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 Satisfactory Academic Progress

(SAP)

 

Fall, Spring & Summer

SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester.

Standards of satisfactory academic progress are applied to all students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility at North Central Texas College, regardless of whether or not they have received financial aid funds in the past. Academic progress will be monitored at the end of each semester.

Title IV and/or State Financial Aid

After each semester the academic records of all Financial Aid Students will be reviewed to determine if Satisfactory Academic Progress is being maintained. A student's entire academic record is reviewed including all credits earned at prior institutions even if Financial Aid was not used to earn these hours. All students, including transfer students, must submit transcripts from all prior colleges and have them evaluated by the end of the first semester of enrollment. Students without degree evaluations will not be eligible to receive aid for the following term. All forms of financial aid awarded by the Financial Aid Office are affected by this policy.

Good Standing

Good Standing means a student is making satisfactory academic progress by achieving BOTH a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 or better AND cumulative course completion rate that is equal to or better than 67%. Under this status the student is entitled to any financial aid available for as long as they maintain the minimum requirements. At the end of any semester, if the student falls below one of the requirements they will be placed on warning status.

Financial Aid Warning

Financial Aid Warning status means that a student did not earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or did not complete 67% of the credit hours attempted over all. Students on a warning status are still eligible to receive financial aid but for the next term only. Warning notices go out to students after semester grades are posted. At the end of the next period of enrollment, if the student meets the minimum standards they will be placed back into good standing. However, if the student fails to meet the minimum standards they will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Ways to reinstate Good Standing while on Financial Aid Warning

The student must be able to reach an overall 67% completion of all courses attempted with a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 within one semester, if a student on warning fails to meet these requirements, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Financial Aid Suspension

Financial Aid Suspension means that a student is no longer eligible for Federal or State financial aid because they were unable to make Satisfactory Academic Progress for the prior two semesters OR the student has reached the maximum attempted credit hours allowed. Students needing financial aid for any course of study beyond the maximum credit hours allowable requires special approval. If there have been circumstances beyond the student's control the student may file an appeal to to have their financial aid suspension overturned for one additional payment period. Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals should be submitted by logging onto myNCTC under the Financial Aid tab.

If a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal is approved, and the student can meet SAP regulations in one payment period, they will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Students whose appeal is approved and are unable to meet SAP regulations within one payment period, will be placed on an Academic Plan. If a Financial Aid appeal is denied, read below for other ways to students can reinstate their financial aid.

Academic Plans

Students entering the Suspension Appeal Process will be evaluated based on their Pace of Academic Progression. Pace of Academic Progression will be measured against the maximum time frame allowable to complete the student's degree or certificate program. If it is determined that a student's rate of academic progression is not attainable, they will be placed on an Academic Plan. Students on an Academic Plan will be required to make sufficient academic progress at the end of each payment period in order to maintain eligibility for Financial Aid.

Ways to reinstate your Financial Aid

Students may regain eligibility for financial aid by bringing their cumulative GPA up to a 2.0 or better and their cumulative course completion rate to at least 67%, while taking no more than 150% of the credit hours needed for their degree. Students on financial aid suspension who pay out-of-pocket for a semester will need to contact the Financial Aid Office once grades are posted to have their SAP re-evaluated (this option is not available for students who are over-hours).

Repeated Coursework

The regulatory definition for full-time enrollment status for undergraduate students has been revised to allow a student to retake (one time only per previously passed course), any previously passed course. For this purpose, passed means any grade higher than an "F," regardless of any school or program policy requiring a higher qualitative grade or measure to have been considered to have passed the course. This retaken class may be counted towards a student's enrollment status and the student may be awarded Title IV aid for the enrollment status based on inclusion of the class.

Classes with the following grades not considered completed:

  • "F" or a failing grade

  • "W" or withdrawn: no grade given but counts toward hours attempted

  • "I" or "IP" or incomplete

  • No grade given or an "NR" no record but counts toward hours attempted.

Students receiving an incomplete grade are responsible for complying with the instructor requirements before the end of the next Fall or Spring semester, or the "I "Incomplete" grade will revert to "F". All courses count toward the completion rate, whether the course is a repeated course, remedial course, or courses with the grade I, IP, F, or W as well as the maximum time allowed.

Should you take a grade of "F" or "W"?

Both grades affect your completion rate, but a "W" will not affect your G.P.A. If you are certain that you cannot pass a class it is better to receive a "W". In addition, it is very difficult to improve your G.P.A. when you have an "F" in the calculation. Please remember both a grade of "F" and a grade of "W" can affect your ability to receive Financial Aid, but an "F" has more long-lasting impact on your future.

The standards are established to encourage students to progress toward their educational objective and complete their degree within a reasonable time frame. A student's eligibility for financial aid may be in jeopardy for the upcoming academic semester if the standards are not met.