The Must & may of SAP Danchees Ingram Tarrant County College

What & Why To be eligible for FSA funds, a student must make Satisfactory Academic Progress, and your school must have a reasonable policy for monitoring that progress The Department considers a satisfactory academic progress policy to be reasonable if it meets both the Qualitative and Quantitative criteria explained in this section.

SAP Must… …be published and include reasonable qualitative and quantitative standards …explain how GPA and pace of completion are affected by course incompletes, withdrawals, and repeats, as well as transfer credits …be at least as strict as your SAP policy for student not receiving FSA funds

More SAP Must… …apply to all students (different SAP policies may apply to different programs) …require evaluation at the end of each payment period for program 1 year or less; annual evaluations required for program greater than a year …must notify and describe status that affects eligibility for FSA funds …must explain how to regain eligibility

Qualitative Standard Must achieve standard at the end of each period Grade based (Most commonly GPA) Must achieve standard at the end of each period In addition, HEA requires a specific review at the end of the 2nd academic year Although he GPA is the unit of measurement, it doesn’t have to be. Example??? Escalating GPA requirement schools?

Qualitative Standard Programs greater than 2 academic years at least a “C” or its equivalent or, Must have a academic standing consistent with your school’s graduation requirements Although he GPA is the unit of measurement, it doesn’t have to be. Example??? Escalating GPA requirement schools?

Quantitative Standard Time-related May use graduated completion percentages May include but not required to include remedial courses Total cumulative hours completed

Quantitative Standard Ensure program completion within the max timeframe A Student is ineligible when it become mathematically impossible to complete the program within maximum timeframe Appealable What is your school’s minimum completion rate? Is it the same for all students?

Let’s Calculate BA requires 120 credits for graduation Maximum Time Frame = 150% X 120 = 180 credits Pace calculation : 120/180 = 67% (also 100/150 = 67%) Student earning 67% of credits attempted is on pace to complete the program within the maximum time frame. Applicable at any enrollment status

Change of Major & Transfer Credits Generally, all periods of enrollment count Even when not receiving FSA funds May exclude courses not part of new major May limit # of times student changes major Must count transfer credits for current program May count transfer grades Establish rules for those who want new degrees

Repeat, Drop, Incomplete, Remedial & ESL Courses Explain course repeats including which grade will count. Quantitative standard includes all repeated courses Policy must explain remedial, incomplete grades, and ESL course work Cannot exclude course work from the Summer term or mini-terms

When Do You Check SAP No longer than one academic year or the length of the program, whichever is less Increments generally coincide with payment periods New/conflicting information is received

Regaining SAP Eligibility Policy must explain how to regain eligibility Placing them on probation Submitting an appeal Using non-FSA until all standard are met Probation nor Appeals are required (may) Sitting out a term doesn’t regain eligibility Paying for one term doesn’t regain eligibility

Probation/Warning Status Policy explains circumstance and procedures Continue to receive FSA funding Must regain eligibility by the end of the payment period Cannot allow over two consecutive periods

Appeal Policy Appeal - A process by which a student who is not meeting SAP petitions for reconsideration. May have an appeal policy for mitigating circumstances, but not required Appeal must explain mitigating circumstances and what has changed to ensure compliance going forward. Approved appeals receive FSA funding Must regain eligibility by your policy standards

Appeal Policy (cont.) May have an appeal procedure How the student may re-establish T4 eligibility Basis for filing an appeal Petition must include why the student failed to meet SAP, what has changed that will allow the student to meet SAP at the next review.

Evaluation Frequency Ineligible at 1st violation Warning at 1st violation* FSA funds eligible Ineligible at 2nd violation FSA funds suspended If appeal process offered & approved, FSA funds are reinstated Probation: if can met SAP by the end of next period Academic plan: if more than one period is need to met SAP If no appeal process or declined, meet SAP using non-FSA funds *May be ineligible if warning not offered Ineligible at 1st violation FSA funds suspended If appeal process offered & approved, FSA funds are reinstated Probation: if can met SAP by the end of next period Academic plan: if more than one period is need to met SAP If no appeal process or declined, meet SAP using non-FSA funds Warning period not available

Academic Plan School and the student must define the steps needed to meet SAP standards by a specified time Can also take the student to successful program completion Review of progress at each SAP evaluation period Must specify timeframe by which SAP standards must be met Must appeal to change plan Must explain what happened to make the change necessary and how they will be able to make SAP

Terms Appeal – A process by which a student who is not meeting SAP petitions for reconsideration FA probation – A status assigned to a student failing SAP and successfully appeals. Eligibility may be reinstated for one payment period. FA warning – A status assigned to a student failing SAP. Eligibility may be reinstated for one payment period without an appeal. May only be used by schools that evaluate at the end of each period.

Terms (cont.) Maximum timeframe Undergraduate program (credit hours), cannot exceed 150% of published length of program Undergraduate program (clock hours), cannot exceed 150% of published length of program, measured by cumulative # of clock hours required to complete Graduate program, school defines based on the length of the program

Discussion Questions Is the school required to have an appeal process? Is an institution required to use the same SAP policy for all students? Qualitative & quantitative standards must always be applied how? What is included in the academic Plan? Can a school limit the # of Appeals? Case Studies…..

Resources: Federal Register 668.34 (c); (d); (a) (3-7), (b) Federal Student Aid Handbook www.ifap.ed.gov Volume 1- student eligibility, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), pages 1-9 through 1-13 Volume 5- Withdrawals and the Return of Title IV Funds Program Integrity Final Rules Industry Webinars

Questions?