What is Academic Progress?

Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Federal Government requires that the Financial Aid Office of John Wood Community College monitor the academic progress of all applicants for student financial aid. This regulation requires that we establish both a quantitative measure of progress and a qualitative measure of progress. In compliance with these regulations the following policies and procedures have been adopted in regard to all state and federal financial aid eligibility. JWCC reviews satisfactory academic progress at the end of each structured semester.

QUANTITATIVE MEASURES

The quantitative requirement is broken down into the following two components:

1) Consistent progress toward the degree or certificate shall require that no less than 67% of all attempted coursework be successfully completed. This is a cumulative requirement and will be checked at the end of every term of enrollment. “W” (withdrawal), “I” (incomplete), “IP” (in progress), “SP” (satisfactory progress) and “F” (failure) are not considered passing grades.

EXAMPLE:To meet the minimum completion rate of 67 percent, a student who has attempted 28 cumulative credit hours at JWCC must have successfully completed (earned) a minimum of 19 of those 28 hours (round up).

2) Students working toward an associate degree shall be limited to 96 attempted credit hours.

In determining credit hour limits, it is important to note the following:

All transfer-in hours are counted as attempted hours.
Course withdrawals (if not within the 100% refund period) are counted as attempted hours.
Repeated coursework and remedial classes are counted as attempted hours.

(NOTE: Financial aid may pay for the repeat of coursework to improve an earned grade of “F” only for courses required in that student’s declared degree. Students repeating a course with an earned grade of “D” or better will not qualify for financial aid for this repeated class unless the student’s declared degree or certificate program requires a grade of “C” or better in the repeated course.)

QUALITATIVE MEASURE

All students are required to meet a minimum cumulative grade point average as determined by the following chart:

After 9 hours of attempted coursework: 1.51

After 20 hours of attempted coursework: 1.60

After 30 hours of attempted coursework: 1.75

After 40 hours of attempted coursework: 1.85

After 50 hours of attempted coursework: 2.0

Review of academic records will take place once each semester, at the end of the structured term. Any student not meeting the minimum satisfactory academic progress standards at that time will be placed on financial aid probation. A student is eligible for funding while on probation. If minimum standards of satisfactory progress are not met by the end of the probationary term, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension and no further federal or state student assistance will be available.

REINSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITYY

Students placed on financial aid suspension would be expected to provide for their own educational expenses.

Any student placed on financial aid suspension may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid for review of special circumstances. All appeals should be put in writing on the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form (available from the Financial Aid Office) within 15 days of notification of status change.

Students placed on financial aid suspension who successfully appeal that suspension status will be eligible to receive any assistance for which they qualify.

Students who have successfully appealed their suspension may be placed on continued probation in the subsequent term/s under the following conditions. In the first semester attended immediately after the initial suspension and those directly following, the student achieves a semester grade point average of no less than a 2.00 and completes no less than 67% of attempted hours for that term.

If an exception is not granted under the appeal process, a student may request reconsideration of financial aid eligibility after the student has taken (at his or her own expense) no less than six credit hours in a semester and passed all attempted credit hours with a grade of ‘C’ or better. If the student attempts more than six hours, the student will be evaluated on all attempted credit hours within that term. All coursework involved in the reconsideration request must be taken at John Wood Community College.

Exceptions to the above will be considered by the Director of Financial Aid on an as-needed basis. The decision of the Director is final.