Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress

2021-2022 Academic Year
Effective July 1, 2021

Federal regulations and institutional policy require that your academic progress be reviewed at the end of each enrollment period, including summer. All students enrolling for the first time at Pierpont Community & Technical College (Pierpont) (including transfers) will be considered to be meeting academic progress during the first semester of enrollment at Pierpont; subsequent reviews will include all course work (including transfer work) that is contained on Pierpont academic transcript.

To receive funds administered by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Pierpont Community & Technical College, students must be making measurable academic progress toward completion of an eligible degree. Federal regulations require evaluation of both qualitative and quantitative academic progress.

Qualitative Progress

This evaluation is based upon the cumulative “Grade Point Average (GPA)” as shown on your academic transcript.
Students must meet the following Cumulative GPA:

01-24 total credit hours – minimum cumulative GPA >= 1.5
25-48 total credit hours – minimum cumulative GPA >= 1.8
49 total credit hours and above – minimum cumulative GPA >= 2.0

Quantitative Progress

This is based upon two areas of progress: “pace” and “maximum time frame”.

Pace is defined as the rate at which attempted academic credits are successfully completed. This is calculated by taking the cumulative number of hours successfully completed and dividing by the cumulative number of hours attempted. Grades of “W”, “F” and “I” count as attempted hours. Transfer hours that appear on your transcript are also included.

A student must be successfully completing 67% of all hours attempted. The calculation will be rounded to the closest whole number.

Maximum Time Frame allowed to complete your degree (including transfer hours) is 150% of the normal time frame. Repeated courses are counted against the maximum time frame.

• Certificate Program of 30 hours must be completed within 45 attempted hours.
• Associate program of 60 hours, students must complete within 90 attempted hours.

​A student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have the degree or certificate, is not eligible for further additional federal student aid funds for that program.

Post-graduate work (credits taken after receiving first degree including a second associate or an associate degree after receiving a bachelor’s degree) must be completed within 45 hours of post-graduate work. Since all classes attempted will count toward the 45-hour limit, students should meet with their academic advisors to determine what classes are required for completion of the second degree.

** Students who receive academic forgiveness for previous course work will continue to have all attempted credit hours and all earned grades that are included on academic record considered as part of the evaluation of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid.

Failure to Meet SAP Standards

Students who fail to meet the qualitative or quantitative standards defined above at the end of any enrollment period (including summer), will be placed on “warning” for the next semester. During this warning semester the student may continue to receive financial aid.

Students who are within 10 credit hours or less of the maximum time frame defined above will be placed on “warning” for the next semester. During this warning semester the student may continue to receive financial aid.

Failure to meet any of the above defined standards at the end of a “warning” semester will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility for future semesters.

Students will be notified by postal mail and e-mail of SAP status after grades are posted who fail to meet the qualitative or quantitative standards defined above at the end of any enrollment period (including summer), will be placed on ”warning” for the next semester. During this warning semester, the student may continue to receive financial aid.

Students who are within 10 credit hours or less of the maximum time frame defined above will be placed on “warning” for the next semester. During this warning semester the student may continue to receive financial aid.

Failure to meet any of the above defined standards at the end of a “warning” semester will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility for future semesters.

Students will be notified by postal mail and e-mail of SAP status after grades are posted. As soon as the status is updated, it can be viewed on the student’s ROAR account.

Financial Aid Appeal Process

A student may appeal the loss of financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. To appeal, the student must have experienced extenuating circumstances which have impacted academic progress. Examples of extenuating circumstances are death of immediate family member, injury or illness or other unusual circumstances evaluated by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. The appeal must include the following:

1. Why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress;
2. What has now changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress at the end of the next semester (statements of good intent are not sufficient);
3. Student’s academic plan for meeting satisfactory academic progress; and
4. Documentation to verify extenuating circumstances.

If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester and receive aid during that probation semester. At the end of the Probation Semester the student  MUST  meet the defined SAP standards or meet the academic plan that was developed for the appeal.
 

Appeals must be submitted by the Friday preceding the week before classes begin. Deadline dates for 2021-2022 are:

Any appeals submitted after the above dates will be considered late. Students who wish to enroll and submit the appeal after the deadline should make plans to pay all charges through personal means. If the appeal is subsequently reviewed and approved, any financial aid for which the student is eligible will be processed and any excess funds will be returned to the student.

Appeals will be reviewed by Financial Aid Counselors. If denied by the counselor, the student may request that the appeal be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Denial of an appeal by the Financial Aid Director for any semester is final.

Students are limited to two appeal submissions while enrolled at Pierpont.

Financial Aid eligibility can be re-established once the student meets SAP standards.  Students who continue enrollment before re-establishing eligibility are required to pay for charges through personal means.