Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (hereafter referred to as SAP) means a student must be proceeding in a positive manner toward fulfilling certificate requirements in a specific length of time. Students must be enrolled as full-time or half-time, in good standing, and making satisfactory progress according to the institutional standards before receiving Title IV assistance. Good standing means that the student is capable of enrollment or continued enrollment. Initially this means that the student is admissible to an educational program as demonstrated by high school diploma, GED, or home school equivalency. Later this means that the student is performing well enough in terms of progress, grades, and the institutional attendance policy to continue enrollment.

The institutional attendance policy states that the student may be absent no more than 10% in a pay period. For example, a student in a 420 hour pay period may be absent no more than a total of 42 hours. Three tardies will count as one absence (three hours). This 10% of absences is considered excused and will not have to be added to the student's pay period. This policy is distributed to students upon enrollment and is given to all financial aid students in the form of the Disbursement Authorization document upon receiving their Financial Aid Pell Award and Disbursement Schedule.

The first disbursement of Title IV funds for first time entering students at SWTC is based on enrollment and attendance in an approved career option on at least a half-time basis and requires no progress report, provided the first disbursement is issued during the initial pay period of training for a new student. At the end of their first payment period, students must be making SAP according to the standards stated in this section of the handbook. Other students, that is students with previous course work at SWTC or students with transfer credits from other institutions, must have maintained SAP for that previous course work in order to receive initial or further assistance.

Students may take up to 50% longer than the published length (normal time) of their program/career option to complete that program/career option and still be regarded as being in good standing. However, a student WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE for additional Title IV federal financial aid once he/she has received aid for the total number of approved hours in the program/career option.

Example: A student is enrolled in a 600-hour program/career option. The maximum time a student can attend SWTC in that 600 hour, 20-week program/career option is 900 hours or 30 weeks. An eligible student would receive Title IV aid for the 600 clock hours, but the student could take an additional 10 weeks to complete the program/career option if the student was not able to complete the program/career option in 600 clock hours (provided that space is available in the class); however, that student WILL NOT receive Federal Financial Aid for the additional 10 weeks. In no instance can the student receive aid for more hours/weeks than those for which the program/career option is accredited/approved.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Components

There are three components to SAP: qualitative, quantitative, and attendance.

Qualitative Component (Grade Based)

Each student's cumulative grade will be reviewed at the completion of the scheduled clock hours and weeks for that payment period using a progress report provided to the instructors by the Financial Aid Coordinator and then returned to the Financial Aid Coordinator by the student's instructor. Students must maintain a cumulative grade of 70% "C" or better for all past course work. If the student's grade is below a "C," then the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. A grade of "I" for incomplete is regarded as unsatisfactory academic progress for the purpose of Title IV aid administration.

Quantitative Component (Time Based)

The maximum time frame for completing a program is no more than 150% of the program's stated length in accordance with the student's enrollment status (i.e. full-time or part-time). The increment for measuring a student's progress will be each payment period. A student must be proceeding in a positive manner toward fulfilling certificate requirements in a normal length of time. At SWTC this means the student must have completed a minimum of at least 67% of the scheduled learning objectives/course work for the payment period. The pace of progression is calculated by taking the cumulative number of clock hours completed and dividing it by the cumulative number of clock hours attempted/scheduled to be completed. If a student is not progressing at a pace which will fall within the 150% time frame, the student is NOT considered to be making satisfactory progress and will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status.

Attendance Component

Students must have acceptable attendance for each payment period. Acceptable attendance is defined in the Student Handbook as missing no more than 10% of any pay period, documented or undocumented. Up to ten percent (10%) absence of enrolled hours in any one semester and/or payment period is considered excused. Withdrawal from a course does not eliminate the SAP requirements. Students who exceed the percentage of absences allowed in their payment period will be placed on Financial Aid Warning Status.

Monitoring Process and Progress Reports

SAP is monitored upon completion of the scheduled hours and weeks in each pay period using progress reports issued by the Financial Aid Coordinator to the student's instructor. For example, a full time student enrolled in a 600 hour/20 week career option will have a progress report upon completion of the first 300 hours and 10 weeks. The second progress report will be made upon completion of the last 300 hours and 10 weeks in that career option. When an interval spans a period of non-enrollment, progress will be assessed at the point where attendance recommences. The Financial aid Coordinator attaches the student's attendance from a printed report obtained from the student accounting system to the progress report. The progress reports are filled out by the instructor indicating the student's cumulative grade, verifying student's attendance, and the student's completion of 67% of the program's/career option's learning objectives. The instructor then gives the progress report to the Financial Aid Coordinator and she determines if the student is meeting SAP standards for that payment period. Additionally, the student must successfully complete all the clock hours and curriculum associated with the hours in each corresponding payment period before receiving the next scheduled Pell grant disbursement.

Financial Aid Warning and Suspension Status

If a student receives a progress report that is not in compliance with the SAP requirements as outlined above, the student will be informed in writing about his/her failure to maintain SAP. The first time a student does not meet SAP requirements he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Warning Status for the next pay period. There is no appeal process neces FAFSA Submission Summaryy for the warning status. The student may continue to receive Title IV aid for one warning period. During the warning period, the student must maintain all SAP requirements. Students who fail to maintain SAP during the warning period will then be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be suspended from receiving further Title IV financial aid at SWTC.

Re-Establishing Financial Aid Eligibility after Being Placed on Financial Aid Suspension

A student who is placed on financial aid suspension due to failure to meet SAP during a warning period will be informed in writing of his/her suspension status and Title IV financial aid for that student will be suspended at SWTC. A student who has been placed on financial aid suspension after failing to meet SAP during a warning period may file an appeal to have their Title IV funds reinstated. If an appeal is denied, the only way that a student can become eligible for aid is to once again meet SAP requirements in a pay period for which they are responsible for their tuition and/or fees which are to be paid by the tenth day of the next pay period unless other arrangements are made and agreed upon by the business office and the Chief Operations Officer. If the student whose appeal has been denied comes back into compliance with the SAP standards during this financial aid suspension payment period, then they may once again become eligible for financial aid assistance for the next payment period, but will continue to be on probation status for all following pay periods.

Appeal Process after a Suspension

Students who have been placed on suspension and have been denied Title IV aid on the grounds of not meeting SAP during their warning period have the right to appeal the aid denial. To appeal, a student must file a written request within 5 days of receiving written notification by the Financial Aid Coordinator of their financial aid suspension status. The appeal form can be found in the Financial Aid Coordinator's office. The student's appeal should include information and/or evidence as to why the student failed to make SAP and should also include what has changed that will now allow the student to make SAP at the next evaluation period.

Also included in the appeal should be any mitigating circumstances which contributed to the suspension status. Mitigating circumstances may include, but are not limited to, serious illness experienced by the student, accident resulting in severe injury to the student, or death in the student's immediate family.

Other circumstances may be classified as mitigating if they are serious in nature, prevent the student from attending classes, and are deemed to be so by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. (The Financial Aid Appeal Committee is made up of the student, an instructor, Counselor, Financial Aid Coordinator, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer and a neutral party designated by the Chief Financial Officer).

The Financial Aid Appeal Committee will meet in person with the student and the written appeal will be reviewed by the committee. If the committee believes it necesFAFSA Submission Summaryy, they may require the student to provide further documentation (such as a letter from a doctor) to substantiate or explain the mitigating circumstances. The student will be informed in writing within five school days as to the status of the appeal. The student will then either be denied further Title IV aid on the grounds of unsatisfactory progress or Title IV aid will be reinstated. If the appeal is granted and the student's aid is reinstated, he/she must still complete all hours in the previous pay period if hours are still owed before receiving additional aid. A student who has been granted an appeal will now be on Financial Aid Probationary Status and must continue to make SAP during all subsequent payment periods. (Please see the Financial Aid Probation Status section in this handbook.

By granting an appeal, the Financial Aid Appeal Committee has agreed that the student will be able to make SAP by the end of the next payment period. In some cases, a student may be placed on an academic plan that will ensure the student's ability to meet SAP standards by a specific point in time during the next pay period. If it is felt by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee that an academic plan is needed, the plan will be provided in writing by the instructor and will be signed by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee and the student. The academic plan will then become part of the student's financial aid file and classroom plan of study.

If a student is denied an appeal after financial aid suspension, then that student is responsible for paying tuition and/or fees in full no later than the tenth day of the next pay period unless other arrangements are made and agreed upon by both the business office and the Chief Financial Officer. If the student whose appeal has been denied comes back into compliance with the SAP standards during this financial aid suspension payment period, then they may once again become eligible for financial aid assistance for the next payment period, but will continue to be on probation status for all following pay periods.

Withdrawal and Incompletes

Students are given a letter grade at the time of withdrawal. Students making SAP at the time of their withdrawal who return to the same program/career option within 180 days are considered to be in the same payment period. If a student returns within 180 days no payment would occur until the student had completed the previous payment period. A grade of "I" for incomplete is regarded as unsatisfactory academic progress for the purpose of Title IV aid administration.

Repeating Coursework

If a withdrawn student re-enters the same program within 180 days, the student cannot receive payment for repeating coursework. However, in some cases where a student withdraws and re-enters the same program, the instructor may require the student to start at the beginning of the program depending on how much time has lapsed. In this case, the student can be paid for repeating coursework as the student is receiving credit for the repeated course. If a withdrawn student re-enters the same program after 180 days, they will be treated the same as a transfer student. The program hours will be reduced by the number of hours the student receives credit for.

Suspended Status Student Transferring to a New Program/Career Option

A student who is suspended in a program/career option and who then transfers to or comes back to a new program/career option at SWTC and who has hours from the previous program/career option that would transfer into the new program/career option will remain on suspended status if the hours that are transferred render the student to be out of compliance with the SAP requirements. If the transferred hours do not render the student to be out of SAP compliance, then that student would be eligible for financial aid in the new program/career option. A student who is on suspended status comes back in a new program/career option in which none of the previous hours would transfer into the new program/career option is eligible for aid in the new program/career option.

Financial Aid Probation Status

A student will be on Financial Aid Probation after having their Title IV aid reinstated following a successful appeal. A student on probation status may receive aid on this status for only one payment period. If a student fails at any time to meet SAP after being placed on financial aid probation status, then that student would once again be placed on financial aid suspension. A student who has failed to meet SAP requirements while on financial aid probation status may not file another appeal. The only way that a student can become eligible for aid is to once again meet SAP requirements in a pay period for which they are responsible for their tuition and/or fees which are to be paid by the tenth day of the next pay period unless other arrangements are made and agreed upon by the business office and the Chief Financial Officer.

PROGRESS CHECKS AND VA REPORTING POLICIES

For VA students, academics progress will be reviewed at the beginning of every calendar month. VA students who do not maintain satisfactory academic progress will be placed on Academic Probation for 30 days and the VA will be notified of this action. While on Academic Probation every effort will be made to help the student meet the minimum grade requirements. VA education benefits will be terminated if the student does not meet the minimum academic progress standards at the end of the probationary period.