Students who fail to meet the academic progress standards will have their financial aid eligibility terminated. An appeal based on mitigating circumstances may be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Evaluation of one or more of the following conditions may result in reinstatement of financial aid:
- Exceptional medical or personal circumstances
- Personal injury or illness of the student
- Family difficulties, such as divorce or family illness
- Death of a relative
- Other unusual circumstances
Appeal Process
- Students must submit an ‘Appeal Form to Reinstate Financial Assistance’ available in the Financial Aid Office.
- An appeal will be reviewed by the SAP Appeals Committee which is comprised of multidisciplinary members of the staff and faculty.
- Appeals must be submitted within the established deadlines. Appeal requests submitted after the deadline will not be accepted if the SAP Appeals Committee has met for the final time prior to the start of classes.
- Appeals are granted for one semester contingent upon an ‘academic plan’ outlining the academic requirements which must be fulfilled by the student. If the appeal is accepted, the student will be placed on ‘financial aid probation’. An ‘academic plan’ must ensure the student will meet the standards by a specific time and may cover up to four payment periods .
- Reinstatement of aid for the following semester will be considered by the SAP Appeals Committee after a review of the student’s academic progress and/or successful completion of the ‘academic plan’.
- All decisions made by the SAP Appeals Committee are final.
Financial Aid Probation
A student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress whose appeal is approved by the appeals committee will be placed on ‘financial aid probation’. Eligibility for financial aid may be reinstated for one payment period. Financial aid probation may be granted if the Appeals Committee determines a student should be able to meet the standards after the subsequent payment period and/or will be able to complete an ‘academic plan’.
Academic Plan
Students who fail the satisfactory progress check at the end of the academic year may only receive aid for the following semester if they successfully appeal. An ‘academic plan’ outlining the academic requirements, which must be fulfilled by the student, will be provided. A requirement of the plan will include regular scheduled meetings with an academic success coach/advisor. Reinstatement of aid will be contingent upon successful completion of this plan. An ‘academic plan’ must ensure the student will meet the standards by a specific time.
Reestablishing Financial Aid Eligibility
Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress can restore their eligibility for aid by taking action that brings them into compliance with the SAP Policy. A student granted an appeal based on an ‘academic plan’ is placed on ‘financial aid probation’ will only regain eligibility for one semester. At the end of their financial aid probation, academic progress and aid eligibility will be determined.
NOTE: Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) policies are subject to revisions and updates as mandated by federal regulations.