• SAP standards
• Financial aid probation
• Financial aid suspension
• The SAP Appeal Process

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as progression through an academic program within a prescribed time frame. Federal regulations require every school to develop a standard of satisfactory academic progress and monitor academic progress for all students. St. Cloud Technical College (SCTC) has a SAP policy that the Financial Aid Office monitors for all students on financial aid, and a policy that the Registrar’s Office monitors for all students taking classes at SCTC. The following information is for financial aid eligible students only. Contact the Registrar’s Office to obtain information on the SAP policy for all SCTC students.

SAP standards
Students bear primary responsibility for their academic performance and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty. Three components of the student’s record determine whether he/she meets SAP standards: minimum grade point average, credit completion ratio and maximum timeframe. (Credits forgiven under academic forgiveness will be included in the SAP standard calculations.) The qualitative and quantitative measures in this policy must be cumulative and include all periods of enrollment, whether or not financial aid is received.

1. Qualitative Measure

1. Minimum grade point average
   Students will be required to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. The following are included in the GPA calculation:

   • A, B, C, D, F and NC
     
     
   • Grades for credits taken under a consortium agreement
     
     
   • English as Second Language (ESL) and remedial credits
     
     
   • Only the most recent grade received in a repeated course will be used in the calculation of your GPA if the original grade was a B or C. If the original grade was a D, F or NC, then the highest grade will be used in calculating the cumulative GPA. All repeated courses will be included in the calculation for completion rate. All repeated courses are included in the calculation for completion rate.

    

2. Quantitative Measures

1. Credit completion ratio
   Students will be required to complete a minimum of 67% of all attempted credits. Credits attempted will be calculated at the end of the add/drop period (5 th day of a term).

   • Credits attempted include grades of: A, B, C, D, F, I, IP, P, NC and W
     
     
   • Remedial and ESL credits are included in the calculation
     
     
   • Credits taken at another institution, e. g., study abroad, are not considered earned until they are transferred to SCTC. The exception to this is consortium credits. Consortium credits will be included in the calculation of the completion rate.
     
     
   • Audit credits are not considered attempted or earned
     
     

    

2. Maximum timeframe
   All students are expected to complete their program within an acceptable period of time. Financial Aid recipients may receive aid until they complete all of their required coursework or until they have attempted 150% of the required coursework in their program. Acceptable transfer credits will be treated the same as completed credits on campus. If students exceed the timeframe before they have finished their studies, they must pay for the remainder of their studies with their own funds.

   
   To determine the total number of credits attempted for timeframe, the following courses are included:

   • Credits attempted include grades of: A, B, C, D, F, I, IP, P, NC and W
     
     
   • Transfer credits
     
     

3. Evaluation Period

• All students with registered credits during a term will be evaluated at the end of the term.
  
  

 

4. Failure to meet standards

1. Financial aid probation

   If you fail to meet the above defined SAP standards, you will be placed on financial aid probation for one term. While on probation, you may still receive financial aid. To be removed from probation, you must meet the SAP standards at the end of your probation period. If you fail to meet the standards, you will be suspended at the end of your probation period. However, if at the end of the probationary period a student who has been on probationary status has met the qualitative and quantitative standards listed above for all courses in which she or he was enrolled during the probationary period but has not met the institution's cumulative standards, the institution shall permit the student to retain her or his financial aid eligibility under a "continued probation" status, until such time as:

   • the student has met the institution's cumulative qualitative and quantitative standards, at which time the student's financial aid eligibility shall be reinstated, or
     
     
   • the student fails to meet the institution's qualitative or quantitative standards for the courses in which he or she was enrolled during the probationary period, at which time the institution shall suspend the student from financial aid eligibility immediately upon completion of the review, or
     
     
   • the institution determines that it is not possible for a student to raise her or his GPA or course completion percentage to meet the institution's standards before the student would reach the end of the program for which he or she is receiving financial aid, at which time the institution shall suspend the student from financial aid eligibility immediately upon completion of the evaluation.

    

2. Financial aid suspension

   You may be suspended if you fail to meet the SAP standards. While on suspension, you are not eligible for financial aid programs (excluding the alternative loan programs. Contact the Financial Aid office for more details.)

   You may attend SCTC, at your own expense, until you attain the cumulative GPA and overall credit completion requirement. To return to financial aid probation status, your record must reflect that you have met these requirements, or your SAP appeal must be approved.

    

3. Extraordinary circumstances

   SCTC will immediately suspend a student in certain circumstances, such as:
   
   
   • A student who was previously suspended and whose academic performance falls below acceptable levels during a subsequent term of enrollment.
     
     
   • A student who registers for, but does not earn any credits for two consecutive terms.
     
     
   • A student who demonstrates an attendance pattern that abuses the receipt of financial aid.
     
     

6. The SAP Appeal Process
The appeal process is only for students who are suspended from financial aid eligibility. If you are suspended, you can file an appeal by completing a SAP Appeal form. To appeal, you must document a mitigating circumstance (such as a death in the family or extended illness) which temporarily prevented you from maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The appeal form is available at http://www.sctc.edu/financialAid/forms/. Complete the form and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.You will be notified in writing of a decision within 15 business days. If your appeal is denied, then you may request that a second review by an appeals committee.

7. Reinstatement of aid eligibility
Upon successfully meeting the SAP standards, a student will be eligible to receive financial aid.

A student who has been suspended may receive financial aid after the appeal has been approved. At that point, the student will be granted another term of probation. Progress will then be re-evaluated at the end of the new probation term.

8. Additional SAP standards

• Treatment of Grades: Grades of A, B, C, D, F, and NC will be used to determine a student’s GPA. Grades of A, B, C, D, F, I, IP, N, N/C, P, and W will be used to determine a student’s attempted credits.
  
  
• Academic Forgiveness: Credits forgiven under academic forgiveness will be included in the SAP standard calculations.
  
  
• Audited Courses: Audit credits are not considered attempted or earned
  
  
• Consortium Credits: Consortium credits will be treated the same as credits for courses taken on campus.
  
  
• Remedial Courses: Remedial and ESL credits are included in the GPA calculation. A student may take up to 30 credits of remedial courses while enrolled in a program leading toward a degree, certificate, or diploma. ESL courses, by law are exempt from this 30 credit limit. All courses will be included in calculating the credit completion ratio. ESL courses and the first 30 remedial credits will not be counted in determining the maximum timeframe for a student.
  
  
• Repeated Courses: All repeated courses affect the quantitative standards in determining satisfactory academic progress. The most recent grade received in a repeated course will be used in the calculation of your GPA if the original grade was a B or C. If the original grade was a D, F or NC, then the highest grade will be used in calculating the cumulative GPA.
  
  
• Transfer Credits: Transfer credits will be included when calculating your maximum time frame, but not your GPA or credit completion. This includes credits earned from foreign institutions.
  
  
• Withdrawals: If a student drops a class after the add/drop period, but before the last official day to withdraw from a class, the student will receive a "W" grade. "W" grades affect the completion rate, but not the GPA.
  
  
• Post Secondary Education Options: credits earned as a Post Secondary Education Options (PSEO) student will not be included in the cumulative credit completion ratio, GPA, and the maximum timeframe calculation.
  
  
• Change Majors: if you change majors, the credits you earn under all majors will be included in the calculation of credit completion ratio and maximum timeframe credits, as well as your GPA calculation.
  
  
• Multiple Programs: if you are enrolled in multiple programs, all programs will be included in the calculation of credit completion ratio and maximum timeframe credits, as well as your GPA calculation.