DCCCD requires students who receive financial aid to maintain the following standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP). These measurements shall be used to determine your eligibility for all federal Title IV aid and for other need-based financial assistance, unless the terms of a particular grant or funding source state otherwise.
Qualitative Progress Measurement: Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average
To continue receiving financial aid payments, you are expected to successfully complete all your classes with good grades. You must have at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of the spring semester each year, or you will be placed on financial aid (FA) suspension at the start of the following fall semester. See the section on FA suspension below for more information on how FA suspension may affect your ability to receive aid.
Quantitative Progress Measurement No. 1:
Number of Credit Hours Required to Complete
When you enroll in classes and receive financial aid to pay for them, you are expected to complete those classes. If you do not complete at least 67 percent of the credit hours that you started during the year, you will be placed on FA suspension at the start of the following fall semester.
Only passing grades count as successful completions. Incomplete or other grades that do not result in earned credits will not count as completions.
To use the chart below, add the hours for which you enrolled in the fall and spring semesters. You must complete, at a minimum, the corresponding number of hours listed in the right column with a grade of A, B, C or D in order to meet this requirement for continuing your financial aid eligibility.
Hours Attempted
|
Hours Required to Complete |
|
24 |
17 |
|
23 |
16 |
|
22 |
15 |
|
21 |
15 |
|
20 |
14 |
|
19 |
13 |
|
18 |
13 |
|
17 |
12 |
|
16 |
11 |
|
15 |
11 |
|
14 |
10 |
|
13 |
9 |
|
12 |
9 |
|
11 |
8 |
|
10 |
7 |
|
9 |
7 |
|
8 |
6 |
|
7 |
5 |
|
6 |
5 |
|
1-5 |
Must Complete All |
Quantitative Progress Measurement No. 2:
Maximum Time to Complete a Degree/Program
When you receive financial aid to help pay for a program of study, you are expected to complete that program without wasting a lot of money and time. You must select a program of study before you can receive financial aid.
To make sure that you complete your program in a reasonable amount of time, a limit set by law has been placed on the number of hours that you can attempt in order to complete your program. That limit is 150 percent of the minimum number of hours required to complete your program. (For example, if you are in a degree program that takes 66 hours to complete, you must finish your program within 99 attempted hours. If you are in a certificate program that takes 36 hours, you must finish your program within 54 hours.)
Once you reach the 150 percent limit, you will no longer be able to receive additional financial aid payments. (For example, if you enroll in 12 hours but you only have three hours left before reaching the 150 percent limit, you will only be paid for the three hours you have left.)
There are a lot of variables that go into calculating that limit, including, but not limited to:
- All attempted credit hours are counted regardless of whether or not you received aid to pay for them.
- Any transfer hours that are accepted from other colleges toward completion of your program are counted. If you are a transfer student, you must submit transcripts from all previous colleges before the end of your first semester or second semester aid will be canceled.
- If you repeat a course, both attempts are counted.
- If you withdraw from a course, it is still counted as an attempt.
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Get more information on these standards from the DCCCD catalog.
Note: If you cannot complete your program within the 150 percent limit, you will be placed on financial aid suspension when that determination is calculated.
Financial Aid Suspension
If you fail to meet any one of the SAP measurements described above, you will be placed on financial aid suspension for at least one award year. (Once you exceed the 150 percent limit, you cannot regain satisfactory progress. However, in extreme circumstances you may appeal to extend your eligibility to complete a program.) During the period of suspension, you will not be eligible to receive financial aid.
To regain financial aid eligibility, you must pay the expenses related to at least half-time enrollment (six hours at a time) and satisfy all SAP requirements. After meeting all SAP requirements, you must request reinstatement of eligibility in writing to the Financial Aid Office.
Appeal Process
If you are placed on financial aid suspension, you may petition the Financial Aid Office (FAO) to consider mitigating (special) circumstances that resulted in your inability to meet the SAP requirements. The appeal must be typed and must include supporting documentation regarding the circumstances (i.e., medical statements, divorce documents, letters of unemployment, etc.).
You will be notified by the FAO within five days after a decision has been made regarding the appeal. If the FAO denies the petition, you may follow the same written procedure to appeal to the college administrator who oversees the FAO.
Other Important Financial Aid Information and Rules: Developmental Course Work
You may be able take up to 30 hours of developmental course work and receive financial aid to pay for those costs. These hours do not count toward the 150 percent limit to complete your degree, but you will be measured against Quantitative Measurement No. 1 described above.
Once you have attempted 30 developmental hours, you will only be paid for attempts of credit hours toward your program. You cannot receive financial aid to pay for extra developmental hours.
ESOL classes are counted with other developmental hours. If you are taking ESOL classes and still need additional ESOL help after attempting 30 or more developmental hours, you must submit a request to the Financial Aid Office, in writing, for extended financial aid eligibility to pay toward ESOL classes.
WARNING: Repayment of Federal Funds
If you receive federal financial aid and withdraw from all courses at or before the time when 60 percent of the term is completed, you will be required to repay a portion of the federal aid received.
If you receive a grade of F in all courses for a semester, you will be required to repay a portion of financial aid received unless an instructor documents that you participated in at least one class through the 60 percent point of the term.
Financial aid will not pay for:
- Any credit hours in excess of the 150 percent maximum program limit (see discussion of Quantitative Measurement No. 2 above)
- Courses taken by audit
- Credit hours earned by placement tests
- Courses you register for after the official certification date of the semester
- Courses taken by transfer (transient) students attending for summer only
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Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) Restrictions
In accordance with federal regulations, a school must verify that a loan recipient is meeting SAP each time funds are released to the student. If you have been awarded money under the FFELP, all or part of your loan will be canceled if you are not meeting SAP at the time loan funds are available for disbursement (distribution).
You then will not be considered for future loans until the SAP requirements have been met. Other restrictions related to your college’s default management plan may limit how much you may borrow and when you will receive your loan payments.
Summer Enrollment and the SAP
When calculating the SAP status, summer hours attempted will be counted toward the 150 percent maximum, and summer grade points earned will be calculated as part of the cumulative grade point average. The rule pertaining to completion of a minimum number of attempted credit hours will not be calculated for summer enrollment.