The Higher Education Act of 1965 mandates institutions of higher education to establish minimum standards of "Satisfactory Academic Progress" (SAP) for students receiving financial assistance. These standards are applicable to all financial aid programs including all Federal and State programs. These standards may be amended to comply with federal and state regulations, as well as institutional and program requirements as applicable.
GPA Requirement
Financial aid students must maintain a cumulative grade point average at or above a 2.0.
Progression Requirement
Financial aid students are required to successfully complete 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted each semester toward their program of study.
Maximum Time Frame Requirement
Financial aid students have a maximum time frame to complete a program of study. The max time frame is calculated at 150% of the established length of the program. At CCC, the 150% time frame will be measured in terms of credit hours attempted.
Student Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of his or her academic standing each semester. The Financial Aid Office will make every effort to notify students of their SAP status and cancellation of awards; however, students are responsible for obtaining their grades and determining if they meet the SAP standards. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of any grade change made after the official posting of semester grades. NOTE: The SAP Policy for financial aid recipients is different than the College’s satisfactory progress standards as stated in the "Student Responsibilities (p. 16)" section of the Academic Bulletin & Student Handbook.
SAP Procedures
Only grades of A, B, C, D, EL, CC and CE will be counted as hours successfully completed. Grades of F, I, and W will not count as hours successfully completed but will count as hours attempted. An Incomplete will not count as hours earned until a successful grade has been posted.
CCC will evaluate each student’s SAP before awarding financial aid and at the end of each semester. If a student has exceeded the maximum time frame for their program, they will not be able to receive financial aid for that program any longer.
Should either the GPA requirement or the Progression Requirement not be met, the student will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Warning’ status. Financial Aid ‘Warning’ status means the student can receive financial aid for one additional semester. At the end of the ‘Warning’ semester, the student must be making satisfactory academic progress. If the student is not maintaining SAP standards, the student will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Suspension’ status. While on Financial Aid ‘Suspension’ status a student must pay for classes on their own until satisfactory SAP standards are re-established.
Financial aid students who have been placed on Financial Aid ‘Warning’ for one semester, and are not in satisfactory academic standing by the end of that semester, meaning they do not have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and have not earned at least 67% of all courses, will be suspended from receiving financial aid.
Removal from financial aid will not prevent a student from attending CCC. A student who enrolls at CCC without the benefit of financial aid may request a review of grades after any term completed without the assistance of financial aid to determine if SAP standards have been re-established. Once standards are re-established, eligibility may be reinstated for the next academic term.
Prior Credits
- Transfer Students - Credit hours accepted for transfer will be considered as hours attempted and successfully completed.
- Returning CCC Students - Any prior credits enrolled at CCC that transfer into the students current program of study, will be calculated in their SAP.
All attempted hours are counted in determining the 150% maximum time frame requirement and the 67% progression requirement for SAP standards, whether financial aid was received for these courses or not.
Developmental Coursework
Students who are enrolled in an eligible program of study, and are required to take developmental coursework as determined by placement testing, are limited to 30 semester hours of developmental coursework.
Course Repeats
Financial aid will allow for a student to re-take a previously passed course once. NOTE: The Financial Aid repeat policy is different than the College’s repeat policy as stated in the Academic Bulletin & Student Handbook.
Program of Study
Each student will be allowed to attempt three different programs of study while receiving financial aid. Students must be enrolled in either CCC’s two-year degree programs, one-year diploma programs, or eligible certificate programs (Please check online for a current list of eligible programs).
SAP Appeals
A student denied financial aid for failure to meet SAP standards (67% or 2.0 GPA) may apply for an appeal. A student may request an appeal based on mitigating circumstances by completing the "Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal" form in the FAO. Students cannot appeal the Maximum Time Frame requirement.
As part of the appeal form, the student must also provide documentation of the circumstances that prevented the student from making SAP standards. They must also provide documentation of how the circumstances have been rectified in order for the student to make SAP standards in the future. Forms submitted without proper documentation will be automatically denied.
All SAP appeals go before the Academic Standing Committee for approval (Please check online for the deadlines for SAP appeals). If an appeal is approved, the student will be placed on an academic plan that will ensure the student is able to meet SAP standards according to the Academic Plan (Please see Academic Plan section). The Academic Plan will not take effect until the next payment period.
Academic Plan
If a student has been granted an appeal, they are placed on an Academic Plan by the FAO, which requires students to earn 75% of all hours attempted AND achieve a 2.5 GPA each semester. While on an Academic Plan, if the student fails to earn 75% of all hours attempted or does not achieve a 2.5 GPA, the student will be placed on Financial Aid "Suspension" status. While on Financial Aid "Suspension" a student must pay for classes on their own until satisfactory SAP standards are re-established. Students cannot apply for a SAP appeal if they are suspended from their Academic Plan.