Satisfactory Academic Progress FAQ

SAP is a set of minimum academic standards that must be met on a regular basis in order for students to maintain eligibility for a number of financial aid programs.  Continued eligibility for these financial aid programs is provided for students who are making academic progress toward earning their degree.

All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a degree program regardless of whether they are receiving any or all of the financial aid programs that require SAP eligibility.

There are three basic academic standards that are monitored:

 

5a. Cumulative GPA

Undergraduate Degree Students (Bachelor’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Minimum cumulative GPA
One term completed 1.50
Two terms completed 1.75
Three or more terms completed 2.00

 

Graduate Degree Students (Master’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Minimum cumulative GPA
One or more terms completed 3.00

 

5b. Completion/Pace

Undergraduate Degree Students (Bachelor’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Minimum cumulative completion
One term completed 50%
Two or more terms completed  67%

 

Graduate Degree Students (Master’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Minimum cumulative completion
One or more terms completed 67%

 

5c. Maximum Timeframe

Undergraduate Degree Students (Bachelor’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Maximum Timeframe
All 180 attempted credits

 

Graduate Degree Students (Master’s Degree):

Class Status/Rank Maximum Timeframe
All 90 attempted credits

 

Attempted credits include all graded credits regardless of the grade received (includes both F and NP grades), transfer credit hours, Incompletes (I), Withdraws (W) and any credits dropped after the financial aid census period within any given term.  Students who repeat coursework will have both the original and any subsequent credits counted as attempted.  Audited courses are not counted as attempted.

Yes.  Students will be given an opportunity to provide a narrative and additional documentation describing an extenuating circumstance that may have negatively impacted their academic performance.  Students will be provided with directions, an official appeal form and a specific deadline they must meet in order for their appeal to be considered.

All students on SAP PROBATION will be supplied with a SAP academic conditions plan determined by the CCAD Office of Financial Aid in consultation with the CCAD Office of Academic Advising.  This plan will specify a term GPA and/or a term completion rate the student must meet at the end of the semester of PROBATION in order to continue receiving financial aid.

Students who do not meet the terms of their SAP academic conditions plan will be taken back to a status of SAP SUSPENSION and will be unable to receive financial aid in subsequent terms.  Failure to meet the terms of the SAP academic conditions plan cannot be appealed.

Yes.  Strong academic performance during terms of SAP SUSPENSION will be factored in to the SAP calculation at the end of the next spring semester.  If that academic performance brings a student up to the minimum SAP standards, their eligibility for financial aid in subsequent terms can be reinstated.

The Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study, all Federal Direct Loan programs (including those for both students and parents), the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) and all of CCAD’s institutional and donor scholarship and grant programs.

The CCAD Office of Financial Aid calculates SAP annually at the end of each spring semester.  The assessment includes all cumulative academic activity to date.

This is a calculation that divides the number of credits a student completes/earns by the number of credits a student attempts.  A student who earns a passing grade in every credit/course they attempt would have a completion rate of 100%.  A student who drops 6 credits/2 courses in their first year while successfully completing another 18 credits/6 courses would have a completion rate of 75%.  The key is to maintain the minimum cumulative completion rates listed above in 5b.

After calculating SAP at the end of each spring semester, the CCAD Office of Financial Aid will send an email to all currently active students who are not meeting the standards.  Those students will be informed their SAP status is SUSPENDED.

Students who have an appeal approved will be updated to a status of SAP PROBATION.  This will allow them to continue receiving financial aid for an additional semester in order to give them an opportunity to strengthen their cumulative academic performance.

Students who meet the terms of their SAP academic conditions plan can continue to receive financial aid in subsequent semesters of study as long as they meet the minimum SAP requirements when re-calculated at the end of the next spring semester.

Yes.  SAP SUSPENSION is not the same as academic suspension from the college.  If a student is SAP SUSPENDED, even though they cannot receive assistance from financial aid programs, they can enroll for future semesters as long as they have a plan to finance the costs.  There are a number of private educational loans that can be pursued that offer funding regardless of whether students are meeting SAP.