What is SAP? Why was my financial aid terminated and what do I do?
Answer
SAP stands for Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid: These are the standards you are measured by to determine if you are making progress toward completing your degree. There are three components to a SAP Policy:
1. GPA (2.0 or greater)
2. Completion Rate (67 percent or higher): You are required to complete 67% of the credit hours you enroll in.
3. Maximum Hours (150 percent of the number of credits needed to complete your degree, diploma or certificate program) -- the number of credit hours includes transfer credit hours from another institution. For example, 60 credit hours needed to complete for diploma or certificate = maximum hrs are 90 credit hours. This can happen when switching or starting a new program. It can also happen if you have changed your program a number of times. The credit hours you have taken or given transfer credit for in all programs count toward the maximum number of credit hours title IV financial aid will award. Maximum Hours is, basically, a time limit the federal government places on your degree completion.
Each term you will be notified of your SAP status:
- Meet: You are on track, keep up the good work.
- Warning: You have fallen below for either your completion rate and/or your GPA. ICC allows the following semester for students to bring up their GPA and completion to meeting progress. If at the end of the warning term you are back up to meeting satisfactory academic progress your status will be returned to Meets. If your completion rate and GPA are still below satisfactory academic progress, your status will become terminated and you will need to appeal if you wish to be considered for reinstatement.
- Terminated: Termination happens under two determinations:
- Students have exceeded Max hours OR
- Students who have changed programs and it is determined that the number of credit hours needed to complete the program, when added to the completed credit hours (including transfer credit), will exceed the max number of credit hours that financial aid will cover.
- Probation: Probation means that you have successfully appealed for reinstatement and need to continue to meet the conditions of your appeal to remain eligible for financial aid to complete your program. Failing to meet the terms of probation will result in being placed on termination again. The terms of the probation may include but are not limited to the following:
- Must remain in current program: can only enroll in courses that are required on the Degree Progress Report (aka: Academic Advisement Report). If the you change your program of study while on appeal, you must re-appeal under the new plan of study.
- Cannot receive a W or an F; must successfully complete all the classes you enroll in. Students can still drop a class by the refund date without a negative impact on their Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Must maintain 2.0 GPA for each term while on probation.
Next Steps to Appeal:
You may appeal to have your financial aid reinstated: You will receive instructions in your ICC student email
- You will be asked to include information on the extenuating circumstances that led to your being terminated. Please be specific. What unforeseen circumstances or issues (personal, family, job, etc.) that contributed to your failing to meet academic progress. Regarding maximum hours, please clarify why you are exceeding the maximum credit hours for your current program of study. Please submit supporting documentation:
- Log into your MyICC > select Academics for the left sidebar > select Degree Progress > Save as pdf you will be asked to upload this degree progress report to your SAP Appeal.
- If applicable, save as a pdf any other supporting documentation your extenuating circumstances such as a record of doctor's appointments, obituaries, etc.
- Next, select Financials > ICC Eforms Workcenter > Select Add SAP Appeal complete the form and select submit.
- You will be asked for a statement of your commitment to complete the program and what changes you have made or will make to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress moving forward.
- It is important to monitor your email for any additional questions or documentation requests related to your appeal. The decision of your appeal will be sent to your student email address. Generally, it takes 10 business days for review.
- Please note: If you are not enrolled in classes for the current term and are appealing for reinstatement for a future term, there will be a delay in your determination until all of the current term appeals reviews are complete.Also, if you do not attend in the future term for which you are applying for reinstatement, you may be required to resubmit an appeal. You are appealing to be reinstated to complete your current program of study. Be sure the program of study is correct before submitting your appeal. The program will be listed on your degree progress report. If, at any time, you switch programs you will be terminated and need to appeal again.
Enrollment Specialists are available to assist at Financialaid@icc.edu or 309-694-5600.