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The New & Improved SAP Rules

The New & Improved SAP Rules. Rick Shipman Director of Financial Aid Michigan State University. October, 2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan. Satisfactory Academic Progress. Regulations/Guidance Higher Education Act (HEA) 484(a) and (c) Student Eligibility Code of Federal Regulations

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The New & Improved SAP Rules

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  1. The New & Improved SAP Rules Rick Shipman Director of Financial Aid Michigan State University October, 2011 Grand Rapids, Michigan

  2. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Regulations/Guidance • Higher Education Act (HEA) • 484(a) and (c) Student Eligibility • Code of Federal Regulations • §668.14 Program participation agreement • §668.16(e) Standards of administrative capability • §668.32(f) Student eligibility • §668.34 Satisfactory academic progress • §668.42(c) Financial assistance information • 2009-2010 Federal Student Aid Handbook • Volume 1, pages 1-10 through 1-13 • Volume 2, page 2-125 • Volume 4, page 4-20

  3. Satisfactory Academic Progress • What’s New? • Clarifies that SAP is an administrative capability requirement • Consolidates most rules under §668.34 • Lays out school policy components • Differentiates between every semester versus less frequent monitoring • Standardizes terminology • Sets broad appeal standards

  4. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Required Components • Written Policy • Repeats • Incompletes • Withdrawals • Transfers • Minimum GPA • Maximum Timeframe • Pace to Completion

  5. Satisfactory Academic Progress • One note about Graduate/Prof Students • Federal SAP rules are specific to undergrads • Schools must establish and follow reasonable graduate/professional SAP rules

  6. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Written Policy • A school must establish own policy, but it must contain the federally mandated elements • Must describe standards, monitoring processes, and steps to reestablish eligibility after failing the standards.

  7. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Written Policy • Allowing appeals is optional • Must address impact of transfer credits • Must address impact of repeats, incompletes and withdrawals • Must describe required documentation • Can have multiple policies based on specific populations

  8. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Minimum GPA • GPA standard must be consistent with the school’s graduation requirement • A single bright line standard • 2.0 for an undergraduate, for example • A graduated standard • 1.5 for a freshman, 1.8 for a sophomore, 2.0 thereafter, for example • Other • If GPA is not used, another method is required

  9. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Maximum Timeframe • Regulations allow aid eligibility for 150% of the normal time required for a degree • Example: An associate’s degree that requires 60 credits is allowed 90 credits • This is equivalent to 8 semesters of minimal full time enrollment • For graduate students, you should follow the published institutional standards

  10. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Pace to completion • Specifies the rate at which a student must complete courses to stay within the maximum time frame for the degree • Total hours completed / total hours attempted • A 67% pace for a 4 year degree permits 180 attempted & 120 completed credits • The rate calculation should use cumulative hours

  11. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Monitoring SAP Standards • No less than annually • As often as every payment period • If you monitor every payment period, you are allowed to grant a semester of aid ‘grace’ without student action • If you monitor less than every payment period, students who fail standards become immediately ineligible for aid (no ‘grace’ period)

  12. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Consistent Language • Must use specific words in SAP policies • Financial Aid Warning • Financial Aid Denial • Financial Aid Appeal • Financial Aid Probation

  13. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Consistent Language • Financial Aid Warning • Student failed SAP standards in a semester he started in good standing • He may continue to receive aid without taking action • Only for schools that monitor every term • Allowing this “Warning” semester is optional for an eligible school

  14. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Consistent Language • Financial Aid Denial • School monitors every semester: • Student failed SAP standards in a semester she started in Warning, Denial or Probation • School monitors less than every semester: • Student failed SAP standards for the monitoring period • No federal aid payments are permitted • That means no Parent PLUS • Policy should state if other aid is stopped too • School may allow an Appeal

  15. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Consistent Language • Financial Aid Appeal • A petition for waiver of Financial Aid Denial • Can be for 1 or more semesters • If granted for more than 1 semester, student adherence must be monitored each semester • Financial Aid Probation • Student in Financial Aid Denial who successfully appeals for aid reinstatement • May be granted for one or more semesters

  16. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Appeal Components • Strong evidence that student can return to good standing at end of semester of Probation or • Academic plan that moves student to good standing in a defined time frame

  17. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Appeal Components • Student statement • What went wrong that caused the failure • What has changed to prevent a recurrence • Regulations specify death of a relative, a student injury or illness as reasonable • Regulations also state “other special circumstances”

  18. Satisfactory Academic Progress • Academic Plan • Plan rules are not spelled out by regulation • Who prepares Plan is not spelled out either • Can require specific courses, grades, tutoring or other interventions • School must monitor each payment period if Plan covers more than 1 semester • Student must be given Appeal decision

  19. SAP Rules at MSU

  20. Michigan State University • MSU SAP Approach • Needed a high tech approach for quantity • Needed a high touch approach for quality

  21. Michigan State University • MSU SAP Approach • Written Policy – web • Minimum GPA – follow University standards • Maximum Timeframe – 150% • Pace – 67% • Maximum withdrawals – 3 • Repeats count against 67% & 150% but we will only go back 1 semester for aid reinstatement • Incompletes are assumed as passed but rechecked at next semester midterm • Monitor Every Semester • Allow Appeals

  22. Michigan State University • MSU SAP Approach • Include default aversion for Warnings • Requires academic and financial web counseling for aid • Combine high tech with high touch • Process performed online • Student statement • Academic plan • Review comments and decision

  23. Michigan State University • Academic Plan • Created by academic advisor • Initiated by student • Authorized by dean’s office • Recorded in online student academic folder • Plans are identical for those with and without aid

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