1. The Must & may of SAP Danchees Ingram Tarrant County College

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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?

6. 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?

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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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…..

22. Resources: Federal Register 668.34 (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

23. Questions?