WVNCC | West Virginia Northern Community College
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
All students who apply for financial aid must be in good standing at the College, making progress towards a Certificate or Associate Degree, and maintaining Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. (Financial Aid SAP is not be confused with Institutional Standards of Academic Progress.)
Students receiving
Criteria of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
A. Grade Point Average
All students must maintain a cumulative (overall) 2.0 grade point average (GPA). Earned transfer credit will also be calculated into your GPA unless you have requested that certain grades be deleted from the calculation of the GPA under the policy guidelines for Deletion of Outdated Coursework.
B. Pace (Completion) Rate
Students must successfully complete (and maintain) 67% of total hours attempted even if the hours are not considered for financial aid. All attempted hours (including withdrawals, failed courswork, incompletes, and repeat courswork) are calculated in the completion rate even if no financial aid was received for the hours. The only exception is developmental course hours which are excluded from calculation.
The calculation is as follows:
PACE (Completion) Rate = Total EARNED Credit Hours ÷ Total ATTEMPTED Credit Hours
Example: A student has attempted a total of 30 hours, 10 of which wre not covered by financial aid. The total hours attempted is still considered 30 for the PACE calculation. In order for the student to be financial aid eligible he/she must have completed 21 hours (30 hrs x 67% = 20.1).
The first time a student is not meeting the above SAP requirements, the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning. After one warning, if a student does not meet SAP again, they are not eligible for financial aid unless they submit an appeal with a degree evaluation and it is approved. If approved, the student is placed on Financial aid Probation (and may have to complete an academic plan). If denied, the student will have to Pay for classes on their OWN until meeting SAP requirements again. (see appeal form for additional guidelines)
**Institutional Standards of Academic Progress is seperate and will have its own requirements and notifications.
Students will then be notified through their WVNCC e-mail of their Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal decision and any credit hour/course limitations with the decision.
C. Maximum Time Frame (150%) Rule - Length of Eligibility for Financial Aid
Students may receive financial aid for 150% of the length of their Associate Degree or Certificate Program. Transfer credits are included in this calculation.
AA/AAS/AS Degree Programs: Total credit hours required are 60, the maximum time frame is 90 attempted hours (60 x 150%)
Certificate (CP) Programs: Total credit hours required are 30, the maximum time frame is 45 attempted hours (30 x 150%)
Students receiving financial aid will be reviewed at the end of each semester for the 150% rule, and notified by the Financial Aid Office if they have exceeded or will exceed the maximum time frame to complete their program. An appeal and degree evaluation is required to continue receiving financial aid. (This is different than the appeal for SAP requirments A and B above)
If an appeal is required, students must complete the following:
- Review Degree Evaluation in NOW for required classes still needed to complete their degree/certificate.
- Reveiw degree evaluation with advisor to pick (at minimum) the next 2 semesters of classes (submitted on the Financial aid Academic Plan worksheet)
- Submit the completed Financial Aid SAP appeal form (if required also) and Academic Plan worksheet, with a copy of the degree evaluation, to the Financial Aid Office by each semester deadline.