Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require all students applying for financial assistance to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to receive aid. The progress standards that students are required to meet in order to maintain financial aid eligibility are:

• Grade Point Average - The qualitative measure requires undergraduate students working towards a certificate or an associate degree to maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.000. This includes grades earned for developmental, dual enrollment and/or transfer coursework.
• Completion Rate - The quantitative measure requires undergraduate students maintain a cumulative completion rate of 67% of the attempted coursework (including developmental, dual
  enrollment and/or transfer hours accepted by TSC). This percentage is determined by dividing the number of hours completed by the total number of hours attempted. Attempted hours are the total number of hours completed plus hours of “W”, “I”, “F” (as well as repeated coursework);
• Timeframe to Complete Academic Program - This measure limits the number of credit hours attempted in the pursuit of an undergraduate certificate or a degree. The maximum attempted
  hours are 150% of the credits required to complete the students’ program of study. For the purposes of obtaining an associate degree at TSC requiring 60 credit hours, the maximum is
  typically 90 credit hours, including developmental, dual enrollment and/or transfer coursework. Students contemplating degree plan changes should consider the ability to complete a new plan
  with the maximum allowable limits.

Compliance with SAP must be met in order for a student to retain their financial aid eligibility. Students are advised to check their status through their TSC Self-Service account.

Final Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) rules were published in the October 29, 2010 Federal Register to be effective July 1, 2011. The revised current regulations clarify, standardize, and strengthen provisions on school evaluations of the qualitative (grades and academic standing) and quantitative (pace of completion) aspects of a student’s progress in a program for Title IV funding purposes.

The information below describes each status in more detail:

GOOD STANDING

 Students are considered to be in Good Standing with Financial Aid if they meet all three (3) standards of progress outlined above. These students may participate in any financial aid programs provided they meet all other eligibility criteria, subject to the availability of funds.

WARNING STATUS

Students who fail to meet the grade point average requirement, the completion rate requirement, or attempt 88% or more of the 1.5 times the minimum number of credits required for a degree program, will be placed in Financial Aid Warning Status for the following semester. Students will be notified via email of their warning status.

FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION

Students in Financial Aid Warning status who fail to meet SAP requirements for the next semester will not be eligible to receive financial aid and will be placed in Financial Aid Suspension. These students are sent a financial aid suspension notice and can continue to enroll but at their own expense.