Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
2012-2013 Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
Federal regulations require that all schools participating in Title IV federal student aid programs establish academic standards that measure a student’s progress towards an educational goal. Golden West College has established requirements that students must meet in order to remain eligible to receive federal and state financial aid. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is reviewed at the end of each academic year and determined to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory according to this policy. The academic year is defined as the fall, spring and summer semesters.
Each student’s SAP will be monitored and measured by:
- The maximum time frame in which the educational program must be completed.
- An evaluation of grades (Cumulative G.P.A.) and percentage of units completed versus units attempted.
The purpose of financial aid is to help each student with the financial resources needed to successfully achieve their academic goal. As a financial aid recipient, it is the student’s responsibility to understand and meet the terms and conditions of the SAP Policy. During the first year of college, all students are encouraged to meet with an academic counselor to help them develop an educational plan.
Students receiving funds must be enrolled in an eligible program of study to be considered a regular student.
Eligible programs of study are defined as:
- A program leading to an Associate of Arts or Science Degree
- A program of study fulfilling the requirements needed to transfer into a baccalaureate program
- Certificate program included on the College Eligibility & Certification Approval Report (In FA Office)
All Coursework included on the student’s Coast Community College District transcripts will be taken into account for SAP purposes, whether financial aid was received for the coursework, or not. Coursework submitted from other colleges related to the student’s academic goal will be counted towards attempted units for the maximum time frame limit.
Grade Point Average Requirement
Students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 (C average). The cumulative GPA for all of a student’s current and prior coursework recorded in the Coast Community College District’s database will be taken into account, whether or not financial aid was received. Grades that have been removed due to academic renewal or repeated classes will be excluded from the GPA, however the repeated class will still count toward the maximum units that the student is allowed to attempt.
Successful Unit Completion
To be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and therefore remain eligible for financial aid, Students must successfully earn units for 75% of all of the units that they attempt. All coursework for which a student receives a CR or A, B, C, or D grade are considered units attempted and units earned. Coursework for which a student receives an F grade or a W, NC, I, or IP are considered units attempted but not earned. Units that are earned are also considered to be units completed. Courses in which the student did not earn any units toward credit are considered courses in which no units were completed. So to maintain satisfactory academic progress, students must show a cumulative successful completion rate of 75% of all classes attempted at the end of each academic year when their SAP is reviewed. Be sure to note that all units attempted, regardless of the grade or score given for the course, will be counted toward the maximum time frame limit.
WARNING
Upon review, if a student’s cumulative GPA is less than 2.0 and/or the percentage of unit completion is less than 75%, the student will be placed on Warning status. Students are eligible to receive financial aid for the Warning semester. If at the end of the Warning semester the student does not meet the standards, the student is ineligible for financial aid unless it is granted through the appeal process. Once a student has raised their cumulative GPA back to 2.00 or higher and successfully completed at least 75% of all units attempted, their financial aid eligibility will be reinstated
Maximum Time Frame
Students attending GWC with a goal of obtaining an AA/AS Degree or completion of the requirements necessary to transfer to a university may accumulate no more than 90 attempted units to reach their educational goal. This is 150% of the 60-unit time frame necessary to earn a degree or transfer. Please Note: Students enrolled in an eligible Certificate program will be allowed to attempt up to 150% of the published number of units required to earn the certificate. If the student has reached their academic goal, they are considered to be finished and must get permission from the Financial Aid Appeals Committee if they want to receive aid for a new educational goal. A student in progress towards an academic goal may change their academic goal at GWC once, however all attempted units that count toward the new goal will be counted toward the maximum time frame and the student may not attempt more than 90 total units for all coursework. Degree-seeking students who have attempted 78 units will only be awarded one additional semester of aid and must appeal if seeking aid for the spring or summer. Students who reach the maximum time frame for their program will no longer receive financial aid unless approved by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee to go beyond the time frame.
Remedial and ESL Courses
Financial aid may be received for remedial (basic skills) courses if the remedial courses are a prerequisite for entrance into a regular college program. Financial aid cannot be received for more than 30 attempted units of remedial coursework. ESL coursework must be part of an eligible program of study to receive financial aid. In addition, in order to meet the standards of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, after completion of 24 units the student must be enrolled in classes which meet the requirements of an eligible program of study. ESL coursework is not an approved program in itself. A student enrolled in ESL classes, who is not in an eligible program of study, is not eligible for financial aid funds. ESL and remedial coursework will count toward the 2.0 GPA and 75% unit completion requirements, however, up to 30 attempted ESL units will be subtracted from the total maximum time frame limit and up to 30 attempted remedial units will be subtracted from the total when maximum time frame units are being counted.
Grades and Course Credit
Grades that affect GPA are A, B, C, D, and F. Although all CR, NC, W, I, and IPs count toward maximum time frame limits, they do not affect GPA. Students may repeat courses when allowed by the College catalog, but these will count as attempted units in addition to the units for the course being repeated. Academic renewal will help GPA but will not erase attempted units for maximum time frame limits.
Financial Aid Disqualification and Appeal Process
Students who are not making SAP and have lost financial aid eligibility will be notified by the FA Office. Students for whom mitigating circumstances have substantially hindered academic progress may appeal for an exception to the SAP requirements. A student may appeal if they have personally experienced one of the following:
- (a) serious illness or injury of student or immediate family member
- (b) death of an immediate family member
A student who wants to appeal must do so by the required deadline by submitting the appropriate appeal form along with a written explanation indicating the mitigating circumstance that prevented them from making SAP. Documentation of the mitigating circumstance is often required. The student must show evidence of compliance with all that the form instructs them to do. Each appeal will be reviewed and approved or denied based upon the student’s individual circumstances.
PROBATION
If an appeal is granted and it appears that the student can meet the standards after the completion of the next semester, the student will be placed on Probation for one semester. If the appeal is approved however it appears that the student will not be able to meet the standard in one semester, the student will be placed on Probation and an academic plan will be developed for that student, indicating the coursework that is approved and other conditions of the appeal (meet regularly with academic counselor, seek tutoring, etc.) Students placed on financial aid probation must meet all of the terms of their probationary period as set forth by the Appeals Committee or they will be disqualified from receiving further aid. All decisions of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final. Students who are disqualified from receiving financial aid because of a low GPA or poor unit completion percentage may reinstate their aid by bringing their cumulative GPA up to at least a 2.0 and their unit completion rate to at least 75%. Upon doing so, students should notify the Financial Aid Office that they are now making satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for aid in the following term.