Satisfactory Academic Progress

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.

…be published and include reasonable qualitative and quantitative standards …explain how GPA and pace of completion are effected 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

…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 an year …must notify and describe status that affects eligibility for FSA funds …must explain how to regain eligibility

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 2 nd academic year. 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 Escalating GPA ???

Time-related May use graduated completion percentages May include but not required to include remedial courses Ensure program completion within the max timeframe Student is ineligible when it become mathematically impossible to complete the program within maximum timeframe –Appealable Total cumulative hours completed Total cumulative hours attempted Total cumulative hours completed Total cumulative hours attempted

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

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

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

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

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 - 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

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.

Each Payment Period Warning at 1 st violation* –FSA funds eligible Ineligible at 2 nd 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 Annually Ineligible at 1 st 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

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 specified 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

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 then end of each period.

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

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…..Case Studies…..

R2T4 What?

Title IV funds are awarded to a student with the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded When a student ceases attendance prior to the planned ending date, the student may not be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds the student was scheduled to receive

After the student completes more than 60% of the payment period (PP) or period of enrollment (POE), the student has earned 100% of the scheduled Title IV funds Institutional or other refund policies (State, accrediting agency) do not impact the amount of Title IV aid earned under a Return to Title IV funds (R2T4) calculation Schools should use the best information available to determine the withdrawal date

If a student never commences attendance for the PP or POE, the student is not an eligible student for Title IV funds for that period Therefore, R2T4 does not apply Instead, the provisions of 34 CFR apply: All Pell, FSEOG, Federal Perkins, Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant, and TEACH funds must be returned DL funds credited to the student’s account must be returned The DL loan servicer must be notified when funds were disbursed directly to the student

An institution MUST: Determine date of student’s withdrawal Calculate percent of period completed Determine amount earned by applying percent completed to total of amounts disbursed and amounts that could have been disbursed Return unearned funds to Title IV programs, or pay student post-withdrawal disbursement Determine Title IV overpayment, if any

 Federal Register (c); (d); (a) (3-7), (b)  Federal Student Aid Handbook 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