Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
In addition to meeting individual financial aid program requirements, students must make satisfactory academic progress toward completing a degree or certificate program to receive aid.
The Schoolcraft College SAP policy follows the federal guidelines and applies to all students who receive financial aid from any program we administer; this includes any semester approved for Academic Forgiveness. Federal regulations require that the policy includes reviewing semesters for which students did not receive aid, as well as the semesters students did receive aid.
The following guidelines describe the requirements necessary to maintain financial aid eligibility at Schoolcraft College for federal, some state, and some institutional awards. Some award programs have their own GPA/SAP measurement rules. For information on a specific award, please visit the My Awards page on Ocelot Access (if you have been awarded the award in question), and/or contact the Financial Aid Office.
Eligibility Requirements
- Pace of Completion (Completion Rate). Students must successfully complete at least 67 percent of credit hours attempted or be a first-time student at Schoolcraft College.
- To calculate: (completed credits divided by attempted credits) x 100 = completion rate
- Completed credits include transfer credits, courses with a grade of at least 1.0.
- Attempted credits include transfer credits, any course not dropped for a refund (see Repeat Courses section below).
- To calculate: (completed credits divided by attempted credits) x 100 = completion rate
- Grade Point Average (GPA). Have a cumulative Schoolcraft College grade-point average of at least 2.0. This includes only courses taken at Schoolcraft, not transfers.
- Maximum Timeframe. Students cannot attempt more than 150% of the required courses in an academic program. For example, if a student is enrolled in a 60 credit Associates program, they must complete the program before attempting more than 90 credit hours (60 x 150%). Additionally, students must be able to complete their academic program meeting the GPA and completion rate requirements prior to exceeding 150% timeframe.
Failure to meet any or all of the three requirements listed above will result in the student being Terminated from financial aid. See below for options for students with this status.
Evaluation of Eligibility
Eligibility is determined when a student applies for financial aid each academic year. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated at the end of each semester. Applicants who have not made Satisfactory Academic Progress are notified via email to SC email. Current SAP status can also be found on Ocelot Access – Financial Aid – Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Warning
Financial aid applicants who have attempted fewer than 19 credit hours and do not meet the eligibility requirements will be given a warning and granted aid for one semester. After the completion of the warning semester, the student must meet all SAP requirements to continue receiving aid. Students cannot receive Warning status in consecutive semesters.
Appeals
A student whose financial aid has been denied due to SAP may appeal in writing.
- Pace of Completion and GPA. Students who do not have a 67% completion rate and/or cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 may submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. Along with the form, students must submit their Academic Evaluation and supporting documentation. Appeals will not be reviewed until all three components have been received.
- Maximum timeframe. Students who are applying for financial aid but have already attempted more than 150% of the number of credits in their academic program may submit a Degree Completion Appeal. Along with the form, students must submit their Academic Evaluation and may submit supporting documentation.
Information regarding all financial aid appeals:
- Appeals are not guaranteed to be approved.
- Appeal decisions are final and are made by the Financial Aid Office.
- Appeals must be submitted at least every academic year.
- Appeals cannot be submitted until the current year FAFSA has been received by Financial Aid.
- If you have registration and/or bookstore charges and your appeal is not approved, you are responsible for any balance on your account.
- If your appeal is approved and you do not enroll in the following semester, you can request to have your appeal approval honored for a future semester within the same academic year. Requests should be submitted from your SC mail account, including your full name, student ID number and semester you plan to re-enroll.
- It is your responsibility to ensure your records reflect the correct academic program.
Approved Appeals
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appealsthat are approved will grant the student either Probation or Academic Plan Status. Degree Completion Appeals that are approved will grant the student Extended status.
Probation will be granted to those students whose SAP appeal was approved by the Financial Aid office and can meet the overall SAP standards after one term of enrollment. If a student is not meeting the overall SAP standards after their one Probation semester, financial aid will again be terminated, and the student will need to re-appeal for future aid consideration.
Academic Plan Status will be granted to those students whose SAP appeal was approved by the Financial Aid office and cannot meet the overall SAP standards after one term of enrollment. Students on an Academic Plan must complete all courses with at least a 2.0. Students who receive a grade below 2.0, Incomplete, No Show, or Withdraw in any course(s) will again have their financial aid terminated and will need to re-appeal for future aid consideration.
Extended Status will be granted to students whose Degree Completion Appeal has been approved. Students must enroll in the courses required to complete their academic program and should continue to meet GPA and completion rate requirements. New appeals will need to be submitted each academic year for consideration. If you change your academic program, you will need to submit a new Degree Completion Appeal for consideration.
Reinstatement
Students whose appeals are denied or not submitted may be reinstated after meeting one of the following conditions. (Classes taken at institutions other than Schoolcraft College are not considered for reinstatement purposes.)
- The student has taken, without federal financial aid, at least six credit hours and has passed those six credit hours
,with a 2.0 or higher. The student can then re-appeal following the steps above. Appeals are still not guaranteed to be approved. - The student has taken, without federal financial aid, enough credit hours to meet the grade-point average and completion rate requirements. The student will be reinstated without an appeal.