Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations, HEA Sec. 484(c), §668.16, 668.34, require all schools participating in Title IV Federal Financial Aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy that conforms to the requirements detailed below. These requirements apply to each student regardless of program of study or enrollment level as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid.
Progress is measured by the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA), percentage of credit hours earned in relation to those attempted (Pace), and the length of the academic program. In order to assure that each student is making progress toward earning a degree both in terms of number of hours completed and cumulative GPA, Kirkwood Community College requires a student maintain the following standards: a cumulative 2.0 GPA and cumulative pace of 67%. Kirkwood applies standard rounding to Pace and rounds GPA to the third decimal.
Cumulative records of each regular student is reviewed after each payment period to evaluate progress. All periods of registration, including summer term, will be evaluated regardless of whether or not financial aid was disbursed during the term. This includes remedial credits, ESL credits, credits taken while in high school, repeated credits, and transfer credits from other institutions. Attempted credit hours will be determined at the end of the drop period each term.
Withdrawals are considered when determining Pace but are not factored into the GPA calculation. Incomplete grades are also considered when determining Pace but are not factored into the GPA calculation. If a student completes a course after their SAP status has been determined, Pace and GPA will be updated at the next SAP evaluation.
The student is placed on a Warning status the first term the student's academic transcript does not meet the standards of SAP with one exception. A student without transfer credits who fail to complete any courses within the first term of enrollment (combination of Fs and Ws) will be placed on Suspension for the following term.
If progress during the Warning term is adequate to bring the cumulative record up to the standard, the Warning status is removed. If progress in the Warning term is not enough to bring the cumulative record up to standard, the student will receive a Suspension status and be ineligible for financial aid. This suspension includes all scholarships, work-study, loans and grants.
In a situation where the student is only taking pass/fail classes in a semester and does not complete any credit during that semester, the student will go on either Warning or Suspension as appropriate.
A student who fails to meet the SAP standards is sent an email explaining the status and the steps to take to regain eligibility. A student can also view the status on the Financial Aid Checklist. The student has the right to appeal the SAP policy if the student believes extenuating circumstances prevented the student from meeting the standards of the policy. Examples of extenuating circumstances would include prolonged illness for which medical attention was received, or extreme personally uncontrollable circumstances. Appeals must be in writing and include documentation of the circumstances that led to the student’s academic performance along with an academic plan. The academic plan must be comprehensive enough that it shows how a student may reach a Satisfactory SAP status or successfully graduate. Appeals should also address changes made to ensure future academic success. Appeals must be submitted by the semester deadline. Appeals received after the deadline will be considered for the following semester. The number of appeals a student has submitted will be taken into consideration by the Appeals Committee. If a student pays for classes out of pocket and completes them, that will be taken into consideration by the Appeals Committee, which determines whether the appeal is approved. The decision of the committee is final and cannot be appealed further. Additionally, Kirkwood reserves the right to re-review SAP based on a grade change.
If an appeal is approved, the student is placed on an Academic Plan status. A student with an Academic Plan status must follow the academic plan until the cumulative record meets the standard or the student graduates. Students on an academic plan must maintain a term completion rate of 75% or higher and a term GPA of 2.0. If the student fails to do so, the student is placed on Suspension.
Federal regulations stipulate that each student must complete the educational program in a reasonable length of time, which is defined as no more than 150% of the credit hours required for graduation in that program, regardless of major changes. For example, if a student is working towards a Liberal Arts-AA, which is 62 credit hours; the student can receive aid up to 150% of the credits for that program, which is 93 credit hours. Once a student has exceeded 93 earned credits, the student will be placed on suspension. All transfer credits are included in the earned credits including those earned as part of another degree or diploma. ESL credits are not counted as attempted credits when determining whether a student has completed 150% of the credits for graduation in the program. The student has the right to appeal the suspension as noted above. To continue to receive financial aid, the student must follow the academic plan. The academic plan may only contain courses that are required for the student's program. A student will be warned of this status at 125% of the credits required for graduation in the program. The student can contact the Financial Aid Office with questions regarding SAP.