Satisfactory Academic Progress for Undergraduate Students

The U. S. Department of Education mandates that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of “satisfactory academic progress” for students receiving financial aid. Piedmont College applies these standards to all applicants for Federal Grants (Pell, FSEOG, and Teach Grant), Federal Stafford loans, Federal Work Study, state scholarships/ grants (HOPE, GTEG, et al.), and Piedmont College Scholarships.

Standards

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is determined by careful evaluation of qualitative and quantitative criteria. Determination of SAP will be made at the end of each semester.

1. QUALITATIVE CRITERIA - To be eligible for financial aid any current or former student of Piedmont College must have a minimum institutional grade point average (GPA) required for his or her grade level. The GPA scale can be found in the college catalog under academic exclusion.
2. QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA - Financial aid recipients must show measurable progress toward earning a degree by successfully completing at least sixty-seven percent (67%) of all college-level courses at Piedmont College. This standard will be applied to current students, former students, and transfer students. Semester hours completed will be those college level courses in which a student has received a grade of A, B, C, D or P. Semester hours attempted will include all college level courses for which a student has received a grade of A, B, C, D, F, P, I, NP, W, WF, or NR. Hours and grades for repeated courses will be used in this determination.
3. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF STUDY AT PIEDMONT COLLEGE Federal regulations prohibit a student from receiving aid after attempting 150% of the hours required for the educational program. A student accepted into a degree program may attempt no more than 150% of the required hours in required courses for the degree. (Hours for repeated courses will be included in the total number of attempted hours.) Once a student exceeds the maximum length of study, he or she will no longer be considered making satisfactory academic progress and will not be eligible for financial aid.
4. FINANCIAL AID Warning - Failure by the student to attain the minimum GPA and a 67% completion rate of all college level courses attempted at Piedmont College will indicate the student is not making SAP. In most cases, the first time it is established that a student is not making SAP, the student will be placed on financial aid warning and will be eligible for financial aid for an additional semester.
5. FINANCIAL AID PROBATION – A student, who fails to meet SAP two semesters in a row will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. He or she will not be eligible to receive financial aid while under financial aid probation
6. APPEALS PROCESS - a student, who has lost his or her eligibility and feels there were unusual circumstances that prevented the student from meeting the SAP requirements, may submit an appeal to Financial Aid. This appeal must include the reason SAP was not met and steps the student plans on taking to meet SAP. An SAP Appeal Committee will review each appeal. Denial of an appeal indicates that the student will not be considered eligible for financial aid until he or she attains at least the minimum GPA required by grade level and a 67% completion rate of all college level courses attempted at Piedmont College.
7. REESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY - In the event of termination of financial aid, a student will again be considered making SAP once the student has attained the minimum GPA and a 67% completion rate of all college level courses attempted at Piedmont College. When this occurs, the student should contact Financial Aid to request a review of the student’s SAP. Classes taken after losing eligibility will be at the student’s expense, using funds other than Federal Grants (Pell, FSEOG, and Teach Grant), Federal Stafford loans, Federal Work Study, state scholarships/grants (HOPE, GTEG, et al.), and Piedmont College Scholarships. A student who re-establishes eligibility and then subsequently falls below minimum SAP requirements will be denied financial aid. A student who exceeds the maximum length of study at Piedmont College (item C) cannot re-establish eligibility.