SP 4-20d
EFFECTIVE: November 9, 2004
REVISED: Fall, 2006
RETITLED: August 24, 2009
REVISED: March 18, 2010
REVISED: July 20, 2011
REVISED: November 16, 2011
REVISED: May 9, 2013
REVISED: August 1, 2014
REFERENCES: 34 CRF 668.16 Standard of administrative capability 34 CFR 668.32 Student Eligibility – general 34 CRF 668.34 Satisfactory Progress; Federal Student Aid Handbook, 2013-14, Volume 1 – Student Eligibility Chapter 1 School-Determined Requirements; CCCS Educational Services Council Guidelines ES 4-81 Academic Progress Standing;
APPROVED:
/ Nancy J. McCallin /
Nancy J. McCallin, Ph.D.
System President
This procedure applies to all Colorado Community College System (CCCS) colleges.
The U.S. Department of Education establishes requirements for enforcing standards of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Each college may have slightly varying internal processes based upon the organizational structure at its institution.
SAP measures a student’s performance in the following three areas: cumulative completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and maximum time frame. The Financial Aid Office at each college is responsible for reviewing the cumulative academic progress of all enrolled students at the end of each term. The purpose of this review process is to determine whether a student is making satisfactory progress towards their educational goal in both qualitative and quantitative measurements. The qualitative measurement consists of the cumulative grade point average as determined by the Colorado Community College System Standards of Academic Progress (CCCS ES 4-81).
The quantitative measurement contains two components: (1) the cumulative completion rate of credit hours completed versus credit hours attempted expressed as a percentage rate of completion and (2) the maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete their certificate or degree program expressed as a percentage of total credit hours required.
Review of SAP will take place at a minimum of once per term for all enrolled students. A student’s entire academic record will be reviewed and evaluated for SAP whether or not financial aid was received. The process to review Financial Aid SAP eligibility will be the same for all enrolled students. All coursework, including coursework for which a college has offered academic amnesty (including credit hours excluded from the GPA cumulative calculation as in the Academic Second Chance or Academic Renewal Policies), must be included in the review process. Colleges will notify financial aid applicants of their SAP status. A student is considered to be a financial aid applicant if they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or if they are offered funding to assist in educational costs through the Financial Aid Office.
The SAP standards apply to all applicable forms of financial assistance programs including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Stafford Loans, Direct PLUS loans as well as assistance from the State of Colorado. Colleges will determine what institutional funds will be affected by the student’s SAP status.
Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or the qualitative criteria will be notified of their status in accordance with the definitions below:
Student is eligible to receive all types of aid.
Student has attempted 110%, but less than 150%, of required number of credit hours needed for their degree or certificate program. Student is eligible to receive all types of financial aid.
Student was previously in Good Standing but failed to meet one of the SAP criteria stated below. Student will continue to receive aid while on Warning status.
Student has 0% completion for evaluation period and/or failed to comply with stated SAP criteria while on Warning or Probation. Student is not eligible to receive financial aid (federal, state or designated institutional financial aid).
Student will be placed on Probation if the student was previously Ineligible for Aid, made an appeal and the appeal was granted (see VIII). Student will be eligible to receive financial aid for one term while on Probation.
Student who has eligibility reinstated under an approved Academic Plan and is successfully following that plan is eligible to receive financial aid and continues to be eligible for aid while following the approved Academic Plan.
In order to meet SAP requirements, financial aid applicants and recipients must meet the qualitative and quantitative measurements outlined below:
Cumulative GPA Requirement
Maximum Time Frame
The following table demonstrates the intersection between SAP status and SAP criteria as defined in Sections II and III of this document. All measures are cumulative.
GPA 2.0 or above | GPA below. 2.0 | Completion rate at 67% or above | Completion rate below 67% | Attempted less than 110% | Attempted between 110%-150% | Attempted more than 150% | Failed to complete any course during a single term | Plan approved for 1 term | Plan approved for more than 1 term | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Good Standing | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
Alert | Yes | |||||||||
Warning | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
Ineligible for Aid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
Probation | Yes | |||||||||
Academic Plan | Yes |
Each college is required to have a primary and a secondary process for students to appeal their eligibility. The secondary process is meant to address appeals of denied appeals from the primary process.
All decisions made at the secondary level are final.
The process for appeals at the primary and secondary level will be defined by the College. A student may appeal when they have been placed on Ineligible for Aid status. These appeals must be submitted to the College Financial Aid Office or designated location with supporting documentation. The student is responsible for presenting sufficient information and documentation to substantiate the existence of extenuating circumstances. Each college may request additional documentation as student’s extenuating circumstances warrant it.
Students will be notified by the College of the outcome of their appeal. Under no circumstances can Probation be assigned to a prior term.
Colleges may notify students prior to the end of the term or prior to official posting of the financial aid SAP status if the student’s academic progress indicates they will be ineligible for aid at the end of the term. This includes students who withdraw from the term or fail to meet the terms of their conditional probation.
Colleges may set deadlines for SAP Appeal submissions to allow for processing of the appeal and, if successful, the processing of financial aid prior to the end of a term.
Students may, or may not, receive all funds awarded prior to the loss of eligibility.
CCCS reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately