Components of Presentation College's SAP Policy

The quantitative and qualitative standards listed below are used to evaluate the cumulative results of all periods of students' enrollment, including those semesters or payment periods during which they did not receive Title IV* funds or other types of financial assistance. Thus, a student who has not previously received Title IV aid may be ineligible to do so at initial application.

The numbers that result from the qualitative and quantitative calculations for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are not rounded. Thus, the student's GPA and rate of completion must be equal to or above the minimums cited below without rounding.

1. Frequency of evaluation: HEA requires that an institution evaluate SAP at least annually for programs that are longer than one year and every payment period for programs of one year or less. PC evaluates all components of SAP at the end of each academic year which corresponds to the end of the spring semester.   All students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA*), as well as those who receive any type of Title IV financial assistance, are evaluated for SAP annually. Transfer students and those who are returning to the College after a hiatus are evaluated upon entry (or reentry), whether or not that point in time is at the end of the academic year. Financial aid recipients and applicants (upon submission of the FAFSA) who are found not to be in satisfactory academic standing will be notified. Students can also check their eligibility status by logging into the student portal. When a change of grade is submitted subsequent to the SAP evaluation, PC will recalculate the student's SAP status using that new information.
2. Qualitative component: PC uses the student's grade point average (GPA) to measure qualitative progress. To meet this standard, Title IV recipients are required to achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative 2.00 GPA for undergraduate programs of study and a minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA for graduate programs of study, which is consistent with PC's graduation requirements for most programs. If the Title IV recipient is enrolled in a program that requires a higher GPA (usually 2.50 for undergraduate programs of study) the student must meet the program GPA in order to maintain eligibility for financial aid. When the GPA required by the program is higher than the SAP GPA, students will be considered to have met the SAP qualitative standard so long as they are eligible to continue in the program and their cumulative GPA is 2.00 or higher for undergraduate programs of study and 3.00 or higher for graduate programs of study. The cumulative GPA that PC uses to evaluate the student's SAP status is calculated based upon all courses that have been attempted, excluding those that are developmental, audited, or have no quality points associated with the course. Courses that have been repeated will have the highest grade earned calculated into the SAP GPA. The SAP GPA also includes grades for courses that have been forgiven under the College's academic forgiveness policy. Thus, the GPA used to evaluate SAP may be different from the student's GPA on the academic transcript.
3. Quantitative component (maximum timeframe and pace of completion): HEA requires a quantitative component that evaluates the maximum timeframe in which students must complete their educational program and a pace of completion that ensures they will complete the program within the timeframe. PC requires that all financial aid recipients successfully complete a cumulative minimum of 67% of the credits that they attempt. Successful completion for this standard is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, D, P or S (and any pluses or minuses assigned to the letter grade). Undergraduate financial aid recipients must also complete their program within 150% of the published length required for their program of study. Graduate students must complete their program within six years from the start of their program per academic requirements. The SAP quantitative calculation is based upon all courses that the students has attempted, including those that are developmental; the calculation also includes grades for courses that have been repeated or forgiven under the College's academic forgiveness policy.
4. ESL and developmental courses: Students may attempt a maximum of 30 credits of ESL and/or developmental coursework, during which time they may or may not be Title IV recipients, prior to becoming ineligible for such funds during future attempts. Developmental and ESL courses are included in the quantitative assessments of SAP.
5. Changes of program: Students are permitted to make changes to their program in accordance with their academic goals. So long as students are meeting all other SAP standards, changes of program alone will not disqualify them for Title IV eligibility. After a change of program, the student's next scheduled SAP evaluation will include all previously attempted courses. The student's cumulative credits for this standard are the total of all courses attempted at PC combined with all transfer credits. Students who reach (or will reach) 150% of the length of their programs (below) and who are otherwise in satisfactory standing, may request a recalculation of their maximum timeframe based upon only those credits that are applicable to their degree.
6. Additional degrees: Students who seek additional degrees are treated in the same way as those who change their programs (as above). After the completion of the first degree (at PC or elsewhere), the next scheduled SAP evaluation will include all previously attempted courses. The student's cumulative credits for this standard are the total of all courses attempted at PC combined with all transfer credits.

   Students become ineligible for Title IV aid when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete the program within 150% of the published length required for their program of study, even when the student has not yet reached 150%.

   Students who are enrolled to complete an eligible associate degree are eligible, but not guaranteed, to receive Title IV for up to 150% of the published length required to complete the associate degree.

   Students who are enrolled to complete an eligible baccalaureate degree are eligible, but not guaranteed, to receive Title IV for up to 150% of the published length required to complete the baccalaureate degree.

   Thus, the Title IV recipient is subject to the limitation of 150% of the published length required by the degree being sought.

7. Course incompletes, withdrawals and WF grades: Successful completion of coursework is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, D, P or S (and any pluses or minuses assigned to the letter grade) at PC. All other grades including I (Incomplete), F, U, WF and W (Withdrawn) are defined as unsuccessful completion. Accordingly, all courses having grades of I, F, U, WF and W count as the applicable credits attempted and count as zero credits earned in the SAP calculation. The grades of F, I and WF additionally count as zero quality points when the qualitative SAP standard is assessed. Grades of P, S, U and W are not counted when the qualitative SAP standard is assessed. Grades of P, S, U and W do not carry any quality points.

   Students who have grades of Incomplete (I) and who are, as a result, in unsatisfactory standing, will have their SAP status recalculated when those grades are later reported as an A, B, C, D, P or S (and any pluses or minuses assigned to the letter grade). Students who receive other grade changes will also have their SAP status recalculated. Students who achieve satisfactory standing as the result of a grade recalculation will be evaluated for reinstatement of financial aid so long as the end of the same academic year has not occurred and all other eligibility criteria are met.

8. Course repetitions: Under HEA regulations, Title IV recipients are permitted to repeat a course in which they previously earned only failing grades (F, U, WF and W) without a limit, except as imposed by the SAP and College academic standards. Once a student has earned a grade of A, B, C, D, S or P (and any pluses or minuses assigned to the letter grade) one repeat of the course is permitted to be counted toward calculating Title IV aid eligibility for any payment period or semester. All subsequent attempts of that course, even those required by the College, are ineligible for Title IV funding.
   
   Course repetitions are counted in the evaluation of the qualitative standard by using the highest grade earned. All course repetitions are counted in the quantitative SAP standard.
9. Transfer Credits: HEA regulations require that, at a minimum, transfer credits that are applicable toward the student's current program must count as both attempted and completed hours. PC counts all transfer credits as both attempted and completed hours when evaluating the quantitative SAP standard.
10. Financial aid warning semester: Students must meet all of the SAP standards to be considered in satisfactory academic standing. The College does not issue a formal warning semester. Students are advised that if they are found to not be in satisfactory academic standing at the end of the academic year they are immediately ineligible for Title IV financial aid for the subsequent semester.
    
    Students who fail to reach all of the SAP standards and are therefore not in satisfactory academic standing are ineligible to receive further Title IV funding, unless they have submitted an appeal (as below) which is approved. Students who submit an appeal, which is approved, will be placed on probation and required to follow an academic improvement (AIP) plan.
11. Financial aid probation: Students who fail to reach all of the SAP standards and are therefore not in satisfactory academic standing are only eligible to receive further Title IV funding if they submit an appeal (as below) which is approved. Students who fail to reach all of the SAP standards after the probationary semester are also not in satisfactory academic standing and are ineligible to receive further Title IV funding, unless they have submitted an appeal (as below) which is approved. Students who submit an appeal that is approved will be placed on probation and must continue to follow their academic plan. During any probationary semester the student must meet the SAP standards based upon their term GPA and term rate of credit accumulation. Students are also required to meet the College's academic standards during any probationary semester.
12. SAP appeals: HEA regulations allow but do not require an institution to permit students who are not in satisfactory academic standing to appeal their status in order to receive Title IV funds. PC permits such appeals. Title IV applicants and recipients, who are not in satisfactory academic standing, may appeal their status by accessing the College's SAP appeal process as described on the website. All students, except those who are eligible to request a recalculation of their SAP status, who submit an appeal must also include a completed academic plan. In order to develop the academic plan, the student must meet with an advisor and adhere to all associated requirements. If the appeal has been approved, the student must adhere to the associated academic plan. The FAO will review the student's progress at the end of the probationary semester to determine if the terms of the academic improvement plan (AIP) have been met.
    
    Students who wish to change their academic plan must appeal to do so. Students who wish to appeal to change their academic plan should submit a letter to the FAO. In the appeal, the student must explain what has happened to make the change necessary and how academic progress can be achieved. The appeal letter should be accompanied by appropriate documentation.
    
    Students who wish to appeal must submit the SAP appeal form along with appropriate documentation to the FAO for evaluation. Students are responsible for developing and composing their own SAP appeals. SAP appeals that were completed by anyone other than the student are not acceptable and will be rejected. The FAO will respond to the appeal in writing by Presentation College email, and US Postal mail to the billing address, usually within two weeks of receiving the complete appeal. Students may contact the FAO to request the SAP appeal form and instructions.
    
    As required, PC reviews progress at the end of the semester for those students on probation, to determine if the student is meeting the requirements of the academic plan. If the student is meeting the requirements of the academic plan, the student is eligible to receive Title IV aid so long as the student continues to meet those requirements. Students who experience extenuating circumstances, that were reasonably unforeseeable at the beginning of the semester and that are beyond the student's control, may appeal. The circumstances that are cited in the appeal must be timely to the semester of enrollment during which the academic difficulty occurred. These extenuating circumstances must have been sufficiently disruptive that the student was prevented from continued enrollment and/or successful completion of the semester and meeting of the SAP standards.
    
    Students who are otherwise in good academic standing but who have exceeded 150% of the published length required for their degree and who have changed their program of study no more than four times may appeal based solely upon their change of program without presenting extenuating circumstances. Such students may request that their SAP status is recalculated based only on those credits which are applicable to their current program of study. Students who have failed one or more of the SAP standards and have changed their program more than four times are required to present and document extenuating circumstances with their appeal.

    Circumstances such as difficulty adjusting to college, time management issues, failure to balance social life against academic workload requirements, prioritization of other activities above coursework and inability to afford enrollment expenses in the absence of financial aid are not alone sufficient to qualify as extenuating.
    
    Documented extenuating circumstances might include, but are not limited to:

    • student's major illness or injury
    • major illness or injury in the student's immediate family
    • student's spouse's major illness or injury
    • student's loss of employment
    • student's parent's loss of employment
    • student's spouse's loss of employment
    • student's separation or divorce
    • student's parent's separation or divorce
    • death in the student's immediate family
    • student's spouse’s death
    • student's deployment to active duty
    • student's spouse's deployment to active duty
    • student's parent's deployment to active duty
    • natural disaster affecting the student
    • natural disaster affecting the student's parent(s)
    • natural disaster affecting the student's spouse.

    All SAP appeals will be evaluated by the SAP appeals committee or its designee. As noted in the instructions that accompany the SAP appeal process, the student must document all extenuating circumstances, explain changes that will allow for academic success during future enrollment, and must submit an advisor-approved academic plan.

    Documentation typically consists of provider confirmation of injury or illness, an employer's separation letter, police incident or accident report, attorney's letter, divorce decree, deployment orders, obituary or death certificate as applicable; however, the SAP appeals committee or its designee solely determines the sufficiency of documentation in accordance with the circumstance(s) presented.

    If a SAP appeal is approved for a student who does not enroll for the next scheduled semester, the approval is subject to submission to the SAP appeals committee for reevaluation. If the SAP appeals committee confirms that the approval is still valid the student is eligible to receive financial aid so long as all other eligibility criteria are met. If the SAP appeals committee determines that the approval is not valid the student is ineligible for any financial aid that is governed by the SAP policy.

13. Reestablishing eligibility for Title IV aid: Students who choose not to appeal, or whose appeals are not approved, may be able to reestablish eligibility for Title IV aid. Such students may (if they are otherwise eligible) continue to enroll for courses at the College at their own expense until they have met all of the SAP standards that are applicable for Title IV aid receipt. Neither paying for one's classes nor sitting out for a term affects a student's academic progress standing, so neither (alone or together) is sufficient to reestablish aid eligibility if the student has not met all SAP standards.

Satisfactory Academic Progress definitions:

• Appeal: The process by which a student who is not meeting SAP standards petitions PC based upon extenuating circumstances for reconsideration of eligibility for financial aid funds.
• Financial aid probation semester: The status PC assigns to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress and who successfully appeals. Eligibility for aid is reinstated for one payment period or semester. During any probationary semester the student must meet the SAP standards based upon their term GPA and term rate of credit accumulation.
• Maximum timeframe: For an undergraduate program measured in credit hours, the maximum timeframe is a period no longer than 150% of the published length of the program. Students become ineligible for Title IV aid when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete the program within 150% of the length of the program, even when the student has not reached 150%. Graduate students have exceeded their maximum timeframe when they have not completed their program within the six-year program limit.
• Payment Period: The definition of a payment period applies to all FSA programs except FWS. The common definition is integral to requirements for the administration of FSA funds in that FSA program disbursements (except FWS payments) must be made on a payment period basis, and a student’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) evaluation is required to correspond with the end of a payment period. At Presentation College a payment period is equivalent to a semester.