Rules & Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

[Effective July 1, 2013]

Definitions:

Financial aid warning — A student not making satisfactory academic progress for GPA and pace (see definition below) will be placed on a financial aid warning. The student may receive aid for one term. At the end of the term, the student should be making progress or will be placed on suspension. A warning status is only allowed if SAP is calculated at the end of every payment period (term).

Financial Aid Appeal — A student placed on suspension for not making satisfactory academic progress may file an appeal to have his/her aid reinstated. The appeal must be for hardship including, death of a relative, injury or illness of the student or other special circumstances. The explanation must include information about what has changed in the student’s situation. The student must also submit an advising plan which documents how the student can achieve satisfactory progress. If an appeal is denied, a student must bring them self back into good SAP status to receive any aid. Multiple appeals could be possible if a student goes in and out of good status. If a student gets back in status while on appeal and later incurs another suspension, that suspension meets “first appeal” rules for that particular suspension.

Financial Aid Probation — If a student’s appeal is approved, he may be placed on financial aid probation and receive aid for one term. If the student is following an advisement plan and is meeting those requirements at the end of the probation term, the student is then considered in good status as long as the plan is being met.

Maximum Timeframe — Undergraduates must not receive aid for more than 150 percent of the length of the program including transfer hours accepted by the college and developmental hours. The 150 percent is for the current program. Course by course review may be needed for those students enrolled in multiple programs at the college.

Pace — The rate at which a student is progressing toward program completion. # of hours completed/# of hours attempted. Ex: Minimum pace each term to achieve the program within maximum time frame is 67 percent. Lee College pace requirements will be 67 percent over all.

Grades of F, I, SP and W would be considered attempted but not completed.

Transfer hours would be considered attempted and completed

Developmental hours graded other than and F, I, SP or W would be considered completed and attempted.

SAP should have a quantitative factor such as pace and a qualitative factor such as GPA. The Department of Education requires a student maintain a C average or better at the end of two years of education.

Quantitative — Students will be required to complete 67 percent of the total hours attempted including developmental.

Qualitative — Students will be required to maintain a 2.0 Cumulative GPA by the time 24 semester hours have been attempted. A sliding GPA scale will be in effect until that point as listed below.

Evaluation of Pace and GPA:

1. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated for students at the end of each term and therefore making the student eligible or a warning period for those enrolled in certificate programs of less than 24 semester credit hours.
2. All other students will be evaluated at the end of each spring semester. These students will not be eligible for a financial aid warning period. If they fail to make satisfactory progress, they will not be eligible for financial aid unless either:
   1. An appeal is approved.
   2. The student enrolls without federal or state aid and regains Satisfactory Academic Progress status.
3. Students who meet the pace, GPA, and maximum time frame requirements will continue to be eligible to receive aid if they are awarded.
4. Students who may be evaluated each term (item 1) and do not meet either the pace or GPA requirements will be placed on financial aid warning for one term and still eligible to receive aid. If they do not meet the pace and GPA requirements at the end of that term, they will be ineligible for aid until either an appeal is approved or the student completes the coursework necessary to bring them back to 67 percent hours completed and the appropriate GPA.
5. Continuing students who will be evaluated annually (item 2) who do not meet either the pace or GPA requirements would be ineligible to receive further financial aid until either an appeal is approved or the student completes the coursework necessary to bring them back to 67 percent hours completed and the appropriate GPA.
6. If an appeal is approved, the student will be on probation for one term or in appeal status for the length of the academic plan submitted with the appeal. If they do not meet the terms of their appeal at the end of that probation term or academic plan, they will be ineligible for aid until they complete the coursework necessary to bring them back to 67 percent hours completed and the appropriate GPA. Students with 12 semester credit hours or less may be eligible for limited opportunities to appeal again.

Evaluation of Maximum Time Frame:

The Department of Education regulations indicate that students may only receive aid for 150 percent of their current program. For courses in credit hours, that is defined as 1.5 percent the number of credits listed in the catalog for the program. For clock hour program it is defined as 150 percent of the weeks to complete the program. For example, if it takes 48 weeks to complete 1,500 hours. You must complete the 1,500 hours in 72 weeks. Students who do not meet this requirement are no longer eligible for aid. Hours counted include all courses attempted including repeated courses, developmental courses, and transfer hours accepted by the college. There are limited opportunities to appeal. Students who file an appeal MUST be able to graduate within the length of the academic plan submitted with the appeal. Students who do not graduate may be able to appeal again for extreme extenuating circumstances if they have 12 semester credit hours or less to complete in the degree plan.

Lee College will count all attempted hours for any program toward the current major for maximum time frame purposes. You may appeal to request that hours in completed programs (degree or certificate) that are not common to both the completed program and the current program be excluded from maximum time frame calculations.

Students will be limited to receiving financial aid for two associate degrees or two certificates that are unrelated under the maximum time frame calculation.

Appeals Process:

A student placed on suspension may file an appeal using the online appeal form at this page. Third party evidence MUST be supplied with the appeal. Appeals may be considered for the following reasons:

GPA/PACE

• Illness or injury to you or an immediate family member
• Death of a relative
• Job schedule issues
• Child care issues
• Transportation Issues
• Natural Disasters
• Legal Issues
• Other

Maximum Time Frame

• Need for additional developmental courses
• New program due to re-training after receiving a degree or certificate
• All hours attempted (including transfer hours) do not apply to the current program

The appeal must provide some information about what has changed in the student’s situation. An advising plan must be submitted with the appeal. To get an Advising Plan, you MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT with the Counseling Center. You must also complete and bring required documents with you to your meeting with the counselor. Further instructions will be available in our office and on the forms page. This advising plan MUST show how a student can progress in his degree plan within one calendar year. The financial aid office will determine whether you can regain either a 2.0 GPA, 67 percent pace or graduate with in this academic plan. If you cannot achieve satisfactory status using this plan, your appeal will be denied.

If an appeal is denied, the student MUST return to satisfactory status before aid can be reinstated. Two appeals per program are allowed.

If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation and eligible to receive aid for one term or in appeal status and able to receive aid for the length of the academic plan. The appeal status will begin in the next semester following submitting the appeal, although some students based on their GPA and pace may be asked to self pay for a semester before an appeal goes into effect. You should be prepared to attend and pay for at least 6 credit hours before receiving aid. At the end of that term or academic plan the student MUST be making satisfactory status or meeting all requirements of the advising plan to continue receiving aid. If a student does not meet the requirements, the student will be ineligible to receive aid until they return to status except in limited cases for students with 12 credit hours or less to complete.

Requirements while on Probation or Warning:

The counselor or advisor may require other items such as workshops, meetings with the advisor or counselor and tutoring. Proof that you have met these requirements listed in your advising plan must be submitted at the end of the appropriate term.