this Degree Plan Audit during each registration period to ensure that all classes for which the student is registering are necessary/ part of the degree plan. CAMS Manager is currently making it possible to enter Degree Plan Audits into CAMS so that they may be electronically monitored. When that goes into effect, there will be an electronic alert for courses for which a student has registered not in the student s degree plan. Financial Aid Programs Impacted by SAPS: All students receiving federal, state, and/or institutional financial aid must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAPS) defined by this policy to remain eligible for the following funding sources: Federal Pell Grant Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Federal Work-study Federal Direct Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) Federal PLUS Graduate Student Loan All Criswell College Gift Aid Most Criswell Aid is not available for second Undergraduate or Graduate or online degrees - students should inquire in the Office of Financial Aid for more information. Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.50 CGPA for Criswell gifted aid Graduate student must maintain a 3.00 CGPA for Criswell gifted aid Students who do not meet SAPS may still be eligible for certain private student education loan resources. Students in financial aid suspension status who wish to pursue these loan options are required to meet with campus financial aid advising staff in order to determine eligibility. Non-institutional scholarships and external agency funding (i.e. VA, JTPA, DRS, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.) may or may not require a student to meet SAPS. Students should contact the appropriate funding provider for information. 8 P a g e

9 Rationale This Criswell College Student Financial Aid Eligibility policy is established in accordance with the guidelines for administration of Federal Title IV, HEA programs and the institutional policy for financial aid eligibility purposes maintains standards that are at least as strict as the requirements of the institutional policy for Academic Probation, Suspension, and Reinstatement for Undergraduate Students. This policy is subject to change due to changes in federal and/or state regulations and/or Criswell College Policy. 9 P a g e