Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal regulations require that a student must be making satisfactory academic progress in a certificate or degree program in order to be eligible to receive federal aid.
As per federal regulations, all academic transcripts will be evaluated for satisfactory academic progress whether or not financial aid was received. For the purposes of determining satisfactory academic progress, grades of "A," "B," "C," "D," "P," "F," "XF," “W,” "WA," "NP," and "I" will be calculated as attempted financial aid hours. This includes developmental and repeated courses. If a student completes a course that he/she received an incomplete grade in, the student must notify the financial aid office in writing, in order for satisfactory academic progress to be again reviewed.
Upon a completed financial aid file, a student’s current status at NCCC will be reviewed. Qualitative and quantitative measures are required to determine satisfactory academic progress. That criterion is listed below.
• Students must successfully complete 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted.
• Students must have a 2.0 or greater cumulative career GPA.
• The maximum time frame for students to complete their academic program may not exceed 150% of the published length of the program. For example, if the published length of the program is 64 credit hours, the maximum number of attempted credit hours may not exceed 96. After 150% of the published length of the program has been attempted students will be placed on financial aid denial.
• Successfully completed grades include: "A," "B," "C," "D," "P" (Pass).
•Unsuccessfully completed grades include: "F" (Failure), "XF" (Failure Due to Violation of Academic Honesty policy), "I" (Incomplete), "W" (Withdraw), "WA" (Withdrawn by Administration, "NP" (No Pass).
Example: Peter Panther has attempted 12 hours at XYZ College and has attempted 15 hours at NCCC. He has attempted a total of 27 credit hours. (27 hours x 67% =18.09) He must have successfully completed at least 18.09 credit hours and have at least a 2.0 cumulative career GPA to be making satisfactory academic progress.
FINANCIAL AID WARNING
New NCCC financial aid applicants will be reviewed to see if they have successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of prior credit hours attempted and if they have maintained a cumulative career GPA is 2.0 or higher. Students who do not meet both of these conditions are placed on financial aid warning for their first term of attendance.
At the end of each term (semester), NCCC financial aid recipients on good academic standing will be reviewed to see if they have successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted and maintained a 2.0 or greater cumulative career GPA. Students who do not meet both of these conditions are placed on financial aid warning for their next term of attendance.
A student on financial aid warning is still eligible to receive financial aid the next semester of attendance. However, notice of financial aid warning may be retroactively incurred based on an evaluation of the student’s previous academic record at NCCC.
At the end of each semester, the students who received aid and were on warning will also have their academic performance evaluated. At that time, one of the following actions will occur:
• If the student has successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted, has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater, and has not attempted more than 150% of the published length of the program the student will automatically be reinstated to good academic standing.
• If the above conditions have not been met, the student will be placed on financial aid denial.
FINANCIAL AID DENIAL
Under the following conditions, students are placed on financial aid denial:
• Receiving unsuccessful grades in all of their classes in one term at NCCC.
• Attempting more than 150% of the published length of the program.
• Have had one semester of financial aid warning, but are still not meeting 2.0 cumulative GPA and/or successfully completing 67% or greater of cumulative classes attempted.
• Currently on financial aid probation and did not meet the probation requirements.
A student on financial aid denial is not eligible to receive federal aid.
Notice of financial aid denial may be retroactively issued based on an evaluation of the student’s previous academic record at NCCC.
EXCLUDED GRADES
Audit and non-credit classes are not considered for financial aid and will not be included as attempted financial aid hours. Grades of "F" (Failure), "XF" (Failure Due to Violation of Academic Honesty policy), "I" (Incomplete), "W" (Withdraw), "WA" (Withdrawn by Administration, "NP" (No Pass) do not count as credit hours earned.
REPEATED COURSEWORK
• Once a student has passed a course with a “D” or better, he/she can receive Federal Financial Aid Funds to repeat the course one time.
• If a student fails a course “F”, “XF”, “NP” or withdraws “W”, “WA” from a course, which has never been passed, they can receive Federal Financial Aid until they pass the course with a “D” or better.
TRANSFER CREDITS
All previous college attempted and completed coursework on file with NCCC’s registration department will be counted when determining the student’s GPA, cumulative completion rate, and maximum timeframe, regardless whether the student received Federal Financial Aid for those hours or not.
CONDITIONS FOR REINSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID
When the student successfully completes 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted and has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater, the student can apply to be reinstated to good academic standing.
To apply for reinstatement for the first offense, the student may appeal to the of financial aid by filling out the Denial Appeal Form listing reasons (examples: illness, death in the family or other unusual circumstances) why he/she did not achieve satisfactory academic progress or why he/she has attempted more than 150% of the published length of the program and is seeking aid for additional courses. The student must also supply an academic plan and appropriate supporting documentation, such as a letter from his/her doctor, employer, advisor, etc. All appeals should be submitted to the office of student financial aid at your campus.
If the appeal is approved by the director of financial aid, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester, and will be eligible to receive federal aid. Certain conditions and timeframes may be included with the probation reinstatement. If the appeal is denied, the student will remain on financial aid denial, and therefore ineligible for federal aid. The student will be notified in by mail or student email of the director of financial aid’s decision.
The student may appeal the director of financial aid’s decision to the Financial Aid Committee within ten business days. The student must fill out the Denial Appeal Form and attach all supporting documents and submit them to the office of student financial aid. Upon receipt of the request for an appeal hearing, the director of financial aid will schedule a hearing and notify the student requesting the appeal of the date and time of the scheduled hearing. A time shall be set for a hearing, not less than two nor more than ten calendar days after the student has been notified. Maximum time limited for scheduling of hearings may be extended at the discretion of the director of financial aid.
To apply for reinstatement for the second and subsequent offenses, the student may appeal to the Financial Aid Committee or its designee by filling out a Denial Appeal Form and attaching the applicable supporting documentation. All forms and letters must be submitted to the office of student financial aid. If the student wishes to present his/her case orally to the committee, he/she must indicate this intention in writing. This appeal, as well as the original appeal to the director of financial aid, student academic file, academic transcript and financial aid file will be submitted for review. The student will be notified of the initial meeting of the committee if the student has indicated in writing his/her request to orally present the appeal. Additionally, the committee may mandate that the student appear at the appeal meeting. The student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision and may appeal to the president or his/her designee. NOTE: The president's current designee is the vice-president for student learning.
FINANCIAL AID PROBATION
Students whose financial aid denial appeals are approved will be placed on financial aid probation. At the end of each semester, the students who received aid and were on probation per appeal will also have their academic performance evaluated. At that time, one of the following actions will occur:
• If the student has successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of cumulative credit hours attempted and has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater and has not attempted more than 150% of the published length of the program, the student will be reinstated to good academic standing.
• If the student has successfully followed the terms of his/her academic plan and appeal conditions, but cannot yet be returned to good academic standing, the student will remain on financial aid probation.
• If the neither of the above conditions has been met, the student will be placed back on financial aid denial.
Last Updated 10.21.2015