# Presentation: 388528

## SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

- Jamie Malone
- Greg Martin

## Student Eligibility

-   Maintains satisfactory progress in his/her course of study according to school’s published standards
-  668.32(f)
-  668.34

## Administrative Capability

-   Establishes, publishes, and applies reasonable standards for measuring if a student is maintaining satisfactory progress in his/her educational program
-  668.16(e)

## Consumer Information

- Publish and make readily available to current and prospective students
- standards for making satisfactory progress
-  criteria for reestablishing eligibility if SAP is violated
-  668.42(c)(2)

## SAP Standards

- Apply to all Title IV programs

## SAP Standards Must Be

- Consistently Applied
- Reasonable

## SAP Standards

- Must be same as or stricter than
- standards for non-Title IV
- students in same educational
- program
- Are you using your school’s academic standards or standards specifically for Title IV?

## SAP Standards Must Include

- Two Components
- Qualitative
- Quantitative
-  Both must be _cumulative_

## Qualitative Standard

- To assess quality of academic work
- Use standards measurable against a norm
-  grades,
-  work projects
- May use fixed or graduated standard

## Fixed Standard Example

-   A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 after two terms of enrollment, and subsequently, each academic year.

## Graduated Standard Example

- Grade Point Average Requirements
- 1 to 30 credits = 1.6
- 31 to 60 credits = 1.8
- 61 to graduation = 2.0

## Academic Programs Longer Than Two Years

- By the end of the second academic year, student must have:
- a “C” average or its equivalent
- 	OR
- academic standing consistent with graduation requirements
- Years measured in time, not grade level

## Mitigating Circumstances Regarding “C” After Two Years 

-   These standards may be set aside if certain circumstances affect progress
-  death of a relative
-  injury or illness of student
-  other special circumstances

## Quantitative Standard

- To measure progress toward course
- completion

## Maximum Time Frame

- Undergraduates may receive aid for a maximum of 150% of the published length of the educational program
- cumulative, including periods without Title IV assistance

**Notes:**
10/06/83 Fed Reg established maximum time frame theory --- must include all complete academic history, even if no Title IV

04/29/94 Fed Reg established 150% for undergraduate programs -- don't count periods if nonenrollment

## Graduate Max Time

- School must develop a written
- policy establishing a maximum
- time frame in which a graduate
- student must complete the
- program.

## Credit Hour Schools

- May define maximum time frame in
- Academic Years
- Credit Hours Attempted
- Terms

## Academic Years

- Degree program takes 4 years
- to complete
-  4 X 150% = 6 years is maximum time frame
-  4 X 125% = 5 years is maximum time frame

## Credit Hours Attempted

- Degree program requires 120
- credits for completion
-  120 X 150% = 180 attempted credits is maximum time frame

## Terms

- Degree program takes 6 terms
- to complete
-  6 X 150% = 9 terms is maximum time frame

## Clock Hour Max Time

- Must use calendar time
- 900 clock hour program takes 8 months to complete
-  8 X 150% = 12 months is maximum time frame

**Notes:**
Because student given credit for every hour in attendance, hours attempted equal hours completed...so must use calendar...weeks or months

## Evaluating Students’ Progress

- How often should students’ progress be evaluated?

##    Maximum Time Frame

- Must be divided into equal evaluation periods
- Evaluation periods cannot exceed the lesser of one half of the program or one academic year

## Programs One Year Or Less

- School must evaluate progress at
- least once, at the half-way point

## Clock Hour Program Example

- 8 months/900 clock hours
- program is one year in length
- one half of the program =
-    4 month evaluation periods

## Credit Hour Non-Term Program Example

-  6 months/24 quarter credits
- program is less than one year
- one half of the program =
-    3 month evaluation periods

## Programs Longer Than One Year

- School must evaluate progress at
- least once per academic year

## Credit Hour Term Degree Program

- Must evaluate progress at least once academic year
- May evaluate progress at end of each term

## Evaluating Students’ Progress

- How much work must be completed at
- end	of each evaluation period?

## Student Must Complete Within Maximum Time Frame

- Your policy may require
- a fixed amount of work that must be completed in each evaluation period
- a percentage of work that must be completed in each evaluation period

## Credit Hour - 6 Year Max Time

- Student must complete 1/6 of
- the work required for the degree
- each year
- degree requires 120 credits
- 1/6 = .16666
- 20 credits per year required to finish within 6 years

## Credit Hour - Attempted Credits

-  120 credits / 180 credits = 67%
-  Student must earn 67% of credit hours attempted

## Clock Hour Program - 12 Month Max Time

- 4 months / 12 months = 34%
- 34% X 900 = 306 clock hours
- 306 clock hours in 4 month period

## Course Repeats

- How do these affect progress??
- Qualitative - average grades, count both grades, or count the higher grade
- Quantitative - included in maximum time frame
- May only count toward enrollment status if receiving credit

## What About?

-  Incompletes
-  Withdrawals
-  Non-credit remedial courses

## Transfer Students

- May make initial disbursement
- If no credits transferred in, then SAP evaluated solely on work at current school
- If received transfer credits, those must be included when determining progress toward maximum time frame

## Probation/Warning

- Optional
- How long?
- What stipulations must student meet?
- Notification process

## Major/Degree Changes

- How will you deal with maximum
- timeframe?
- Take credits earned and apply toward max time
-  Student eligible for aid for 150% of remaining required credits
-  Does it require an appeal?

## Appeal Policy

- Specific procedures for student to appeal if not making satisfactory progress
- Who will decide appeals?

## How To Re-establish Eligibility

-   What happens once a student fails to meet the standards?
-  No appeal or disapproved appeal

**Notes:**
--Suspended for certain period of time
 --attend without aid and meet cumulative requirements 

## Disbursement Of Funds

-   Make certain that student meets satisfactory academic progress standards as of last time your policy required evaluation.

## Contacts

**Gregory Martin**
**Phone: (215) 656-6452 **
**Email: gregory.martin@ed.gov**

- We appreciate your feedback and comments.
- We can be reached at:

**Jamie Malone**
**  ****Phone: (312) 730-1528 **
**  ****Email: jamie.malone@ed.gov**

## Please provide any comments regarding this training or the trainers to:

Jo Ann Borel
Title IV Training Supervisor
joann.borel@ed.gov
202-377-3930

- Jo Ann Borel
- Title IV Training Supervisor
- joann.borel@ed.gov
- 202-377-3930