All students enrolled at UACCB who receive any Title IV aid should meet the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements. Students’ academic progress will go through a review at the conclusion of each semester of each school year and/or during the application process. Transfer work will be evaluated in the same manner as credit hours received at UACCB.
- Students must be admitted and enrolled in an associate degree or eligible certificate granting program.
- Each semester students must also complete a minimum of 67% of cumulative attempted hours. Completed credits include grades of A, B, C, D and P (Pass). For example, the maximum time frame for a 60 credit hour program is 90 hours. 60 divided by 90 is 67%. If a student earns 67% of the credits attempted in each term, the student should complete the program within the maximum time frame. If the student takes 12 credit hours in the fall and earns 12 credit hours, the student has earned 100% of credits attempted. In the spring, the student enrolls in 18 credit hours and earns 15 credit hours. He has earned 27 out of 30 attempted hours. 27 divided by 30 is a pace of 90%.
- Withdrawal from the College and/or receiving a 0.00 G.P.A. for a semester are viewed as unsatisfactory progress and those students will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students who withdraw from classes or drop classes will have those courses counted as attempted credits, but not completed credits. (The completion of remedial courses is considered in the 67% attempted/completion standard above.)
- Incomplete coursework will be evaluated as failing grades until the course has been satisfactorily completed or an explanation accepted by the Financial Aid Director. Incomplete courses are considered as attempted credit and are evaluated as incomplete coursework for satisfactory academic progress. Incomplete courses are not considered as part of a student’s GPA, but will be considered as part of the overall timeframe to complete a program of study. The grade “I” should only be assigned when a student has not completed a significant component of a course (i.e. an exam, paper or project) and the student has a valid rational for this failure. A student receiving an “I” must meet with his/her instructor and contractually make arrangements to complete the course requirements no later than the end of the next regular semester (fall or spring). The student should maintain a copy of this contract for reference. The instructor, division chair and the Director of Student Information/Registrar will also keep copies of the contract.
Faculty members will submit the grade by the end of the next regular semester following the one in which the “I” designation was received. The College will change the “I” designation to a grade of “F” if a grade is not assigned within the specified time period. A student may petition for an extension not to exceed one year because of extenuating circumstances. A written request by the student should be submitted to and approved by the Vice Chancellor for Academics. Students may not re-register to take a course for which an “I” designation has been received until the grade designation has been changed. - Students must achieve an overall cumulative 2.0 GPA at the end of each semester to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- If a student changes his/her program of study while attending UACCB, he/she should notify the Financial Aid Office. All credits under all programs of study will be included in the calculation of attempted, earned, and maximum timeframe credits, as well as the cumulative GPA calculation. If a student continues to take classes toward a second degree, after completing all required coursework for a first degree, the student may continue to receive financial aid as long as he meets the 150% timeframe and GPA requirements for the second degree. Students pursuing a second undergraduate degree or certification will need to submit a degree plan approved by their academic advisor indicating the required courses. If approved by the financial aid office, a new maximum time frame will be established for that pursuit.
- If a student repeats courses, all of the attempted credits for each attempt will be considered as part of the calculation for attempted and earned credits. Only the most recent attempt of the course will be considered as earned credit, providing the student completes the course. Repeated courses will not be considered as part of the student’s GPA for the purposes of satisfactory academic progress evaluation. For a student who is eligible for financial aid, only the first two attempts of a course will be funded.
- Remedial courses taken while receiving financial aid are considered as attempted credit hours and are evaluated as part of the calculation for PACE (Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment). Additionally, remedial courses are considered credit courses and will be evaluated as part of the student’s GPA.
- If a student does not make satisfactory academic progress he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. The student may continue to receive Title IV aid for the following semester. No appeal is necessary.
- At the end of the Warning semester if the student makes satisfactory progress, then the Warning status is removed. If the student does not make satisfactory progress, then the student will be placed on financial aid suspension.
- The student may submit a written appeal of financial aid suspension to the UACCB Financial Aid Office if extenuating circumstances exist. Examples of extenuating circumstances may include death of a relative or student injury/illness. The appeal must include why the student failed to make satisfactory progress and what has changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory process at the next evaluation. The appeal may be approved with one of the following status definitions:
- Probation: With this status the student would be eligible for Title IV aid for one additional semester only. If the student does make satisfactory progress at the end of the Probation semester, his status will be updated to Satisfactory. If the student does not make satisfactory academic progress, the student’s financial aid will be placed in a Terminated status with no further avenue for appeal.
- Academic Plan: With this status an individualized academic plan would be developed for the student that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress standards by a specific point in time. Examples of academic plan requirements may include, but are not limited to, regularly scheduled meetings with an academic advisor, minimum number of visits to the Student Success Center and financial literacy workshops. At the conclusion of the Academic Plan, if the student does make satisfactory progress, his/her status will be updated to Satisfactory. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress the student’s financial aid will be placed in a Terminated status with no further avenue for appeal.