All students receiving Federal and State student financial aid must adhere to the college's Student Financial Services Office policy on standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. The intent of this policy is to ensure 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. In all instances, financial assistance will be limited to the equivalent of two degrees (or its equivalent) or a maximum of 180 hours attempted, whichever is less.
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. This includes all academic work attempted at MTC and any transfer hours from other schools attended that are accepted toward the student's current program of study at MTC. Stale dated courses taken at MTC will be assessed for acceptance in the student's program of study.
As a recipient of Federal or State financial assistance, students have certain rights and responsibilities. Student's failure to fulfill their responsibility to make satisfactory academic progress as described may result in the cancellation of their awards, and any funds already received may have to be repaid.
The Student Financial Services office will monitor satisfactory academic progress for all students receiving Federal or State financial aid to ensure that they are making progress toward program completion. Associate degree, diploma and certificate programs will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each term enrolled. The standards defining Satisfactory Academic Progress for Midlands Technical College Students Financial Services Office are outlined below.
Fresh Start: Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial assistance recognize the college's policy for Academic Fresh Start. However, federal regulations require that all courses taken that would have applied toward the Academic Fresh Start program must be counted as hours attempted.
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 seventy (70) percent of attempted hours will be placed on warning status. Students who have not attained 70 percent satisfactory completion by the next term of enrollment following the warning period will no longer be eligible for federal or state assistance.
Developmental Studies And Remedial Coursework Standards of Progress: Financial aid recipients may take a maximum of 30 credit hours in Developmental Studies (DVS) and remedial course work. Students only enrolled in DVS classes must receive grades of A, B or C in at least half of their classes 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 in the college.
Transfer Students: All transfer students' statuses, 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 program of study. Each academic record will otherwise be reviewed at the end of each term enrolled.
When evaluating transfer students' standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, the evaluation will be conducted against hours attempted and earned through MTC. This will include the student's ability to earn at least 70 percent of MTC's hours attempted and earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. Only transfer hours that are accepted for the student's current program of study at MTC will be counted when considering 150 percent of hours required for a student's program of study.
Change of Major(s): Students who change their majors is 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 at the end of each term enrolled. If the student has changed majors prior to the end of the term, eligibility will be assessed against the new program of study. A student who changes majors after the end of the term review may be required to submit an appeal for reinstatement of eligibility for financial assistance.
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 if the attempted hours are equal to or in excess of 150 percent of the hours required for the certificate or diploma program.
Length of Eligibility
The Office of Student Financial Services monitors the satisfactory academic progress of all students receiving federal and state aid. Financial aid recipients are eligible for assistance until they have attempted up to one and a half (1.5 or 150 percent) times the number of semester hours required for the program of study currently enrolled, regardless of the number of program changes. In all instances, financial assistance will be limited to the equivalent of two degrees (or its equivalent) or a maximum of 180 hours attempted, whichever is lesser.
Academic Progress
In order to remain in good academic standing, students pursuing a degree, diploma or certificate who are enrolled in regular curriculum classes must maintain a minimum credit hour Cumulative 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. (Developmental Studies courses not counted as "earned hours" will count as hours attempted.)
Cumulative Grade Point Average
Students who fail to earn the required college GPA as specified above will be placed on probation during the next term they enroll in the college. Students in all programs of study who are placed on probation will be reviewed at the end of the probationary term. Students who fail to attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater will lose federal and state aid eligibility. Developmental coursework grades will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA requirement.
Following a review, a student who is deemed not to be making satisfactory academic progress, will be notified by letter of the resulting ineligibility for federal or state funds. The letter will include information on how to obtain a copy of this policy. Future awards will be canceled upon becoming ineligible. To receive consideration for continued eligibility for federal or state assistance, a student will need to submit an appeal to the Office of Student Financial Services.
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 re-establish eligibility for federal and state assistance. It is the student's responsibility to present evidence to the Student Financial Services Office at the time he or she has met the minimum requirements for reinstatement or is appealing.
An ineligible student may appeal by indicating in writing to the Student Financial Services Appeal Committee (a) reasons why minimum academic standards were not achieved. (b) reasons why aid eligibility should not be reinstated, and , (c) what actions have been taken or what changes have occurred to resolve the problem. Each appeal will be considered on its merit. Individual cases will not be considered as precedent. Examples of extenuating circumstances may include but are not limited to the following:
Death in the student's immediate family that has been documented.
Personal illness requiring a loss of the equivalent of more than five consecutive class days that can be supported by a letter from a physician.
Serious illness in the student's immediate family that can be supported by at least one letter of documentation from a family member's physician.
Divorce or separation in the student's immediate family that can be documented for the time frame in question.
Change in job schedule/responsibilities required by the employer and documented by the employer.
Circumstances regarding approval of Academic Fresh Start, if applicable.
The Student Financial Services Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) 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 whose eligibility 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, he or she may submit an appeal request to the Student Financial Services Office.
Appeals will be processed within seven business days of receipt.
Committee decisions on appeals are final and cannot be appealed at any other college or federal level.