Satisfactory Academic Progress

1. Satisfactory Academic Progress FASFAA Region V Spring Workshop April 1, 2011 Nova Southeastern University Presented by Anh Do, St. Thomas University

2. Current Regulations

3. Student Eligibility • Maintains satisfactory academic progress in his/her course of study according to the schools published standards • § 668.32(f) • § 668.34

4. Administrative Capability • Establishes, publishes and applies reasonable standards for measuring if a student is maintaining satisfactory progress in his/her educational program • § 668.16(e)

5. Consumer Information • Publish and make readily available to current and prospective students • Standards for making satisfactory progress • Criteria for reestablishing eligibility if they failed SAP • § 668.42(c)(2)

6. SAP Standards • Apply to all Title IV programs • Consistently Applied • Reasonable

7. SAP Standards • Must be the same as or stricter than standards for non-title IV students in the same educational program • Are you using your school’s academic standards or standards specifically for Title IV?

8. SAP Standards must include • Two Components • Qualitative • Quantitative • Both must be cumulative

9. Qualitative • To assess quality of academic work • Use standards measurable against a norm • Grades • Work projects • May use fixed or graduated standard

10. Example of Fixed Standard • A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0 after two terms of enrollment, and subsequently, each year after

11. Example of Graduated Standard • Grade Point Average Requirements • 1 to 30 credits – must have a 1.60 or higher • 31 to 60 credits – must have a 1.80 or higher • 61 to graduations – must have a 2.00 or higher

12. Academic programs longer than 2 years • By the end of the second academic year, student must have: • A “C” average or its equivalent, or • Academic standing consistent with graduation requirements • Years are measured in time, not grade level

13. Mitigating Circumstances regarding “C” average after two years • These standards may be set aside if certain circumstances affect progress • Death of a relative • Injury or illness of student • Other special circumstances

14. Quantitative • To measure progress toward course completion

15. Maximum Timeframe • Undergraduates may receive aid for a maximum of 150% of the published length of the educational program • Cumulative, including periods without Title IV assistance

16. Maximum Time Frame • School must develop a written policy establishing a maximum time frame in which a graduate student must complete the program

17. Credit Hour schools • May define maximum time frame in • Academic Years • Credit Hours Attempted • Terms

18. Academic Years • Degree program takes 4 years to complete • 4 x 150% = 6 years is the maximum time frame • 4 x 125% = 5 years is the maximum time frame

19. Credit Hours Attempted • Degree program requires 120 credits for completion • 120 x 150% = 180 attempted credits is the maximum time frame • Degree program requires 60 credits for completion • 60 x 150% = 90 attempted credits is the maximum time frame

20. Terms • Degree program takes 6 terms to complete • 6 x 150% = 9 terms is maximum time frame

21. Clock hour maximum time frame • Must use calendar time • 900 clock hour program takes 8 months to complete • 8 x 150% = 12 months is maximum time frame

22. Evaluating Student Progress • Program 1 year or less • Must evaluate progress at least once at the half way point • Clock hour programs • Must evaluate at least once at the half way point by calendar time (8 month program = 4 month evaluation periods) • Programs longer than 1 year • Must evaluate at least once per year • Credit hour Term Degree Program • Must evaluate at least once per year • May evaluate progress at the end of each term

23. Student Must Complete Within maximum time frame • Your policy may require • A fixed amount of work that must be successfully completed in each evaluation period • A percentage of work that must be successfully completed in each evaluation period

24. Course Repeats • Effect on progress • Qualitative – average grades, count both grades, or count the higher grade • Quantitative – included in maximum time frame as attempted hours • May only count toward enrollment status if receiving credit

25. Change Majors & Additional Degrees • Generally all periods of the student’s enrollment count when judging SAP, even periods in which the student did not receive FSA funds. • However, your policy may permit that for students who change majors, credits attempted and grades earned that do not count toward the new major will not be included in the SAP determination. You may limit how many times a student can change majors and “reset” SAP. • You must also establish rules for students who seek to earn additional degrees.

26. Other • Appeal Policy • Specify procedures for student to appeal if not making SAP • How to Re-establish Eligibility • If an appeal is unsuccessful or the school does not have an appeal process • Disbursement of Funds • Make sure the student meets SAP standards as of the last time your policy required evaluation

27. Transfer Students • You must at least count those transfer credits that apply toward the current program, though you may count all credits from the previous school. You may count transferred grades or not, depending on your policy.

28. New SAP RegulationsFinal Regulations 668.16, 668.34Effective July 1, 2011

29. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Consolidates SAP regulations • Describes all of the required elements of a SAP policy • Retain institutional flexibility to set policy • Such as evaluating categories for students differently • Additional flexibility allowed for institutions that monitor SAP more frequently than annual requirement

30. SAP Policy • Policy must include the following: • Pace of progression required to insure student completes within maximum time frame • Measurement of student’s progress at each evaluation • Calculate the pace at which the student is progressing by – • Dividing the cumulative number of hours the student has successfully completed by • The cumulative number of hours the student has attempted • Not required to include remedial courses

31. SAP Policy …continued • Policy must include the following: • Describes how student’s GPA and pace of completion affected by incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions or transfer of credits • Transfer credits accepted toward completion of student’s program must count as both hours attempted and hours completed • Student’s SAP evaluations, whether each payment period, annually or less often than each payment period, must occur at the end of a payment period

32. Monitoring Sap Each Payment Period • In general, a student who is not making SAP is no longer eligible for Title IV aid • For an institution that chooses to evaluate SAP at the end of each payment period, a “financial aid warning” status may be used • Student may continue to receive Title IV aid for one payment period • No appeal necessary

33. Monitoring Sap Annually or Less Often Than Each Payment Period • Student will lose eligibility for Title IV aid if not meeting SAP (no “financial aid warning” period) • May appeal and be placed on “financial aid probation”

34. Monitoring Sap • If on “Financial Aid Warning” • After 1 payment period, student must make SAP; or • May be placed on “probation” after successful appeal • To be placed on “Probation” • Student is expected to make SAP in the next payment period; or • Be successfully following an academic plan designed to ensure student will be able to meet SAP by a specific point in time • Not required to develop academic plans • Can set conditions on developing plans

35. Monitoring SAP … continued • A student on “Probation” may only receive Title IV funds for ONE payment period • A student on “Probation” may not receive Title IV funds for the subsequent payment period unless: • Student is now making SAP; or • Institution determines student met requirements specified by the school academic plan • A student reinstated to eligibility under an academic plan and making progress under the plan is considered to be eligible • May be evaluated at the same time as other Title IV recipients or at more frequent periods based on plan

36. SAP Policy - Appeal • Appeals • Process by which student who is not meeting school’s SAP policy petitions for reconsideration of eligibility for Title IV aid • Policy must specify the conditions under which a student may appeal • Appeal must include: • Why the student failed to make SAP; and • What has changed that will allow the student to make SAP at the next evaluation • Federal Register reminds schools that 150% maximum time frame can be appealed

37. SAP – Appeal Notification • Notification to students • Must notify student of results of SAP review that impacts student’s eligibility for Title IV aid • If institution has an appeal process, must describe the specific elements required to appeal SAP • May specify how often and how many appeals are allowed • If institution does not have an appeal process, must describe how a student who has failed SAP can reestablish eligibility for Title IV aid

38. SAP Implementation • 2011 Summer crossover payment period • School may choose to use current SAP policy or any new SAP policy based on new regulations • Must publicize any changes to students and state when any new SAP policy is effective