Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Financial Aid
All students receiving federal, state or institutional financial aid must maintain
satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible for financial aid funding. Satisfactory
academic progress is evaluated for all financial aid recipients at the end of each
quarter of enrollment. The Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy applies
to all quarters of enrollment at CBC, regardless of how tuition is paid, and is based
on two standard measures: Qualitative (grade-based) and Quantitative (time-based).
Qualitative Measures of Academic Progress: Grades/GPA
A student is maintaining “qualitative” academic progress by maintaining a Cumulative
GPA of 2.0 or higher at the end of each quarter of attendance.
Quantitative Measures of Academic Progress: Completion of Credits
A student is maintaining “quantitative” academic progress by passing all classes during
each quarter of attendance, by achieving degree completion within the maximum allowed
timeframe and by maintaining Pace of Progression.
Maximum Timeframe/Credits
To maintain federal and institutional financial aid eligibility students must earn
their degree program within 150 percent of the number of credits required for degree
completion. For example, a student must complete a 90 credit degree program within
135 attempted credits (90 X 150%).
All attempted (those passed and not passed) college level courses (100-level and above) are calculated into the 150 percent timeframe allowed for financial aid eligibility through degree completion. Transfer credits that apply toward the student’s degree/program are included in the maximum timeframe calculation as both "attempted" and "earned" credits.
- A maximum of 45 credits of remedial/preparatory coursework (often below 100-level) will be eligible for financial aid.
- A student who completes a two-year degree program within the required timeframe may receive financial aid for a second two-year degree program or a BAS degree program, but may be required to provide and follow an academic plan.
Pace of Progression
In order to achieve degree completion within the maximum timeframe, students must
maintain Pace of Progression. After a student's first quarter of enrollment at CBC,
they must pass a minimum of 50 percent of all attempted credits. Beginning with their
second quarter and subsequent quarters of enrollment, they must ensure they are passing
at least 67 percent of all attempted credits cumulatively. Cumulative attempted credits
include all college level credits, all remedial credits and all transfer credits that
apply to the student’s program of study.
- Pace of Progression = all credits "earned" with passing grades divided by all "attempted" credits (credits with passing grades plus all credits with non-passing grades).
- Passing grades = 1.0 – 4.0 and P grades.
- Non-passing grades = 0.0, I, N, W and Z grades.
Financial Aid Warning
Students who do not meet certain qualitative or quantitative standards may be placed
in a warning status for one quarter. The student continues to be eligible for financial
aid during the warning quarter but at the end of the warning quarter must be meeting
all measures of satisfactory academic progress (credit completion, cumulative GPA
and Pace of Progression). The warning status occurs after the first quarter in which:
- The student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, but is at or above 1.0.
- The student did not pass 100 percent, but did pass at least 50 percent of the credits required for their enrollment level (full-time = 6-11 credits; ¾ time = 5-8 credits, ½ time = 3-5 credits; < ½ time = 1+ credits).
- After the first quarter of enrollment at CBC, the student's Pace of Progression is less than 100 percent but is at least 50 percent.
Financial Aid Suspension
A student’s financial aid eligibility is suspended, and the student is no longer eligible
for financial aid, as a result of any of the following outcomes at the end of a quarterly
evaluation:
- While on Warning: cumulative GPA is still below 2.0.
- While on Warning: did not pass all attempted quarterly credits.
- After first quarter: Pace of Progression is below 50 percent.
- After second and subsequent quarters: Pace of Progression is below 67 percent.
- Cumulative GPA drops below 1.0.
- Student earns less than 50 percent of the credits required for their enrollment level (full-time = < 6 credits; ¾ time = < 5 credits; ½ time = < 3 credits; < ½ time = < 1 credit).
- Student cannot earn degree within 150 percent of the length of the program.
- After six, or more, quarters of attendance the student’s cumulative GPA is below 2.0.
Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility
If financial aid eligibility is suspended, a student may qualify to have their financial
aid reinstated by completing enough credits (minimum of one five credit class) without
financial aid to satisfy all satisfactory academic requirements (quarterly credit
completion, cumulative GPA and Pace of Progression). Additionally, students who seek
reinstatement this way must, at a minimum, complete and pass every class attempted
and earn at least a 2.0 quarterly GPA.
Petitions for Reinstatement of Financial Aid
If financial aid eligibility is suspended but the unsatisfactory academic progress
was the result of an unanticipated circumstance or personal emergency that prevented
the student from being academically successful, the student may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Petition to be considered for reinstatement.
- Students may petition for financial aid reinstatement a maximum of three times while working on an associate degree.
- Students enrolled in a BAS program are allowed up to an additional two petitions for reinstatement. If a student begins a BAS program having never submitted a prior petition while they were enrolled in an associate degree program, they are eligible for up to three petitions.
- If financial aid eligibility is suspended due to not being able to complete a degree within the maximum timeframe (150 percent) the student may also petition for an extension of their timeframe to finish the degree: Satisfactory Academic Progress Petition. (Students cannot petition to have more than 45 remedial/preparatory credits paid by financial aid.)
- If financial aid eligibility is suspended due to cumulative GPA being below 2.0 after six or more quarters of attendance at CBC, the student is NOT eligible to petition. Eligibility can only be reinstated once the student has completed enough credits, without financial aid, to bring the cumulative GPA up to 2.0.
Financial Aid Probation & Academic Plan
If a suspended student submits a petition for financial aid reinstatement and the
petition is approved, the student will be placed on Probation for one quarter or on
an Academic Plan for multiple quarters. If the student will be able to meet all standards
of academic progress by the end of the next quarter of attendance, the Probation will
last for one quarter. If the student will not be able to meet all standards of academic
progress by the end of the next quarter of attendance, the student will be on an Academic
Plan for the number of quarters required to be able to meet all standards. The student’s
academic progress will be evaluated at the end of each quarter while on Probation
or Academic Plan.
Important Additional Information
The following information is essential for all financial aid recipients to read and
understand:
- Changing Enrollment Level: Financial aid recipients must maintain their enrollment level (Full-time (12+ credits),
¾ time (9-11 credits), ½ time (6-8 credits) or < ½ time (1-5 credits)) as of the tenth
instructional day for Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters and the eighth instructional
day for Summer Quarter.
- Dropping classes/credits before these dates may result in the student owing a repayment of financial aid because their awards must be prorated/reduced to match their new enrollment level.
- Dropping classes/credits after these dates will be subject to the satisfactory academic progress measures described above.
- Dropping/withdrawing from all classes/credits may result in the student owing all or a part of the financial aid they were awarded that quarter. For more information please refer to the CBC’s Withdrawal Policy and Return of Funds Policy.
- Dropping/Withdrawing from a class(es): Students should contact CBC Financial Aid prior to dropping or withdrawing from classes to receive guidance about how such action will affect their financial aid eligibility.
- Grade Changes: If the grade for a class(es) is changed and the result increases the number of credits earned and/or the GPA, the student should contact CBC Financial Aid to see if it affects their satisfactory academic progress.
- Repeating a Class(es): Financial aid funding may be awarded for only one repeat of a previously passed course or until a previously failed course is passed. All repeated courses, however, will be counted toward attempted credits and may result in failure to meet the Pace of Progression requirements. The highest grade earned will be used in the cumulative GPA calculation.
- Academic/Grade Forgiveness: Student financial aid regulations do not accept academic forgiveness/amnesty even though CBC has such a policy.
- Policy Changes: Financial aid programs, policies and procedures are subject to change in order to comply with federal and state legislation and required regulations.
