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SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP)

Students receiving Federal Student Aid are expected to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward their enrolled degree according to Federal Regulations governing the federal student aid programs. This standard applies to all students receiving financial aid at Dodge City Community College (DCCC). Satisfactory Academic Progress of students will be verified at the close of each term according to requirements of the U.S. Department of Education and DCCC policies. SAP includes a qualitative and quantitative standard, which must BOTH be met to remain eligible for financial aid.

Qualitative Standard

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students earning or transferring with a GPA below 2.0 will be placed on Probation. If a student fails to meet a SAP GPA of 2.0 or above after a Financial Aid Probation, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Note: In order to receive the SAP probation, students must be meeting Maximum Timeframe requirements (see below).

Quantative Standard

Completion Rate

Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours. The completion rate is measured by comparing the number of credit hours completed/earned versus the number of credit hours attempted. A student failing to earn 67% of their attempted hours will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the following semester of enrollment. This evaluation will be made prior to an aid offer being created and after grades are posted at the end of each semester a student is enrolled at DC3.

The following count as attempted but NOT completed:

F grades
W withdrawals
I incompletes

Maximum Timeframe

Students may attempt no more than 150% of the credits required for their program. (Example: If your degree is 60 credits long, you must complete it within 90 attempted credits). After 150% of the published length of the program has been attempted (including DC3 and all transfer credit hours on record), students are no longer eligible for federal financial aid and must submit a Maximum Time Frame Appeal, including an updated Degree Map provided by a student’s academic advisor.
*Students must meet BOTH qualitative and quantitative standards to remain eligible for financial aid. Failure to meet all or any of these standards may result in probation or suspension of eligibility for federal financial aid and the student will be notified if they do not comply with the SAP policy. All transfer and repeated/remedial courses count towards all SAP requirements.

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DETERMINATION OF ENROLLMENT STATUS (PER TERM)

12 + credit hours	Full-time enrollment
9-11 credit hours	Three-quarter time enrollment
6-8 credit hours	One half-time enrollment
Fewer than 6 credit hours	Less-than-one-half-time enrollment

* Enrollment classifications for summer terms are the same as standard Fall and Spring terms.
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Transfer, Repeat, and Remedial Courses

The following are included in SAP calculations:

Transfer credits accepted by DCCC
- All credits accepted in transfer to DC3 count toward evaluation of SAP GPA. All repeated and remedial courses are included. Evaluation will occur before any financial aid offer is sent to the student. If a student received all Fs or all Ws at a previous semester immediately the incoming semester at DC3, the student is placed on automatic Financial Aid Suspension
Repeated courses
- Students are allowed TWO retakes to improve their non-failing/incomplete grade. After two retakes, Financial Aid will no longer cover those courses.
- Students may retake failed courses until successfully passed. Please note that all repeats will count towards your Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Remedial coursework

These credits count toward:

GPA calculations
Completion rate calculations
Maximum timeframe calculations

*Some certificate programs are ineligible for student financial aid, but those credits will be counted toward all SAP requirements if the student later enrolls in an eligible program.
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Changing Majors and Second Degrees

Students may change degree programs one time and remain eligible for financial aid if all other SAP standards are met.
Students who change degree programs a second time may lose federal financial aid eligibility. Credits from previous degree or certificate programs continue counting toward Maximum Timeframe calculations.
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Financial Aid Warnings vs. Suspension

Financial Aid Warning

Students failing SAP for the first time are placed on Financial Aid Warning status for the next semester or term. Student Financial Aid Warning is a formal final warning that a student’s academic progress is not meeting the mandatory standard at Dodge City Community College.

Students on warning:

remain eligible for financial aid
must regain SAP compliance by the end of the term

*A student will receive only one warning period during their academic tenure at DCCC.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who fail SAP after a warning semester are placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Students on suspension:

lose federal financial aid eligibility
must successfully appeal OR
pay out-of-pocket until SAP standards are met

Automatic Suspension

Students receiving all F, W, and/or I’s at the end of a term will automatically be placed on Financial Aid Suspension without a warning semester.

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Appealing

Students Have the Right to Appeal

SAP APPEAL:

Students on Financial Aid Suspension may submit an SAP appeal due to documented extenuating circumstances associated with the academic failure.

Appeals must include:

completed appeal documentation
explanation of circumstances, including why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress, and what has changed in his/her situation that will all him/her to make satisfactory progress at the next evaluation
supporting documentation

Important Information

Appeals are reviewed case-by-case
Approval is NOT guaranteed
Students may appeal a maximum of TWO times
Decisions are final

MTF APPEAL:

The same regulations apply to a Maximum Timeframe (MTF) Appeal. Additionally, students must meet with an Advisor/or Registrar to review their degree map audit and to identify the anticipated final semester of attendance.

*If an appeal is approved, there will be specific stipulations as to actions required of the student during the next term of enrollment. Failure to fully comply with any stipulation in the approval letter will result in immediate suspension. Any federal aid not yet disbursed at the time of that failure will not be disbursed for the term and all charges will become the student’s responsibility.
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Financial Aid Plan & Probation

Students with approved appeals may be placed on a Financial Aid Academic Plan. Probation reinstates eligibility for only one semester. If it is readily apparent that the student can regain full eligibility under the Standard for Satisfactory Academic Progress within one semester, no Academic Plan is required. If it is determined that the student will require more than one payment period (semester) to meet progress standards, an Academic Plan must be developed. Student success in meeting the requirements of the Academic Plan is reviewed at the end of each term until the student is once again in full compliance with the satisfactory academic progress standard.

Students must:

follow their degree map
maintain required GPA standards
complete all enrolled courses
comply with all conditions listed in the approval notice

Failure to follow the Academic Plan results in immediate suspension of financial aid eligibility.

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Academic Probation

Please note that financial aid probation (or suspension) for failing to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress is not the same thing as academic probation for failing to meet Scholastic Standards. If a student needs to appeal an academic probation, they must do so through the academic appeals processed described in this catalog.

For the complete DC3 Policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress email a request to finaid@dc3.edu or request a copy in the Financial Aid Office.
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Student Financial Aid Refunds and Repayments

Student financial aid refunds and repayments when a student completely withdraws from Dodge City Community College will be made in accordance with federal rules for Return to Title IV fund calculations.