Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) POLICY

Federal Title IV financial aid, which includes Federal Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Direct Loans (both student and parent) and Federal Work Study program are renewable as long as student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards at the annual review period.

As long as a student meets both the Quantitative Requirement and Qualitative Requirement, a student will be eligible for federal funds.

Quantitative Requirement:  1) Maximum Time Limit (MTL) and 2) Required completion ratio.

1. Maximum Time Limit (MTL) – Federal regulations allow a student to attempt 150 percent of the credit hours required to complete the academic program. Eckerd College requires 126 credit hours to meet graduation requirements therefore a student may attempt up to 189 credit hours and receive federal aid. This includes all transfer credit hours.

2. Completion Ratio – A student must earn a minimum 67% of the hours attempted at Eckerd College. Transfer hours accepted toward the completion of your Eckerd College degree will be included in the number of attempted and completed hours.

At the time of review, any grades reported as I (incomplete), W (withdrawn), or F Grades will be counted as attempted courses (not been completed). Repeated courses are included as both attempted and completed courses and are included in MTL calculations.  Any grade changes after the SAP calculation has been processed, will not be calculated until the next review period unless deemed as administrative or faculty error.

Qualitative Requirement: Students must meet the minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) which is 2.0 for all class standings.  Grade Point Average is calculated for courses taken at Eckerd College only and do not include grades from another college.

 Students not meeting the guidelines for the Qualitative Requirement (GPA) will also be deemed ineligible for Institutional and State aid.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) REVIEW

Satisfactory Academic Progress is reviewed at the end of the academic year. Students not making SAP for the quantitative and/or qualitative requirement will not be eligible for any federal financial aid until the next review.

Students not meeting SAP requirements for GPA or CR will be given the opportunity to appeal which, if approved, will allow them to receive Federal, institutional and possibly State aid. MTL is not eligible for an appeal.

Students who fail to meet the SAP standards for GPA or CR may submit a written appeal. The appeal MUST include:

• • • • A personal statement from the student outlining the extenuating circumstance(s) that prohibited the student from meeting Satisfactory Academic    Progress. Examples of extenuating circumstances may include but are not limited to medical issues (student or family), death in the family, etc.

      • Documentation of extenuating circumstance to support student’s statement

      •  Academic plan addressing how the student plans to be more academically successful in the upcoming academic year

If an appeal is approved, as long as the student meets the conditions of the appeal until they are meeting SAP standards, they will continue to receive aid. If a student does not meet the conditions of the appeal, aid will be terminated and the student will not be eligible to receive aid until minimum SAP standards are met.