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BOT 05-27-10, 8-26-10, 03-01-12, 06-21-12
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
In order to qualify and receive Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education
requires that students maintain satisfactory academic progress in a program of study that
leads to a degree program.
Federal Student Aid includes Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study, and Leveraging Educational Assistance
Partnership Grant (LEAP). Also, other agencies including tribal and scholarship
programs may require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for their aid
programs.
The entire academic record of all students will be monitored at the end of each semester
to ensure compliance with the requirements specified below. Therefore, even the
academic record of those who have not received Federal Student Aid in the past will
impact future eligibility. Failure to meet the following standards will result in financial
aid suspension ineligibility for students who may have otherwise qualified for Federal
Student Aid.
Satisfactory academic progress has both a qualitative and quantitative measure to monitor
a student’s progress toward a degree or certificate:
1) Qualitative Requirement: Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average.
a) Freshman (1-30 attempted credit hours) – 1.50
b) Sophomore (31-60 attempted credit hours) – 2.00
c) Junior (61-90 attempted credit hours) – 2.00
d) Senior (91 or more attempted credit hours) – 2.00
2) Quantitative Requirements:
The students must demonstrate their pace of progression through their program of study.
The pace is measured at the end of each term. The students must satisfactorily complete
67% of their courses in which the student have attempted overall.
Examples:
Term 1 Term Pace Cumulative Pace
9 hours completed = 75% 9 =75%
12 hours attempted 12_________
Term 2
6 hours completed = 50% 15 =62.5%
12 hours attempted 24__________
Term 3
12 hours completed = 100% 27 =75%
12 hours attempted 36_________
“Satisfactory Completion” means earning a passing grade of A, B, C, D, or P. Grades of
I, W, or F are not considered passing grades.
If a student withdraws during the first two weeks of the term, it is not considered credit
hours attempted. All courses withdrawn from the third week of the term to the end will be
counted as credit hours attempted.
Incomplete grades are considered credit hours attempted.
* Please see the Credit Hour Maximum Policy for the required completion rate to receive
a degree at OLC.
Remedial Courses
Remedial courses will not be counted towards the students’ overall pace of progression or
the cumulative hours attempted.
Students are required to take at least one 100 level course with the remedial courses in
order to receive Title IV funding.
Repeats
Courses that are failed or withdrawn from, then repeated are considered in the hours
attempted. Title IV funding can only pay a student one time for repeating a course that
the student has passed. In accordance with Title IV (PELL, FSEOG, FWS) regulations,
test out courses will not be paid by Title IV aid.
Review
Following each semester the Grade Point Average and number of credits attempted and
completed for each Financial Aid recipient will be reviewed.
Non-Satisfactory Academic Progress
Financial Aid Warning
If a Financial Aid recipient fails to satisfy the Satisfactory Progress Rule in a
particular semester, the recipient will be given a Financial Aid Warning during the
succeeding semester of enrollment. Students are still eligible to receive Financial Aid
during the warning period, but they must satisfactorily complete 67% of their overall
enrollment with a cumulative Grade Point Average of: 1.50 for Freshman and 2.0 for
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. Unless the student totally withdraws from all of
their courses any time during the semester.
Financial Aid Ineligible
1. If a Financial Aid recipient fails to comply during the warning period, the
Student will be placed on Financial Aid Ineligible status for all financial aid.
2. When a Financial Aid recipient totally withdraws from all their courses
anytime during the semester, they will automatically be placed on Financial
Aid Ineligible status for all financial aid.
Appeal of Financial Aid Ineligibility
1. A student may appeal Non-Satisfactory Progress by completing the Financial
Aid Appeal Form and attach supporting documents to the Financial Aid Office
by mid-term of the term during which the student is submitting an appeal for
ineligible status.
a. Reasons why he/she did not achieve minimum academic requirements
which should include any type of extenuating circumstances they may have
been experiencing at the time.
Extenuating Circumstances that will be considered but not limited to are:
illness, death in the family, injury, casualty losses due to weather
(hurricane, tornado, mud slide, ground subsidence and other natural
disasters), fire, theft, acts of God, or terrorism.
b. An explanation of what has changed that will allow the student to make
Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of the next term.
c. The appeal request will include an academic plan showing how the student
will make SAP and the student must make academic progress under the
plan at the end of the next term.
d. Students may have up to three appeals – but must be for different reasons.
2. An appeal Committee will review the appeal and determine whether the
Financial Aid appeal is justified. The appeal committee’s decision is final.
The student will be advised in writing of the decision of his/her appeal no later
than five days after receipt of such appeal.
a. If the appeal is approved and the student can demonstrate that they can
make Satisfactory Academic Progress in one term they will be placed on
Financial Aid Probation for one term.
b. If the appeal is approved and student cannot demonstrate that they can
make Satisfactory Academic Progress in one term, they will be required to
submit an academic plan. This plan has to show how they are going to get
back on track in a reasonable time. The plan will demonstrate the students
map to graduation.
The academic plan will then replace the SAP standards. At the end of each
term, the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress will be measured
against their plan. The students will have to follow the plan in order to
receive financial aid.
If the student fails or withdraws from any courses on their plan, the student
they will again be required to meet the minimum SAP requirements in order
to be eligible for any type of financial aid:
1. 67% overall completion rate
2. 1.5 (Freshman) 2.0 (All other students) overall grade point average
c. If the student’s appeal is not approved, the student will not be eligible for
financial aid until they meet the minimum SAP requirements and is able to
complete their degree within the maximum timeframe policy.
CREDIT HOUR MAXIMUMS
The U.S. Department of Education has established a limit on the number of credit hours a
student can attempt and still remain eligible for Federal Student Aid. This limit is based
on 150% of credit hours needed to complete the degree for which the student is pursuing.
This will allow for curriculum changes, repeats, and enrichment course work that may be
required for the field of degree.
Examples:
* A Two-Year Associate may be 60 credit hours x 150% = 90
* A Four – Year Bachelor may be 128 credit hours x 150% = 192
* A Two-Year Master may be 36 credit hours x 150% = 54
This includes all attempted Oglala Lakota College courses as well as all transfer credit
hours. In addition, this includes all semesters at Oglala Lakota College with or without
financial assistance.
Academic Progress toward the degree program will be measured at the end of each
semester. The student will receive an update, as to the amount of financial aid left, with
the satisfactory progress letter at the end of each semester.
If at any time, it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to complete their
program with the number of credits left in their 150% timeframe – the student is no
longer making Satisfactory Academic Progress and not eligible for Title IV aid.
The student will then request in writing, a reset in attempted hours to reflect their current
major.
PELL Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)
The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is
limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since
the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive each year is equal to
100% the six-year equivalent is 600%. This is in effect as of the academic year 2012-
2013.
This includes all past Pell Grant awards each student received and the awards coming in
the future semesters.
Therefore, if a student received a reset in their Pell hours for their current major and they
have exceeded the 600% they are no longer Pell Eligible as the LEU overrides the reset.
Change in Major
Students wishing to change their major plan should notify the Registrar’s office in
writing, who will then notify the Financial Aid office so that a determination of eligibility
for the new program of study can be made. Determination shall be based on credits
attempted and earned that can transfer into the new major.
Dual Majors
Students can only declare one major. Each semester, courses will be verified that they are
on the students’ current degree plan. All Title IV funding will only pay for courses that
are on each students’ degree plan. If a student chooses to take classes not on their status
sheet, they will be liable for tuition and fees of the course(s) not on their degree plan.
The Financial Aid Student academic Progress will be reset with a change of major up to 3
times in a student’s academic career at Oglala Lakota College.
Transfer Credits
Transfer credits earned at another institution that are accepted at Oglala Lakota College
toward the degree a student is currently pursuing shall be used in computing the total
credits attempted and earned.
Once a student earns a Bachelors Degree, they no longer eligible for a Federal PELL
Grant.
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