 Three components that we check after every semester. 1. GPA Requirement – 2.0 for sophomore and above. 1.5 for freshman. 2. Pace of Progression – Required to maintain a 67% overall completion rate. ▪ Take the overall credit hours earned and divide them by the overall credit hours attempted. Example: 57/70=81% 3. Credit Hour Maximum Timeframe – We had to established a limit on the number of credit hours a student can attempt and still remain eligible for Federal Student Aid. This limit is based on 150% of credit hours needed to complete the degree for which the student is pursuing.

Example: It takes 120 credit hours to complete the Lakota Studies degree. So take 120 x 150% to get the timeframe a student has to complete their degree. 120 x 150% = 180 attempted credit hours. If at any time we see that the student cannot complete their degree within the 150% timeframe – the student is no longer making Satisfactory Academic Progress and not eligible for Title IV aid.

 Last year, all colleges and Universities across the nation were required to change the terminology in our SAP policies to be the same where ever they went.  WARNING, INELIGIBLE, PROBATION  WARNING is what we used to call PROBATION, the first occurrence of not making satisfactory progress.  INELIGIBLE is what we used to call SUSPENSION, the second occurrence of not making satisfactory progress.  PROBATION is now the status of a student who had an appeal for Ineligible status approved.

When a student Totally Withdraws from ALL their courses, this puts them on AUTOMATIC INELIGIBLE status.  This is to implement a penalty for withdrawing from their courses after the Pell Grant refund has been paid out.  It also makes the student Ineligible for all OLC scholarships when the student returns to OLC the next semester.

 When a student makes Non-Satisfactory Progress and is placed on Ineligible status they may submit an Appeal to our Financial Aid Appeals committee.  Appeals are approved if the student had extenuating circumstances for not completing the semester that they were placed on Ineligible status.  Extenuating circumstances include: personal illness or injury, a death of an immediate family member, casualty losses due to weather, fire, or acts of God.  Documented proof must be submitted with their appeal.

 Students now have a limit on the number of years they can receive a Pell Grant.  600% or 6 years of full-time funding.  NSLDS is what the student uses to view their LEU.  The Student Aid Report is C coded when a student is close to the 600% threshold or if it is above it.  Financial Aid can pull up the students’ LEU record our computer system - COD.

Currently Fall 2012  New – Zero LEU: 279 students or 22%  % LEU (Students in their last year receiving PELL): 53 students or 4%  600% and above: 60 students or 5%  Total students currently enrolled who completed a FAFSA: 1248  34 students are Not Registered and are at 600% or above.

 This was created by our scholarship committee to help our students who cannot get books charged on their PELL Grant because: 1. Lifetime Eligibility Usage is at 600% or more 2. They cannot graduate within the 150% Timeframe.  Must have the minimum Pace of Progression and the minimum GPA to qualify.  44 students were helped this semester for a total amount of $13,770.

 We are now requiring our students to only declare one major.  Pell will not pay for courses not on the student’s degree plan.

 IRS Data Retrieval Tool vs. IRS Tax Transcript  IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available on the FAFSA application. If the student uses this and they are selected for verification, no documentation is required on their taxes.  IRS Tax Transcript can be ordered on-line, or the students can call the IRS to order a tax transcript, or the student go to Rapid City to the Federal building and pick up the transcript at the IRS office.  IRS Tax Returns are no longer accepted.