Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy 2017-2018 (2018-2019 policy TBA)

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all students who receive financial aid make progress toward their program of study. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the measure of a student’s overall academic progress. Students who fail to meet these standards may not receive financial aid, including loans.

A student’s entire academic history is reviewed for the purposes of determining SAP, including credits not paid for by financial aid. For all students, progress is reviewed at the end of each academic term after grades have been submitted. When the determination is made that a student is not meeting SAP standards, students are notified through their NECC student email accounts of their status.

SAP Review Status

1. Financial Aid Warning: Students who do not meet Standard 1 (GPA) or Standard 2 (Completion) are placed on financial aid warning but are eligible to receive financial aid during that time. At the end of the financial aid warning period the following action will occur:

A student is removed from FA warning if the student is now meeting all SAP standards.
A student is placed on FA suspension if, after the warning period, the student has not met the requirements of Standard 1 and/or 2.
Additionally students need to meet the requirements in Standard 3 (Maximum Timeframe).

2. Financial Aid Suspension: If the SAP standards are not met after the warning period, a student is placed on financial aid suspension and is no longer eligible to receive any form of financial aid, including loans. Financial aid eligibility can be reinstated if a student either:

Enrolls and pays for courses raising their GPA and/or completion rate to meet the SAP standards, or
Successfully appeals the suspension status.

Appeal Procedure

A student has the right to appeal a suspension of financial aid due to mitigating circumstances such as, but not limited to, illness, military service, or a previously undiagnosed learning disability. The following must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid office:

1. Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form

Appeal must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office by the student by the term deadline.
Appeal Form must be complete, include all documents, and be signed by the student.

2. Typed Personal Statement

The statement must be typed, signed and dated by the student and include the following:

Explain in detail the reasons or factors that prevented successful completion of courses (please include information regarding all courses that were not satisfactorily completed for any given term).
Explain how academic progress can be achieved, and include a detailed personal plan for academic success to ensure education is a priority from now on.

3. All Essential Documentation

All medical excuses must include letter from the student’s health care provider.
Third-party letters from clergy or social workers are acceptable documentation in supportof undue hardship or extenuating family circumstances.
All letters must be on the company’s or agency’s stationery, signed and dated.
In the case of academic issues, a letter or email from the student’s academic advisor may be included.

4. Academic Progress Plan and Unofficial Transcript

An unofficial transcript
A realistic Academic Plan, DegreeWorks Plan or a Program Audit Sheet, signed and dated by both the student and academic advisor.
Maximum credits for the first term on appeal may not exceed 6 – 8 credits (2 courses); any exceptions must be accompanied by a letter or email from an academic advisor, faculty member or staff member stating that additional coursework is mandatory for completion of the program of study.

Standards for Completion

Northern Essex Community College has created the following standards to comply with the federal regulations.

Standard 1: Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA based on the number of credits attempted as follows:

	Number of Credits Attempted	Minimum Cumulative GPA Required
Associate Degree	1-12	1.7
Associate Degree	13-24	1.8
Associate Degree	Above 24	2.0
One Year Certificate Program	1-12	2.0
One Year Certificate Program	Above 12	2.0

Standard 2: Completion Rate

Students must successfully complete (with letter grades A, B, C, or D) a minimum of 67% or 2/3 of all courses attempted.

EXAMPLE: A student who has attempted three (3), 3 credit courses (total of 9 credits) must successfully complete 6 credits to meet this standard.

Attempted credits - all credits in which a student has registered are considered attempted credits whether or not the course is completed. Repeated courses as well as grades of F, course withdrawals (W), courses from which a student has been dropped for non-participation (NW) and courses that are not completed (I) at the end of the semester are included as attempted.

Incomplete credits (I) – Credits that are attempted but not completed (I) are included as attempted credits. If the course remains incomplete by the end of the following term the class is coded as a failure (F).

Repeated credits - these credits are included in the calculation for both attempted and earned credits. If a student retakes a course for which they have already earned credit, they may only receive aid to cover the repeated course once. If a student has taken a course more than three times and has not yet earned credit, eligibility for financial aid to cover the course will follow the academic repeat policy.

Transfer credits - credits from other colleges that were accepted by NECC are counted as attempted and earned.

Audit Credits - Audit credits are not eligible for financial aid.

Standard 3: Maximum Time frame (150% Rule)

Students must complete their program within 150% of the published length of the educational program. Part-time attendance counts in the maximum time frame calculation. Students who do not complete their program within this time frame are no longer eligible to receive financial aid. Up to 30 developmental credits and all ESL courses are exempt from this requirement.

Transfer Credits: All transfer credits that have been or could be applied to the student’s current program of study are considered in calculating the maximum time frame requirements for the program.

Program changes: All attempted and earned credits (including grades of F, W, NW, I and repeats) that have been or could be applied to the new program of study are considered in calculating the maximum time frame requirements for the new program.

The Financial Aid Office at NECC considers all appeals. Appeals that do not provide all required documents or that are submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. The student will receive notification of the financial aid decision within 2 weeks of the date the appeal is received or after the final grades are posted for the term. Notification of the decision is sent to the student’s NECC email account. If the Financial Aid Office requires additional documents, the student will be given a deadline to provide the information, after which the incomplete appeal will be denied. If the appeal is granted, the student will be on a special financial aid probation. The student’s academic progress is reviewed and the conditions of the student’s appeal are evaluated after each term. If the conditions of the appeal are not met, the student is no longer eligible for financial aid until such time that SAP is met. If the conditions of the appeal are met, the student continues to be eligible for financial aid. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions.