Student Services and Activities
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
I. Introduction
All students receiving federal student financial aid must adhere to the college's Financial Aid Office policy on satisfactory progress. The intent of this policy is to insure that students who are receiving federal and state financial aid are making measurable progress toward completion of a degree or certificate program in a reasonable period of time. Federal and state regulations prohibit the awarding of financial assistance beyond 150 percent of the published program length.
II. Scope
This policy applies to those students applying for or receiving federal and state funds. To reasonably measure a student's satisfactory academic progress toward completion of his/her degree, certificate or diploma, the student's total academic record will be evaluated.
As a recipient of federal or state financial aid, you have certain rights and responsibilities. Failure to fulfill your part of the agreement, as described, may result in the cancellation of your award and you may have to repay any funds already received.
III. Monitoring Procedures
The Financial Aid office will monitor satisfactory academic progress for all students receiving or applying for federal or state financial aid to ensure that they are making progress toward program completion. All programs will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each term enrolled. Students pursuing an associate degree will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each term enrolled or in accordance with a student's reinstatement stipulation(s). The standards defining satisfactory progress for Midlands Technical College students are outlined below.
Fresh Start: The Federal Government requires the Financial Aid Office to track students' academic progress from the first date of enrollment, whether or not financial aid was received.
Students approved for the Fresh Start Program should be aware that financial aid requirements regarding prior attendance and cumulative eligibility must be considered from the first date of enrollment. Federal and state regulations prohibit the awarding of financial assistance beyond 150 percent of the published program length.
Course Withdrawals, Incompletes, Repetitions, Remedial or Noncredit Remedials: Students who receive federal or state financial aid must be aware that repeated courses, noncredit remedial courses and grades of W, WF, I and NC will be considered in assessing progress toward completion. Students who do not satisfactorily complete at least 70 percent of attempted hours will no longer be eligible for federal or state assistance.
Developmental Studies Standards of Progress: Financial aid recipients may take a maximum of 24 credit hours in Developmental Studies course work. Students enrolled in Developmental Studies (DVS) classes must receive grades of A, B or C to remain in good standing. DVS students who do not meet this requirement will be placed on probation during the next term in which they enroll.
Transfer Students: All transfer students, except those on suspension from a previous institution, will be considered to be making satisfactory progress based on the number of credit hours accepted toward their current program of study. A student's academic record will otherwise be reviewed at the end of the required period of enrollment (i.e., at the end of the enrolled term for diploma and certificate programs or at the end of the spring semester for associate degree programs). Transfer students not making satisfactory progress at a previous institution, as noted on the financial aid transcript, must appeal prior to being considered for federal or state assistance.
Change of Major(s): Students who change their major are still responsible for maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the procedure as outlined. A review of satisfactory academic progress will be based on the student's current program of study. A student changing from an associate program into a diploma or certificate program of study may lose federal and state eligibility immediately upon making the change (because diploma and certificate programs of study are reviewed at the end of each semester and associate programs are reviewed at the end of each spring semester).
IV. Standards
Length of Eligibility
The Office of Student Financial Aid monitors the satisfactory academic progress of all students receiving federal and state aid. Financial aid recipients may be eligible for assistance until they have attempted up to 150 percent of the semester hours required for the program of study currently enrolled, regardless of the number of program changes. Effective with award year 1997-98, students pursuing a second degree are required to submit an official program assessment (current program of study) along with an appeal request form. In general, students seeking to obtain a second degree may be eligible to complete the second program of study up to 150 percent of the first program of study (based on a program assessment). This consideration will not occur, however, until the college has awarded first diploma, certificate or degree. The maximum time frame will be based on the number of hours transferred from the first program of study and any other documented transfer hours that are counted toward the second program of study. In order to fairly assess the student's academic standing, the student will be required to have his advisor conduct a program assessment. The student will need to provide the financial aid appeal committee with a copy of this assessment.
Please note that a first degree may be earned before a recipient has attempted the maximum of 150 percent of the semester hours required for the program originally enrolled. Recipients who earn degrees with less than 150 percent of the semester hours required for the program will not be allowed to use the remaining hours toward a second degree. Federal financial assistance will be limited to the equivalent of two degrees or a maximum of 180 attempted hours, whichever is lesser.
Academic Progress
In order to remain in good standing, students pursuing a degree, diploma or certificate who are enrolled in regular curriculum classes must maintain a minimum credit hour grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. Students are also required to have earned at least 70 percent of credit hours attempted to have continued federal and state eligibility for financial assistance. (Up to 24 hours of Developmental Studies courses not counted as "earned hours" will be taken into consideration.)
Cumulative Grade Point Average
Students who fail to earn the required GPA as specified above will be placed on probation during the next term in which they enroll at the college. Students in all programs of study who are placed on probation will be reviewed at the end of the probationary term enrolled. Students who fail to obtain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater will lose federal and state aid eligibility and will be required to submit an "appeal request form" to the director of financial aid.
V. Declaration of Ineligibility Procedure
Following a review, if a student is deemed not to be making satisfactory academic progress, a letter will be sent notifying the student of their ineligibility for federal or state funds along with a copy of the guidelines. Awards may be canceled upon becoming ineligible. To receive federal or state assistance, a student will need to submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office by filing a Satisfactory Progress Appeal form.
VI. Re-Establishing Eligibility for Financial Aid
A student will be reinstated for financial aid eligibility at such time as he or she has successfully completed sufficient hours (70 percent of attempted hours) and has a sufficient grade point average (2.0) to meet the minimum requirements for eligibility as set forth in this policy. If a student is suspended from school or financial aid eligibility, the student must appeal in order to reestablish eligibility for federal student aid. It is the student's responsibility to present relevant evidence to the Financial Aid Office once he or she has met the minimum requirements for reinstatement or is appealing.
VII. Appeal of Financial Aid Ineligibility
An ineligible student may appeal by indicating in writing to the Financial Aid Office (a) reasons why he or she did not achieve minimum academic standards, and (b) reasons why his or her aid eligibility should not be terminated, but reinstated. Each appeal will be considered on its merit. Individual cases will not be considered as precedent. Acceptable reasons are: personal illness, death or serious illness of an immediate family member, employment changes, divorce or separation in the student's immediate family. Appeals must be submitted by the published deadlines for timely review.
The Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress committee will review the appeal and determine whether the financial aid probation or suspension action is justified. The student will be advised in writing of the committee's decision.
Any student who is reinstated with "stipulation" is required to meet all reinstatement stipulations in order to have continued eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Should the student fail to meet these stipulations, the student may submit an appeal request to the Financial Aid Office.