Director of Financial Assistance Services Satisfactory Academic Progress FASFAA Region IV Workshop October 21, 2016 Todd Smith Director of Financial Assistance Services St. Petersburg College

Agenda What is SAP? Items needed in your SAP Policy Standardized Definitions Warning Probation Suspension Academic Plan Pace 2 Measures - 3 Components Evaluation Period(s) Appeals Academic Plans Case Studies

Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing What is SAP? Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing

What is SAP? The Federal Student Aid Handbook states the following: Federal regulations require all schools to have a published Satisfactory Academic Progress policy as one of the administrative requirements to participate in the Title IV financial aid programs. All students must demonstrate that they are moving through their academic program at a reasonable rate and are “making progress” toward their degree. The requirements that guide a school in the creation and maintenance of its SAP policy are detailed in the Code of Federal Regulations. (CFR Section 668.34)

Items needed in a SAP Policy: The Secretary considers the institution’s policy to be reasonable if: The policy is the same as or stricter than the standards the school uses for students who are not receiving Title IV aid. The policy is consistently applied to all students within categories of students (i.e. fulltime, part-time, undergrad, etc.). Must be published and made readily available to current & prospective students. Standards for making satisfactory progress Criteria for re-establishing eligibility if they failed SAP

Items needed in a SAP Policy: The policy describes how a student’s GPA and Pace of completion are affected by the following: Course Incompletes Withdrawals Repeat Courses (repetitions) Remedial/ESL courses Transfer credits from other institutions: Credit hours from another institution that are accepted toward the student’s educational program must count as both attempted and completed hours.

Items needed in a SAP Policy: Other policy requirements: Policy must specify the procedures for students that wish to appeal if not making SAP; Policy must specify how to re-establish eligibility if an appeal is unsuccessful or the school does not have an appeal process; Policy must establish a means for notifying students of the results of an evaluation that impacts the student's eligibility for title IV program funds.

Standard Definitions: Warning: 668.34(b) A status assigned to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress for the very 1st time or fails to maintain SAP standards after getting back in to good standing. Optional, but only for schools that evaluate SAP at the end of each payment period; May be granted automatically, without a written appeal from the student; A student on financial aid warning may continue to receive Title IV aid for one payment period despite a determination that the student is not meeting SAP standards.

Standard Definitions: Probation: 668.34(b) A status assigned by an institution to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress and who has successfully appealed and has had eligibility for aid reinstated. Optional for all schools. A student on financial aid probation may receive Title IV funds for one payment period. At that point, the student must meet the school’s SAP standards or the requirements of the established individual academic plan to maintain Title IV eligibility.

Standard Definitions: Suspension: 668.34(b) A status assigned by an institution to a student who has not maintained SAP standards or who failed to adhere to the requirements of an Academic Plan. Students on financial aid “Suspension” are not eligible to receive financial aid. Students may submit a SAP appeal if they believe extenuating circumstances beyond their control contributed to their failure to maintain SAP requirements. Students can have their financial aid reinstated if they are able to work themselves back into good standing by meeting the SAP requirements of their respective institutions.

Standard Definitions: Academic Plan: The Academic Plan is a the component of the SAP regulations that provides flexibility for institutions to work with students in restoring their Financial Aid eligibility. Pace: Formerly known as the Quantitative Measurement of SAP. Pace refers to the Pace (or Rate) of Progression through an academic program to ensure that the student is completing academic requirements within the 150% Maximum Time Frame requirement. Pace is measured at each institutional SAP evaluation period.

2 measures – 3 components: A Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy must contain a qualitative (GPA) and quantitative measure of progress toward a degree. The quantitative measure is two fold. It must specify a “Maximum Time Frame” for completing degree objectives as well as the “PACE” a student must progress through his educational program to ensure he will complete the program within the maximum time frame. 3 components that students are reviewed on with regards to SAP are as follows : GPA Requirement - qualitative Minimum GPA Requirement Pace (completion ratio) - quantitative Minimum % of completion of all courses attempted Maximum Time Frame – quantitative 150% of Program All three parts are cumulative in their measurement A student must meet all three parts of the standard to maintain eligibility

GPA Requirements: Fixed: Graduated: Remedial Hours and ESL coursework: A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better at all times. Graduated: Hours Earned Academic GPA 1 – 15 1.50 16 - 30 1.75 31 or greater 2.0 Remedial Hours and ESL coursework: Must be included in the qualitative component.

GPA Requirements: Academic Programs longer than 2 Academic Years: By the end of the second academic year (not based on credits accumulated), student must have the following: A “C” average or its equivalent, or Academic standing consistent with the school’s requirement for graduation

Pace (completion ratio): The school’s quantitative measure must specify the “pace” at which a student must progress through his/her educational program to ensure the student completes the program within the maximum time frame. Must be measured at each evaluation May be fixed or graduated Pace must be constructed based on MTF Transfer credits accepted toward the student’s current program must be included in both the hours completed and hours attempted The school is not required to include remedial/ESL courses

Pace (completion ratio): FORMULA FOR CALCULATING “PACE” cumulative hours completed PACE = ----------------------------------------- attempted

Maximum Time Frame: Undergraduates may receive aid for a maximum of 150% of the published length of their educational program. The student must be on “pace” to complete his current degree or certificate program before attempting more than 150% of the credit hours required for his current program of study. If he is not on “pace” (it is mathematically impossible) to complete his degree before exceeding MTF, he is not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Maximum Time Frame: School may define MTF in one of the following: Credit Hours Attempted Clock Hours Attempted The evaluation must be cumulative and include hours from all terms, even those for which Title IV assistance was not received

Maximum Time Frame: Transfer credits accepted toward the student’s program must be included in both the hours completed and hours attempted. The evaluation must also include those hours usually waived under academic amnesty and grade forgiveness policies. The school is not required to include remedial/ESL courses. A MTF policy must also be established for students in graduate programs.

Evaluation Period(s): To ensure the student is making sufficient progress both quantitatively and qualitatively, your SAP policy must provide for regular evaluation. Schools may evaluate SAP as frequently as every payment period, but no less often than annually. 668.34(a)(3) The SAP evaluation must coincide with the end of a payment period Programs of study that are less than an academic year must be evaluated at the end of each payment period All other programs of study must be evaluated at least annually Schools may have programs which use different evaluation periods for measuring SAP

Appeals: Student: School: The appeal must include why the student failed to make SAP, and What has changed (or been put in place) that will allow the student to make SAP at the next evaluation period 150% Maximum Timeframe can be appealed School: Optional Must determine (mathematically) that the student will be able to meet SAP standards by the end of the next payment period otherwise you must deny; or Develop an “academic plan” for the student which, if followed, ensures she will be making SAP by a specified point in time (or complete the program).

Academic Plans: Schools have the option of developing an “academic plan” for a student who successfully appeals a determination that she is not meeting one or more of the institution’s SAP standards and is placed on financial aid probation. SAP regulations do not specifically address the development of academic plans. It is left to the discretion of the schools; however, the plan should consist of the following. Must be designed in a way that, if followed, ensures she will be meeting SAP standards by a specified point in time (or complete the program) Must be applied on Student-by-student basis (individualized)

Academic Plans: Potential Considerations include the following: May specify that the student will be evaluated more frequently than other students; May be as simple as a specified percentage of coursework the student must complete with a minimal GPA requirement, or As detailed as a course-by-course plan toward degree completion; the type of class (online, in person); and/or the amount of credits that can be taken in any given semester.

Questions and Answers

Case Study 1: John Low Grades has attempted 27 hours and has completed 12 hours with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 1.22. John submits a personal statement and documentation of illness to show why he was unable to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards. After reviewing John’s appeal, the Appeal Committee knows that John will not be able to make SAP within one term. The Committee calculates that it will take John 23 hours to reach 70% and 19 hours at a term GPA of 2.4 to reach a 2.00 cumulative GPA.

Case Study 1 continued: Is the student’s appeal sufficient for an approval? No, the student did address and document why he was not able to meet SAP, but he did not address what has changed that will allow him to maintain SAP in the future. Assume the appeal is sufficient, can the committee approve this appeal? NO… It is not mathematically possible for John Low Grades to meet SAP by the end of the next term. If the school utilizes Academic Plans, the appeal can be approved.

Case Study 2: Happy Days Community College has a 900-hour program that normally takes 32 weeks to complete. Happy Days allows a maximum timeframe of 48 weeks to complete the program, and students must complete at least 450 clock hours every 24 weeks. Because the program is so short, Happy Days decides not to use the warning status. Instead, it requires students to submit an appeal when they are not meeting SAP standards.

Case Study 2 continued: It takes Potsie 26 weeks to complete the first 450 hours of the program. Happy Days informs him that he must submit an appeal to continue to receive financial aid. Potsie tells the financial aid administrator that he was diagnosed with depression, which prevents him from doing as much as he’d like. He provides a note from his psychiatrist and affirms that he is doing better since he has gotten regular treatment. The financial aid administrator grants his appeal and puts him on financial aid probation.

Case Study 2 continued: Is the student’s appeal sufficient for an approval? YES… The student addressed the extenuating circumstance as well as what has changed that will help him meet SAP standards in the future. Given that the appeal is sufficient, was the administrator correct in approving this appeal? YES… It is mathematically possible for the student to maintain SAP by the end of the next payment period.

Case Study 3: She drafts an academic plan that allows him some flexibility in his pace of completion by establishing a new maximum timeframe of 52 weeks and requires him to check with her once a month to inform her of his progress in his classes. It takes Potsie 24 weeks to complete the remaining 450 clock hours of his program. He remains eligible for aid during the time it takes him to complete the second payment period because his academic plan established a new maximum timeframe for program completion

Case Study 3 continued: Is the Academic Plan established by the financial aid administrator compliant with SAP regulations? YES… The SAP regulations do not specify what an Academic Plan should consist of. It is left to the discretion of the school. The only requirement is that the plan ensures the student will meet SAP at a specified point in time (or complete the program).

Questions and Answers

Resources: Code of Federal Regulation: Federal Student Handbook: 34 CFR 668.34 34 CFR 668.32 (f) 34 CFR 668.16 (e) Federal Student Handbook: Volume 1, Chapter 1 Volume 2, Chapter 3 Higher Ed Program Integrity – Q&A Satisfactory Academic Progress

Contact Information: Todd Smith Director of Financial Assistance Services St. Petersburg College 727-302-6800 smith.todd@spcollege.edu