Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance. Federal regulations require all colleges and universities to publish and apply standards that monitor students' progress toward completion of their certificate or degree program. Two departments monitor SAP at the completion of each semester. The Registrar's Office monitors coursework for academic standing, and the Financial Aid Office ensures that all students (including full-time students, part-time students, and students without aid) are meeting the requirements for SAP. These standards apply to all students regardless of whether a student has received previous financial aid or transferred from another institution. The federal regulations set minimum requirements, but schools can choose their own acceptable thresholds. This means that SAP standards can vary from one institution to the next.

Students failing to meet SAP standards will receive communication to their College of Idaho email address. All students should check their email on a regular basis for any changes or updates to their student account, financial aid awards, or requests for documentation.

In order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student must meet each of these criteria:

• Earn a grade point average which meets the minimum requirements for continuation of study at The College of Idaho.
  • Earn a 2.00 or higher semester (term) grade point average for the most recent fall or spring semester.
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher.
• Maintain a 67% completion rate: credits attempted divided by credits completed.
• Complete all degree requirements within a specified time frame.

Evaluation of Academic Progress

At the end of each semester, academic progress will be measured by comparing the number of attempted credit hours (including accepted transfer credits) with the credit hours earned and by the student's cumulative grade point average. This includes any course for which the student has remained enrolled past the add/drop period. The following criteria are considered when evaluating a student's SAP.

• Credits Attempted: Credits attempted include all courses in which a student remains enrolled beyond the add/drop period, regardless of whether the course is successfully completed.
• Credits Completed: Credits completed are defined as all classes for which a student receives a passing grade of D- or better, or P.
• Credits Excluded from the Pace Calculation: Audit credits do not count as credits attempted or completed.
• Repeat courses: All repeat courses count as attempted credits, but they only count as completed once. Federal financial aid may be received multiple times for a course that has not yet been successfully completed, including courses with grades of F or W. After a student has earned a passing grade (D- or better), federal financial aid may be received for one additional repetition of that course. Further repetitions of a previously passed course are not eligible for federal financial aid.

By rule, SAP standards must include both qualitative (grade-based) and quantitative (time-based) requirements.

• Qualitative Requirement: A student must maintain an acceptable GPA in order to continue to receive financial assistance. The criterion is maintaining a 2.00 cumulative GPA; initially, students with less than a 2.00 cumulative GPA will be placed on warning and given one semester to improve their academic record before being placed on suspension. Students placed on warning are eligible to receive financial aid. Grade point averages are monitored by the Registrar's Office; see Policies and Procedures for additional information.

• Quantitative Requirement: The completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of successfully completed credits by the number of attempted credits over the student's entire academic career, including all accepted transfer credits and any credits earned during periods of enrollment when the student was not receiving financial aid. If a student changes course of study (major), the hours attempted under all courses of study are included in the calculation of attempted and earned hours. Students must complete 67% of all credits attempted at The College of Idaho as well as those transferred and accepted from other schools.

Maximum Timeframe (Pace)

Pace is required to ensure students complete their program of study within the maximum timeframe. Timeframe is calculated and is no longer than 150 percent of the published length of the program. That is, students must complete the 124 credits required for completion of a College of Idaho degree; 150 percent of total credits is 186 credits, at which point the student may lose financial aid eligibility.

Please note: If a SAP review makes it clear the student cannot mathematically complete the degree in the allotted timeframe or is unable to raise the GPA to the minimum 2.00 within the maximum timeframe, the student is placed on suspension.

Pace of Progression

Pace is calculated by dividing cumulative credits successfully completed by cumulative credits attempted.

At each SAP review, students must have completed 67% of all credits attempted.

Pace to Completion

To ensure federal compliance, students who enroll in a degree program and have earned 124* credits or more, including transfer and regular credits, should be on an academic plan or applying for graduation, at which time a credit evaluation will be completed.

• If the remaining credits needed to complete the bachelor's degree plus the credits already attempted will cause the student to exceed the 186 maximum allowable attempted credits, the student will be required to complete a petition.
• Students are no longer eligible for financial assistance once they have received 186 undergraduate credits during their academic career or after they have graduated.
• The exception to this is enrollment in the fifth-year internship program through the Education Department, which occurs after a student graduates.

*For undergraduate students to reach 124 credits, enrollment will be approximately 16 credits each fall and spring semester for four years.

Failure to Make Satisfactory Academic Progress

Student is granted one semester of aid eligibility on warning status. No appeal is necessary, but the student should meet with their advisor to ensure success for future semesters. Students may have multiple warning semesters.

Failure After Warning Semester

Student may appeal by submitting:

• Completed appeal form;
• An academic plan for success created by the student and advisor; and
• Supporting documentation regarding any extenuating circumstances.

Failure During Probationary Status

The student is ineligible for further aid until the student can regain SAP eligibility without aid or the student submits an additional petition.

Petition Process

Students who are placed on dismissal may petition if extenuating circumstances led to academic difficulties. A student may petition (with supporting documentation) in these situations:

• Extenuating circumstances: situations over which the student has no control and may include death in the student's immediate family, hospitalization, accidents, and illness. Supporting documentation is required.
• Suspension resulting from a grade of Incomplete (I) or missing grades.

• Why the student failed to meet satisfactory progress.
• What has changed in the student's situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory progress at the next evaluation.
• A written academic plan with advisor signature.

The Financial Aid and Academic Standing Committee will:

• Review the petition and current academic performance.
• Convey in writing to the student the approval or disapproval of the petition.

If the petition is approved, the student will be placed on probation for the next semester. If the student does not meet the requirements of the approval as outlined in the approval document, the student will be automatically placed on dismissal.

Students who have been dismissed and either do not petition, miss the petition deadline, or have their petition denied may be considered for re-admission upon presenting evidence of ability to do satisfactory college work. Normally, the expectation is that the student will complete at least twelve credits at another regionally accredited college or university with no grade below a C. Students who have been dismissed and do not appeal may not enroll in any classes at The College of Idaho unless they have permission from the Financial Aid and Academic Standings Committee.

A student may submit a maximum of two petitions during their time of study at The College of Idaho.

Student Standings

Students' progress under the SAP standards is assessed at the end of each semester to determine academic and financial aid eligibility in future semesters. Students may fall into one of the following SAP status categories:

Dean's List

To receive Dean's List recognition, a student must complete at least nine graded credits (excluding grades of P and S) in a given semester and achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher for that semester. Dean's List recognition is awarded only for the fall and spring semesters.

Good Status

Students who meet all SAP standards and are not in a period of warning, suspension, or probation are in good standing; no additional enrollment, advising, or academic plan requirements are specified.

Warning Status

If a student’s semester GPA and/or cumulative GPA fall beneath a 2.0, or their pace to completion falls below the mandatory threshold, the student’s academic standing will be placed on academic warning. The semester of academic warning is designed to serve as a "wake-up" call. It indicates that the student’s current academic plan, goals, or study routines are not working and need to be evaluated and perhaps changed.  

Students who earn this status in the fall will be placed on academic warning in the spring. Students who earn this status in the spring will be placed on academic warning in the fall. Students on academic warning are expected to remain in a full course load (at least 12 credits) during their semester of academic warning.

If a student finishes their academic warning semester with at least a 2.0 for their semester GPA and brings their cumulative GPA above a 2.0, and/or raises their pace to completion above the threshold, the student will be deemed in good standing.  Should the student not meet these criteria, they will be dismissed with the right to appeal.

Probation / Academic Plan

A student on probation may enroll and receive federal, state, and institutional aid for one semester pending evaluation.  Students who have been placed on probation and are attending their program under an approved academic plan remain eligible for aid as long as they continue to meet the conditions of that plan.

Dismissal Status

Students who do not meet both qualitative and quantitative standards are no longer eligible for financial aid. Students will receive a letter informing them that they have been dismissed. Students can take classes (using their own funding) and can raise their cumulative GPA and completion rate to meet the above standards to be reviewed for SAP. Students who have been dismissed may petition if there are extenuating circumstances that led to academic difficulties (see Petition Process).

Reinstatement

The policy does not preclude a student from enrolling in subsequent semesters. Students can raise their GPA and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional coursework at The College of Idaho without receiving financial aid or by transferring in credits from another institution. Students who have lost financial aid eligibility will not regain it simply by paying or a semester or by sitting out a semester. Students may have their financial aid reinstated once all SAP standards (both qualitative and quantitative) are met. Students can also submit a copy of their College of Idaho transcript and a petition form to verify grade changes, including removal of Incompletes, if this will result in the students' meeting the requirements of SAP for financial assistance.