Federal Standards of Academic Progress
Federal Title IV Aid
To remain eligible for federal Title IV aid, students must make satisfactory academic progress towards completion of their degree. Satisfactory academic progress is measured by a qualitative standard (students must maintain a minimum GPA) and a quantitative standard (students must earn a required percentage of credits attempted.) Monroe College monitors SAP (Standards of Academic Progress) at the end of each semester.
Loss Of Title IV Eligibility
A student who falls into one of the following categories is subject to loss of Title IV eligibility:
- Students who fail to achieve the qualitative (cumulative GPA) standards as indicated below.
- Students who fail to achieve the quantitative standards following their Federal SAP Warning status.
- Students who attempt the same remedial course three times without earning a passing grade or complete the same remedial course twice without earning a passing grade.
- Students who attempt more than 150% of the credits required for the completion of their program
Maximum Number Of Attempted Credits
Students receiving federal aid must complete their degrees within 150% of the normal time for completion. For example, students may not attempt more than 90-credits to earn the 60-credits needed for their Associate degree or 180-credits to earn the 120-credits needed for their Bachelor’s degree.*
Standards of Progress for Title IV Eligibility
|
Semester
|
Cumulative GPA
|
|
1
|
0.75
|
|
2
|
1.25
|
|
3
|
1.50
|
|
4
|
1.75
|
|
5-12
|
2.00
|
|
Semester 1-3
|
Must complete 50% of courses attempted with passing grades.*
|
|
Semester 4-12
|
Must complete 67% of courses attempted with passing grades.*
|
| * All classes, regardless of grade, that are applicable to a student's program of study are counted as attempted courses for quantitative purposes and for maximum number of attempted credits allowed. |
For students whose first semester at Monroe College is less than full-time, the SAP policy is as follows:
Students who are less than full-time in their first semester at Monroe College have not reached the measurement threshold for a first-semester SAP determination. Such students continue to be eligible for Title IV. At the end of the second semester, students must meet first-semester SAP requirements. For example, students with a semester count of 1.5 must meet semester 1 SAP requirements.
Federal SAP Aid Warning
A student who fails to achieve required quantitative standards is placed in a Federal SAP Warning status and remains eligible for Title IV Federal aid. Such a student must achieve SAP standards after one payment period. Failure to do so will result in the loss of Title IV aid.
SAP Appeal Process
Students who fail to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or will fail to complete their degree within the maximum time frame may appeal the loss of their Title IV eligibility. If the appeal is granted, the student is placed on probation or an academic plan. The student remains eligible for Title IV aid during the probationary period or as long as the academic plan is successfully followed.
Students can initiate appeals at the appropriate Student Services Office or Student Financial Services Office. SAP appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis where extenuating circumstances prevented the student from meeting SAP requirements. Documentation of the circumstances is required in addition to an explanation of how the student’s current circumstances have changed to now enable him/her to meet SAP requirements after one probationary period or by following a customized academic plan.