Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Regulation 668.16 (e); 668.34

Federal regulations require that all students make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in a program of study to maintain eligibility for Title IV (TIV) federal financial aid. LCCC has established policies to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for and receive federal financial aid. These standards are designed to ensure that students are making progress toward completion of their program of study and apply to the following financial aid programs: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), and Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). The Financial Aid SAP Policy applies consistently to all categories of students who have a FAFSA on file, regardless of enrollment status, program of study, or any other category of student.

Satisfactory Academic Progress assessment at LCCC occurs at the end of each payment period/semester (summer, fall, and spring) after the qualitative and quantitative measures have been reviewed. Failure to meet SAP standards after each semester enrolled may result in loss of TIV financial aid eligibility. Students applying for financial aid must be making satisfactory progress as outlined in this policy. It is the student’s responsibility to understand and adhere to these standards to continue receiving federal financial aid at LCCC.

The three standards for SAP at LCCC are cumulative grade point average (GPA), completion rate, and maximum timeframe. You can read more about each of these in the sections below.

Developmental coursework offered through the academic divisions is included in qualitative and quantitative components of SAP. Please see “Developmental Education Coursework.”

LCCC only counts transfer credit hours that go towards a student’s current academic program in SAP calculations. GPA earned at another institution does not transfer to LCCC.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) – Qualitative Component of SAP

Students must maintain the minimum cumulative GPA for the number of semester hours attempted based on the information below:

0-29 credit hours attempted: 1.60 minimum cumulative GPA
30-44 credit hours attempted: 1.75 minimum cumulative GPA
45 or more credit hours attempted: 2.00 minimum cumulative GPA

LCCC does not round up (i.e., 1.99 does not meet the 2.00 requirement).
Students who have lost TIV financial aid eligibility due to failure to meet the GPA requirement may regain eligibility by completing courses (paid out of pocket or with non-TIV resources) and increasing their GPA to meet the minimum required GPA for the next semester. Please see “Requirements to Regain TIV Eligibility” and “Appeal Process” below.
Please be aware of the Academic Standards for programs, which may have different requirements than those for TIV federal financial aid purposes.

Minimum Completion Rate for Attempted Credit Hours (Pace) – Quantitative Component of SAP

Students must meet the required minimum completion rate for the number of semester hours attempted based on the information below:

0-29 semester hours attempted: 50% minimum completion rate
30-44 semester hours attempted: 60% minimum completion rate
45 or more semester hours attempted: 70% minimum completion rate

LCCC does not round up (i.e., 69.9% does not meet the 70% requirement).
The following are NOT “successful completion” for purposes of financial aid Standards of Academic Progress: F (failure), FAW (Failure Administrative Withdrawal), I (incomplete), NR (not recorded), U (unsatisfactory), W (withdrawal).
Students may repeat a course in which less than a D grade was earned. For SAP purposes, grades for repeated courses will be counted in the same manner as reflected in LCCC’s Course Repeat Policy.
The repeated courses will count toward the attempted hours in the completion rate analysis. However, hours are not earned with the following grades from repeated courses: F, FAW, I, NR, U, W. Please see “Repeating a Course” in the College Catalog for more information.
Students who have lost TIV eligibility due to not meeting the minimum required completion rate may regain eligibility by completing, at the student’s expense, the necessary number of credit hours needed to meet the minimum required completion rate for the next semester. Please see “Requirements to Regain TIV Eligibility” and “Appeal Process” below.
This satisfactory progress requirement includes all academic semesters a student has attended LCCC.

Maximum Timeframe (Degree Completion within 150% of the average length of the Program) – Quantitative Component of SAP

Students must complete their program within 150% of the published credit hour length of the program.

Examples:

Minimum GPA for Dismissal
Credit Hours Attempted	GPA
Program Requirement 60 credit hours	150% of Program Requirement 90 credit hours
Program Requirement 30 credit hours	150% of Program Requirement 45 credit hours

Please be aware of the Academic Standards for programs, which may have different requirements than those for TIV federal ﬁnancial aid purposes.
.Students may be eligible to complete more than one associate degree and/or certificate program at LCCC pending approval through the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form, with review by the SAP Appeal Committee. Please see “Appeal Process” below.
There are no limits to the number of times a student can change academic programs, as this is evaluated through the appeal process on a case-by-case basis.
Students cannot use financial aid to pay for courses not part of the degree/certificate program in which they are declared (“Off Plan”). These courses are, however, counted in the SAP calculation. Taking courses that are not applicable to the program of study will cause students to reach this maximum timeframe faster.
This satisfactory progress requirement includes all academic semesters a student has attended LCCC.

Consequences of Not Meeting GPA or Completion Rate (Warning, Suspension)

Official Satisfactory Academic Progress assessment at LCCC occurs at the end of each payment period/semester. Failure to meet SAP requirements after each semester enrolled may result in loss of TIV financial aid eligibility.

The first time students fail to meet GPA and/or completion rate at the end of a semester, they are placed in an SAP Warning Status, notified of this warning status via their LCCC email address, and will remain eligible for TIV financial aid.
Students who fail to meet GPA and/or completion rate while on Warning Status are in an SAP Suspension Status (i.e., not meeting SAP requirements) and will be ineligible for TIV financial aid. Notification of this Suspension Status and the requirements to regain TIV eligibility via the appeal process will be emailed via their LCCC email address.

Consequences of Exceeding the Maximum Timeframe (Suspension)

Students may exceed the maximum timeframe for their program by changing programs, enrolling in additional programs, and/or taking courses that do not apply to their current program. Students who exceed the maximum timeframe for their program will be placed in an SAP Suspension Status - MTF (maximum timeframe) and will be ineligible for financial aid. Since all coursework over the lifetime of a student’s career at LCCC counts towards these SAP standards, the only way a student exceeding the maximum timeframe SAP requirement can regain TIV financial aid eligibility is through the SAP Appeal Process. Please see “Appeal Process” below.

Requirements to Regain Eligibility

Students who fail to maintain the quantitative and/or qualitative components of SAP will lose eligibility for TIV federal financial aid. Students who have lost financial aid eligibility due to:

Failure to meet the GPA requirement may regain eligibility by completing courses at the student’s expense and increasing their GPA to meet the minimum required GPA for the next semester or an approved SAP Appeal;
Failure to meet the minimum completion rate may regain eligibility by completing, at the student’s expense, the required number of credit hours needed to meet the minimum required completion rate for the next semester or an approved SAP Appeal;
Exceeding the maximum timeframe are unable to take any action to rehabilitate their timeframe violation. They will continue to exceed the maximum timeframe and will be required to submit an SAP Appeal in order to regain TIV financial aid eligibility.

Appeal Process

Students in SAP Suspension may submit an appeal to petition to regain their financial aid eligibility. The appeal must be submitted by the posted deadline for SAP appeals.

Students may submit the online SAP Appeal Form for the following reasons:

Injury or illness to the student;
Death of an immediate relative; and/or
Other unforeseen circumstances (beyond the student’s control).

The appeal form requires the following:

Name, LCCC Student ID, and LCCC Email Address.
Statement detailing the unusual or extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from meeting the required SAP standards, including what specifically happened that prevented the student from meeting the required SAP standard and when the occurrence happened (month and year).
Statement describing what has changed (or what will change) that will ensure success during the next semester at LCCC.
Supporting documentation of the circumstances. (Appeals will not be approved without proper documentation.)

Appeal Decision

Student Financial Aid will review submitted SAP Appeal forms.

Approved SAP appeals:

The student is placed on Probation Status (APPR or ACD), will be eligible to receive TIV financial aid for a period of one semester, and will be required to submit an academic contract outlining the conditions the student is required to meet for that semester and until the minimum GPA and completion rate is met cumulatively. The student will receive notification of the SAP approval via their LCCC email address once the contract (signed and dated by the student) is submitted and processed by Student Financial Aid. Federal regulations allow Student Financial Aid to require students to fulfill specific semesters and conditions. Under Probation Status, students will be allowed to receive aid for ONE SEMESTER. Eligibility for future semesters is reviewed after grades for the semester under probation status are reported.

Denied SAP appeals and/or appeal forms not submitted:

The student can take the following actions to rehabilitate without using TIV federal financial aid. Students who have lost financial aid eligibility due to:
- Failure to meet the GPA requirement may regain eligibility by completing courses (paid out of pocket or with non-TIV resources) and increasing their GPA to meet the minimum required GPA for the next semester.
- Not meeting the minimum required completion rate may regain eligibility by completing the required number of credit hours needed to meet the minimum required completion rate for the next semester (paid out of pocket or with non-TIV resources).
- Maximum timeframe will need to pay for additional coursework out of pocket or with non-TIV resources.
- SAP Appeals must be received within the semester the SAP notification was issued.

High School Option Courses (CCP)

All courses taken at LCCC while attending high school are included in the total number of credits completed and attempted and in the GPA. A student could possibly transition to a regular degree-seeking student upon graduating from high school and immediately be on suspension status. A student on suspension status in his first semester due to CCP coursework will be placed on probation status and have one semester to work their way back to eligible status. If the student does not meet the SAP requirements for GPA and/or completion or exceeds the maximum timeframe at the end of the first semester as a regular student, they will go to suspension status and could submit the SAP Appeal/MTF Appeal as normal procedures require.

Developmental Education Coursework

A student enrolled in an eligible program for federal financial aid is permitted to attempt a maximum of 30 developmental education credit hours during their enrollment at LCCC for payment under federal financial aid. The developmental education courses will be counted in the grade point average calculation (except those using a pass/fail grading system), completion rate and towards the maximum timeframe.

Developmental education courses are provided for students who need to refresh or strengthen their academic skills. Courses are available in mathematics, English/writing.