Satisfactory Academic Progress For Graduate 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 (Teach Grant), Federal Stafford loans, 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, a graduate student must have an institutional grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
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 courses required by the program of study. This standard will be applied to current students, former students, and transfer students. Semester hours completed will be those courses in which a student has received a grade of A, B, C, or P. Semester hours attempted will include all courses for which a student has received a grade of A, B, C, D, F, P, I, IP, 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 - A student accepted into a graduate 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/she will no longer be considered making satisfactory academic progress and will not be eligible for financial aid.
4. ACADEMIC EXCLUSION - If a student is placed on academic exclusion, eligibility for financial aid will be terminated. When students are removed from academic exclusion, they must contact the Financial Aid Office to request a review of their SAP.
5. FINANCIAL AID WARNING - Failure by the student to attain the minimum GPA or a 67% completion rate, will indicate the student is not making SAP. In most cases, the first time it is established that a student is not making SAP, he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. A student on Warning may continue to receive financial aid but must meet SAP by the end of the next semester.
6. FINANCIAL AID PROBATION - A student who fails to meet SAP for two consecutive semesters or is academically excluded from Piedmont College may appeal to be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Students are eligible to receive financial aid for one semester while on probation. At the end of the semester a student must meet SAP or meet all stipulated requirements of the appeal to continue to receive financial aid.
7. APPEALS PROCESS - If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent a student from making SAP for two semesters or enrollment periods, resulting in a status of Financial Aid Exclusion, it is possible to appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for a review of those circumstances as they relate to the student’s academic standing. A typewritten explanation of the extenuating circumstance(s) must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid within two weeks of being notified of the Financial Aid Suspension status. 

   A written financial aid appeal MUST include these two components:

   1. The extenuating circumstances that resulted in the student’s failure to make SAP. Acceptable circumstances on which a student could base an appeal are those that could not have been foreseen at the beginning of the semester or enrollment period, and that were completely beyond the students’ control. They could include serious injury, illness (physical or mental) of the student or an immediate family member, death of an immediate family member, or other extenuating circumstances. Appeals should include a detailed description of the applicable circumstances, along with related documentation (i.e., statement from physician or other healthcare provider, report from law enforcement or social services agency, copy of death certificate, etc.) that supports those circumstances.
   2. The positive changes that have occurred that will ensure the student can achieve SAP by the next evaluation. The student must include information regarding extenuating circumstances that will no longer exist or be an issue, as well as any additional measures that will be taken to ensure he/she will make SAP during the probationary semester or enrollment period, if granted.

      The Director of Financial Aid, or another designated senior member of the Financial Aid Office will review each written appeal, along with relevant academic history. The student will be notified via his/her Piedmont College email account of the appeal decision. A student whose appeal is approved, may receive financial aid for one probationary semester or enrollment period, after which another SAP review will be conducted. A student who fails to meet the academic requirements outlined in the Financial Aid Probation email notification will be placed on Financial Aid Exclusion for a second and final time, after which there is no option for appeal.

8. REESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY - In the event of termination of financial aid, a student will again be considered making SAP once they attain a 3.0 GPA and/or a 67% completion rate of all college level courses attempted at Piedmont College. When this occurs, the student should contact the Financial Aid Office to request a review of their SAP. Classes taken after losing eligibility will be at the student’s expense, using funds other than Federal Grants (Teach Grant), Federal Stafford loans, and Piedmont College Scholarships and Grants. A student, who reestablishes eligibility, then falls below minimum SAP requirements again will be denied financial aid. A student who exceeds the maximum length of study at Piedmont College (item C) cannot reestablish eligibility.