Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal financial aid make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with the standards set by Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) and the federal government. These limitations include all terms of enrollment and whether or not aid was awarded or received. At VPCC, SAP standards also apply to non-federal aid, including state funds, institutional funds, and scholarship funds. Progress is measured throughout the academic program by the student's cumulative grade point average (Qualitative) and by credits earned as a percentage of those attempted (Quantitative or Pace of Completion). In addition, students must complete their programs of study before attempting 150% of the credits required to complete the program. Financial Aid and Military & Veteran Services will evaluate Satisfactory Academic Progress before aid is awarded and after grades are posted for every term, starting with their first term of enrollment.
Some career studies certificate programs (i.e., shorter than 16 credits in total length) are ineligible for student financial aid, but those credits will be counted toward all SAP requirements (GPA, Completion Rate, Maximum Timeframe, and Developmental Course Maximum) if the student later enrolls in an eligible program.
Student Financial Aid Status
A. Financial Aid Good Standing (GS) - Students who are meeting all aspects of the satisfactory academic progress policy and successfully following a designated academic progress plan.
B. Financial Aid Warning Status (WS) - Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress for the first time (excluding students who have already attempted 150% of the credits required for their programs of study) will be automatically placed in a Warning Status for one (1) term and are expected to meet SAP requirements by the end of that term. Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of the warning status term will be placed on financial aid suspension. However, with a successful SAP Appeal, those students will be placed on financial aid probation and will retain financial aid eligibility (with specific requirements).
C. Financial Aid Probation Status (PS) - Students who have successfully appealed financial aid suspension are placed in Probation Status (PS). Students in Probation Status (PS) are eligible to receive financial aid for one (1) semester, after which they MUST be in Good Standing (GS) and meet the requirements of an academic progress plan that was pre-approved by Financial Aid and Military & Veteran Services. (See "IV. Appeals" for additional information.)
D. Financial Aid Suspension Status (SS) - Students who do not meet the credit progression schedule and/or the cumulative grade point average standard or who fail to meet the requirements of their pre-approved academic progress plan will be placed in Suspension Status (SS). Students in Suspension Status (SS) are not eligible to receive financial aid.
E. Academic Suspension (AS) - Academic requirements for avoiding warning status and staying in school differ from financial aid requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Academic status will be noted on registration records; financial aid status will be noted on financial aid pages in SIS. Any student suspended from VPCC for academic or behavioral reasons is automatically ineligible for financial aid.
Evaluating Progress
A. Quantitative Standards or Pace of Completion
Completion Rate (67% Rule): Students must, at a minimum, receive satisfactory grades in 67% of cumulative credits attempted. This calculation is performed by dividing the cumulative total number of successfully completed credits by the cumulative total number of credits attempted. All credits attempted at VPCC (except audits, which must be entered as such by the class census date) are included in the calculation. All credits accepted in the transfer count as both attempted and successfully completed credits. This evaluation will be made prior to aid being awarded and after grades are posted at the end of each semester that a student is enrolled at VPCC. Credits with satisfactory grades at VPCC are those for which a grade of A, B, C, D, S, or P is earned. Note: Federal student loan borrowers must meet satisfactory academic progress requirements at the point of loan certification and again prior to the disbursement of any loan proceeds.
Example of 67% Completion Chart for Successful Progression toward a Degree or Eligible Certificate:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Earned Hours Needed |
|---|---|
| 20, 21, or 22 | 15 |
| 20 | 14 |
| 18 or 19 | 13 |
| 17 | 12 |
| 15 or 16 | 11 |
| 14 | 10 |
| 13 | 9 |
| 11 or 12 | 8 |
| 9 or 10 | 7 |
| 8 | 6 |
| 6 or 7 | 5 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 3 or 4 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 |
Maximum Hours (150% Rule): In order to continue receiving financial aid, a student must complete his/her program of study before attempting 150% of the credits required for that degree or certificate program. Developmental and English as a Second Language (ESL) coursework are excluded from this calculation. Attempted credits from all enrollment periods at VPCC, plus all accepted transfer credits, are counted; whether or not the student received financial aid for those terms is of no consequence. Students failing to meet SAP due to reaching the maximum credit hours (150%) must appeal for an extension of aid and provide an academic plan for the remaining courses required to complete the additional degree program. If the program is not completed within an approved timeframe (approved by the Financial Aid Office), the student will lose financial aid eligibility and may not be granted future appeals.
Transfer Students: Credits officially accepted in transfer will be counted in determining the maximum number of allowable semester credit hours for financial aid eligibility. Financial Aid Services has the option on an individual student basis to put a transfer student in Financial Aid Warning Status immediately upon evaluation for financial aid if academic history at previous colleges indicates a pattern of unsuccessful academic work.
Second Degree Students: Credits earned from a first degree or certificate must be counted if the student changes programs or attempts a second degree or certificate. Depending on the circumstances, an appeal might be warranted.
ESL and Developmental Studies: Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester hours of Developmental Studies courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and SAP requirements continue to be met. ESL credits are unlimited in number as long as they are taken as part of an eligible program and SAP requirements continue to be met.
Additional Considerations for Quantitative or Pace of Completion Standards
- Withdrawals (W grade) recorded on the student's permanent academic transcript will be included as credits attempted and will adversely affect the student's ability to meet the completion rate requirements for financial aid.
- Incomplete Grades (I grade): Courses assigned an incomplete grade are included in cumulative credits attempted. Until a successful grade is assigned, these cannot be used as credits earned in the progress standard.
Repeated courses enable the student to achieve a higher cumulative grade point average. Students can repeat courses with financial aid until successfully completed with a "D" or higher, but repeating courses adversely affects the student's ability to meet the 67% completion rate requirement. If you are required to obtain a "C" or better in a class, you may receive financial aid for a second attempt; however, if you are not successful, a third attempt will need to be paid out of pocket (not eligible to use aid). Only the latest attempt will count toward the cumulative grade point average.
B. Qualitative Standards
Cumulative GPA Requirements (GPA Rule): In order to remain eligible for financial aid consideration, students must meet minimum cumulative grade point average requirements based on a progressive scale. Only non-remedial courses with grades of A, B, C, D, and F are included in this calculation. Transfer credits are excluded. In order to graduate, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required.
| Total Number of Credits Attempted | GPA Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1-15 | 1.5 |
| 16-30 | 1.75 |
| 31+ | 2.0 |
Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid
Students who do not meet the credit progression requirements (Quantitative or Pace of Completion) and/or cumulative grade point average requirements (Qualitative) will be immediately ineligible for financial aid. Removal from financial aid does not prevent students from enrolling at the College; they will have to pay out of pocket until they are in good SAP status.
Unless extenuating circumstances exist and an appeal is granted (see "IV. Appeals" for additional information), a student in financial aid suspension should expect to continue classes at his or her own expense until satisfactory academic progress requirements are again met.
Students who fail to meet these Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and who choose to enroll without the benefit of student financial aid may request a review of their academic records after any term in which they are enrolled without the receipt of financial aid to determine whether they have again met satisfactory academic progress standards. If the standards are met, eligibility is regained for subsequent terms of enrollment in the academic year. Students should consult their campus financial aid advisors for assistance in appealing any element of this policy or to determine how to regain eligibility for financial aid.
Appeals
Students who fail to meet SAP standards and lose eligibility for financial aid can appeal the financial aid suspension. Students must clearly state what caused the suspension (i.e., unusual mitigating circumstances) and must also clearly indicate what has changed that will now allow the student to succeed (i.e., what is your plan for academic success). Appeals are encouraged if:
- Extenuating circumstances exist (i.e., sudden illness of the student or immediate family member, accident/injury or death of a family member; other mitigating circumstances) or
- The student has successfully completed one degree and is attempting another or
- The student on suspension for other than Maximum Hours (150%), who has not yet met SAP requirements, has enrolled in and successfully completed at least 12 semester credits at VPCC during suspension with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Students appealing a suspension must:
- Complete and sign the Virginia Peninsula Community College SAP Appeal Form in its entirety, and
- Attach supporting documentation, including a copy of their Academic Plan (showing the remaining credits needed for their program of study) and
- Submit all items to the Financial Aid and Military & Veteran Services office by the deadline date (explained on the SAP Appeal Form)
Only complete/signed appeal submissions, with documentation, will be evaluated by Financial Aid and Military & Veteran Services. Appeals received after the semester deadline will be reviewed for the following semester. Depending on the circumstances, the student could be required to complete additional requirements (i.e., see a career counselor or another type of counselor, meet with an advisor to develop an academic progress plan for completion, limit enrollment, etc.) or complete other requirements before an appeal is granted. The goal is to help the student get back on track for graduation. The reasonableness of the student's ability for improvement to again meet SAP standards and complete their program of study will be carefully considered. Reviewed SAP Appeals will be approved or denied. Students who have appeals approved will be placed in the financial aid "Academic Plan" status for the coming term. During their academic plan or probation status, the student must meet the conditions of their appeal as communicated to him or her by Financial Aid and Veteran Services, or the student will return to suspension. If a SAP academic progress plan has been pre-approved by financial aid, continuing to meet the requirements of that plan will put the student back into good standing.
IMPORTANT: job conflicts, transportation problems, or childcare conflicts DO NOT constitute unusual mitigating circumstances and will not be considered in a SAP appeal.