Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations governing the Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study Program, and Federal Direct Loan Programs, require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward the completion of a degree or certificate to remain eligible for financial aid. Donnelly College evaluates SAP for all students receiving Title IV financial aid.

SAP Standards

To maintain eligibility for federal financial aid, students must meet the following standards:

1. Qualitative Standard (Grade Point Average)

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.

Students enrolled in a program that exceeds two academic years must have a GPA consistent with graduation requirements and at least equivalent to a "C" average by the end of the second academic year.

2. Quantitative Standard (Pace of Progression)

Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all cumulative credit hours attempted.

Pace is calculated using the following formula:

Completed Credit Hours ÷ Attempted Credit Hours = Pace

A student must maintain a cumulative completion rate of at least 67% to ensure completion of the academic program within the maximum timeframe allowed for financial aid eligibility.

3. Maximum Timeframe

Federal regulations require students to complete their academic program within a maximum timeframe that does not exceed 150% of the published length of the program.

Examples:

Associate Degree Program requiring 64 credit hours:

Maximum attempted credits = 96 hours (64 × 150%)

Bachelor's Degree Program requiring 124 credit hours:

Maximum attempted credits = 186 hours (124 × 150%)

Students become ineligible for federal financial aid once they exceed the maximum attempted credit hours permitted for their academic program. Remedial and developmental coursework may be included in the maximum timeframe calculation in accordance with federal regulations and institutional policy.

Treatment of Coursework

Transfer Credits

Accepted transfer credits count as both attempted and completed credit hours for purposes of determining pace and maximum timeframe. Transfer credits are not included in the calculation of the students’ cumulative GPA.

Withdrawals, Incompletes, and Failures

Grades of:

W (Withdrawal)
I (Incomplete)
F (Failure)
U (Unsatisfactory)

W, I, F and/or U are counted as attempted credit hours but are not counted as successfully completed credit hours for SAP purposes. These grades may negatively affect a student's pace-of-progression calculation.

Repeated Coursework

Repeated courses are included in the calculation of attempted credit hours and may affect pace and maximum timeframe measurements. Repeated coursework is also included in GPA calculations in accordance with the College's academic policies.

SAP Evaluation

The Financial Aid Office evaluates Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each payment period (term). Students who fail to meet either the GPA requirement, pace requirement, or maximum timeframe requirement will be notified of their SAP status.

Financial Aid Warning

A student who fails to meet SAP requirements during a SAP evaluation may be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one payment period.

Students on Financial Aid Warning remain eligible to receive federal financial aid during the warning period.

At the end of the Warning period, students who meet all SAP standards will return to good standing. Students who do not meet SAP standards will become ineligible for federal financial aid unless they successfully appeal. Financial Aid Warning may not exceed one payment period without an approved appeal.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who fail to meet SAP standards after a Warning period, or who otherwise fail to satisfy SAP requirements, will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and become ineligible for Title IV financial aid.

Appeal Process

Students may appeal a Financial Aid Suspension determination by submitting a written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid.

The appeal must:

Explain why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress; and
Explain what has changed that will allow the student to meet SAP standards at the next evaluation.

Appeals may be granted for circumstances including, but not limited to:

Death of a family member
Serious illness or injury
Medical emergency
Other documented circumstances beyond the student's control

The College may request supporting documentation before rendering an appeal decision.

Financial Aid Probation

Students whose SAP appeals are approved will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one payment period.

Students on Financial Aid Probation remain eligible to receive Title IV financial aid during the probationary period.

At the conclusion of the probation period, students must either:

Meet all SAP standards; or
Successfully meet the requirements of an approved Academic Plan.

Failure to satisfy these requirements will result in loss of financial aid eligibility.

Academic Plan

If the College determines that a student cannot realistically regain SAP compliance within one payment period, the student may be placed on an Academic Plan after an approved appeal.

The Academic Plan will specify the academic requirements the student must meet during each evaluation period. Continued eligibility for financial aid will depend upon the student's successful compliance with the Academic Plan.

Students who fail to meet the requirements of the Academic Plan will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will lose federal financial aid eligibility.

Completion of Program

Students who have completed all requirements for a degree or certificate are no longer eligible for financial aid under that program. Students seeking an additional eligible degree or certificate program may be considered for financial aid eligibility under the requirements applicable to the new program of study.