Satisfactory Progress
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Students are required by federal regulation to maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive federal financial aid funds. Progress will be measured by cumulative grade point average, course completion, and time frame to complete degree or certificate program. Academic progress will be reviewed each semester. These standards will apply even if the student was not receiving aid during any enrollment period. Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress if they meet the following criteria:
1. Degree seeking: The student must be admitted and enrolled in an associate or certificate degree program.
2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA). Students must progress each term according to the following grade scale:
Hours Attempted |
Minimum GPA |
1-15 |
1.75 |
16-90 |
2.00 |
Remedial coursework will be averaged into the grade point average (GPA) even though the official college transcript will only reflect the average of college level coursework.
3. Credit hour requirement: Students must complete a required amount of credit hours each semester. Audits, Incompletes, Failing, and Withdrawals are not completed coursework. The completion of the following is required:
Number of Hours Attempted |
Must Complete |
12 or more |
9 |
9-11 |
6 |
6-8 |
6 |
Less than 6 |
3 |
Students are allowed to drop below the required hours one time only in their careers and still maintain eligibility. Subsequent drops below eligibility require the completion of a minimum of six credit hours without federal aid.
4. Maximum credit hours: Students must complete the requirements for a degree within the following timeframe:
Associate Degrees |
90 Credit Hours |
LPN Technical Certificate |
82 Credit Hours |
Technical Certificates |
150% of program hourly requirement |
| LPN to RN Associate Degree | 151 Credit Hours |
All students:
Withdrawals, Incompletes, and grades of audit are included in cumulative attempted credit hours. Maximum hours apply whether or not the student was receiving aid at the time credits were attempted. Students may receive aid for remedial courses up to a maximum of 30 attempted credit hours. Eighteen hours of remedial courses may be excluded from the maximum time frame. An additional 30 semester hours will be granted to students who have completed an associate degree and wish to pursue an additional associate degree.
Transfer students:
For financial aid purposes, attempted hours will include all credit hours transferred from other institutions and all hours attempted the last semester of enrollment at the previous college. Academic transcripts are required from all institutions previously attended.
Students who do not maintain satisfactory progress will be suspended from further aid and must complete at least six credit hours without federal aid. A transcript must be presented to the Financial Aid Office showing deficiencies have been brought up to meet satisfactory progress. Students who have extenuating circumstances (such as illness or death of a family member) may appeal their suspension to the Financial Aid Office in writing within 30 days of the time the student is notified. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will hear appeals and the student will be notified in writing of the decision of the Committee.