Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
There are two different policies regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), one for academics (ACA) and one for financial aid (FA). Please read the details below and note that although the requirements for successful completion are the same for both policies, the consequences are different.
Successful Completion, SAP Progress, and Requirements (for both policies)
All students begin in Good Standing. There are two requirements to maintain successful completion:
1. Grade Point Average: Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
2. Maintain Successful Cumulative Pace: Successful completion of 66.67% of attempted credits, calculated by dividing the number of successfully earned credits by the number of attempted credits. Grades of A, B, C, D and P are successful. Grades of F, W, I and NP are unsuccessful.
Financial Aid SAP
Federal regulations require students receiving financial aid to maintain SAP and be working toward a financial aid eligible program. All terms of attendance, including those in which financial aid was not received, are considered when determining a student’s satisfactory academic progress.
Standings and result of each term's completion and progress for financial aid
| Current Standing | Result | New Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Good | Both requirements met | Good |
| Good | 1 requirement met | Warning |
| Good | 0 requirements met | Suspension |
| Warning | Both requirements met | Good |
| Warning | Does not meet both requirements | Suspension |
| Suspension (NO financial aid will be disbursed) → Appeal | Appeal granted | Probation |
| Suspension (NO financial aid will be disbursed) → Appeal | Appeal denied | Suspension - no further aid awarded |
| Probation | Both requirements met | Good |
| Probation | Does not meet both requirements | Suspension - see "Regaining Eligibility" |
| Academic Plan | Meets ALL academic plan requirements | Good |
| Academic Plan | Does not meet academic plan requirements | No further aid awarded |
Determination of financial aid SAP Standing
SAP will be determined when a student first enrolls at CGCC and at the end of each term based on cumulative grade point average and pace of progression as defined above. If cumulative credit completion drops below 66.67%, the student may not be able to complete a program within the maximum timeframe. This may impact future financial aid funding. Pace of progression can be affected by course incompletes, withdrawals, repeated courses and transfer credits from other schools (counted toward both attempted and completed hours). Note: Zero successful credits completed in a term will automatically cause SAP Suspension.
Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility After Suspension
To resolve a suspension, a student must submit an Appeal. Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal forms are available at www.cgcc.edu/sap. Appeal forms require all of the following:
- A statement about what happened that caused the student to be unsuccessful
- A statement about what the student has changed so that they will be successful in the future
- Supporting documentation (if applicable) that supports the student’s explanation
Examples of circumstances that may be approved (with adequate documentation if applicable):
- Major illness or injury of the student (we may request doctor’s release to return to school)
- Death in the immediate family that required extensive absence
- Other personal or family emergencies that prevented the completion of coursework
After an appeal is approved, the student will be moved from Suspension to Probation. After completing one term successfully, the student is reinstated to Good Standing.
If the student fails to successfully meet all required conditions to be successful, they will be Suspended and ineligible to receive aid until they have completed an Academic Plan.
An Academic Plan is a contract between the student and the school. The student must follow all stipulations in the Academic Plan, and may be required to fulfill specific terms and conditions such as meeting with an Academic Advisor to revise their educational plan, taking a reduced course load, enrolling in specific courses or other requirements. The student must complete all requirements of the Academic Plan each term until they meet both eligibility requirements (66.67% pace AND 2.0 cumulative GPA) to be reinstated to Good Standing.
Maximum Timeframe for Financial Aid
All students must be able to complete their program within the Maximum Timeframe with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Per federal regulations, the maximum number of credits a student attempts cannot exceed 150% of the credits required to complete their program. Some programs may be more limited. A student who is concerned that they may be close to meeting or exceeding their maximum allowed timeframe for completion should meet with a financial aid associate for clarification.
Maximum Timeframe and Probation/Academic Plan for Financial Aid
If while on Academic Plan, the student successfully completes ALL attempted credits, but has a cumulative GPA that remains less than a 2.0 or Credit Completion Rate <66.67%, CGCC reserves the right to keep the student on Academic Plan for another term.
If the student’s appeal is denied, CGCC will inform the student of the number of credits or minimum GPA they must successfully complete on their own for financial aid to be reinstated. These courses must be completed without financial aid and apply toward the student’s program.
Additional Financial Aid SAP Definitions and Information
Repeated Courses and Financial Aid
Financial aid can pay for a repeated course as long as it is not a result of more than one repetition of a previously passed course and is required by the student’s degree/certificate program. Repeated courses count toward the maximum timeframe.
Transfer Credits and Financial Aid
Credits taken at another institution that are officially accepted toward the student’s degree will count toward the maximum timeframe.
Consortium Agreements and Financial Aid
Students enrolled in more than one institution under consortium agreements are subject to the home institution’s SAP policy. When CGCC is the home institution, credits earned at the host institution will be included in calculation of SAP standing and toward the maximum timeframe.
Financial Aid SAP Appeal Form
Print and fill out the appeal form. Return the completed form to financialaid@cgcc.edu or to Student Services front desk.
For more information or clarification, please contact Student Services at studentservices@cgcc.edu or (541) 506-6011, option 2.
Academic SAP
Standings and results of each term's completion and progress for Academic SAP
| Current Standing | Result | New Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Good | Both requirements met | Good |
| Good | Both requirements NOT met | Warning |
| Warning | Both requirements met | Good |
| Warning | Both requirements NOT met | Probation* |
| Probation |
All requirements met* |
Warning |
| Probation | Both requirements NOT met | Suspension** |
| Suspension | All requirements met** | See "Returning from Suspension" below |
* See probation requirements below ** See suspension requirements below
Levels of Academic Standing
There are three levels: “Good Standing,” “Academic Warning,” and “Academic Probation.”
Good Academic Standing
To be considered to be in good academic standing, a student must:
- Earn a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher each term, and
- Successfully complete 2/3 (66.67%) of completed credits each term.
Academic Warning
When a certificate or degree seeking student falls below one or more of the requirements for “good standing” for one term, the student is placed on academic warning. At this stage, the student will be sent a letter that strongly encourages her/him to:
- Meet with an academic advisor in order to better plan term goals and course schedule
- Connect with appropriate campus resources
- There is no action required for the student at this time
Academic Probation
When a certificate or degree-seeking student fails to make Satisfactory Academic Progress for two consecutive terms, the student is placed on academic probation and a hold will be placed on the student’s ability to register. The student is sent a letter that outlines the following requirements that must be met in order for the registration hold to be lifted. The student must:
- Meet with an academic advisor by the first Thursday of the term
- Develop a collaborative success plan for the upcoming term
- During this meeting the student’s ability to register is reestablished. However, in order for the student to be given approval to register for the following term the student must:
- Schedule and attend a mid-term advising appointment
- Submit a mid-term progress report form including each credit class the student is enrolled in
- Per the mid-term progress report(s), demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress
- If the student is found to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress, the hold on the student’s ability to register for the following term will be lifted.
Academic Suspension
When a certificate or degree-seeking student fails to make Satisfactory Academic Progress for three consecutive terms, the student will be notified of suspension from the institution for one term. Ability to register will be revoked for all credit classes for that term.
A notation of suspension will be placed on the student’s transcript. After one term passes, the student may re-enroll and start an academic record in good standing, as if no academic warnings existed. The notation of suspension on the student’s transcript, however, will remain the same.
Returning from Academic Suspension
Prior to returning to CGCC after a term of suspension, students are required to:
- Meet with an academic advisor
- Create an academic plan that includes appropriate student success strategies