Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The U.S. Department of Education requires that colleges monitor the academic progress of Federal Financial Aid recipients to ensure that only those students demonstrating satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of their educational programs continue to receive financial aid. Hutchinson Community College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy monitors student progress in three areas:  completion rate, GPA, and maximum time frame. Students receiving any Federal Financial Aid including Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Work Study, Direct Loans, and/or any other Federal or state aid must meet the following standards:

• Students must earn credit for 67% of the cumulative hours they attempt
• Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA
• Students must complete their program of study within a reasonable time frame not to exceed 150% of their published program length

Each requirement is discussed in greater detail below.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured at the end of each semester and the student will be notified if they are not in compliance with the policy at that time. 

Completion Rate

Cumulative completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of cumulative credit hours earned by the number of cumulative credit hours attempted.  Students must earn 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted.  A student failing to complete 67% of their attempted hours will be placed on warning (see back of this form for details) for the following semester for which the student is enrolled.  A student who does not meet satisfactory academic progress standards during their warning semester will be placed on denial at the end of that semester.  A student may appeal their denial.  Instructions for appeal are found below.

Attempted hours include any course the student remained enrolled in past the refund period.  Earned hours include any hours for which the student earned an A, B, C, D, P, or CR.  Failures, withdrawals, audits, and incompletes are considered as attempted hours, but not earned hours.    Failing grades in pass/fail courses are considered attempted, but not earned.  Repeated and remedial courses are included in the calculation of attempted and earned hours. 

Any grades that are not posted at the time of SAP review will be considered as hours attempted, but not earned.

A student must contact the Financial Aid Office to resolve any discrepancies related to classes with grades posting after the review.

 Cumulative GPA

A student must also maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA).  A student failing to meet the cumulative GPA standard will be placed on warning for the following semester of enrollment.  A student who does not meet satisfactory academic progress standards during their warning semester will be placed on denial at the end of that semester.  A student may appeal their denial.  Instructions for appeal are found below.

Maximum Time Frame

Federal regulations require that a student complete their degree or certificate in a reasonable time frame not to exceed 150% of the published program length.  All credit hours attempted at HutchCC and transfer credit hours posted to the HutchCC transcript are counted towards the maximum time frame regardless of whether or not the credit hours apply to the degree or certificate the student is currently pursuing or if aid was received for those credit hours.  A student will be placed on warning at the end of the semester that they reach or exceed 125% their published program length.  If the student does not complete his or her degree or certificate during the warning semester, they will be placed on denial.  A student may appeal their denial.  Instructions for appeal are found below.

Example:  A student is pursuing an Associate’s degree which requires 60 credit hours for graduation.  The student will be placed on warning at 75 attempted credit hours (60x125%=75).  The student will then be placed on denial at the end of the warning semester.

Transfer Hours

All transfer hours accepted by HutchCC and posted to the student’s HutchCC transcript are included when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress status for transfer students.  All official transcripts from other colleges must be received, evaluated, and posted to the student’s HutchCC transcript before any financial aid will be awarded to a transfer student at HutchCC.  The transcript will then be evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress before any awards are made.  Students will be notified of their SAP status at that time.  If HutchCC becomes aware of any coursework not accounted for after an award is made, the award may be canceled until SAP status can be determined.

Warning

At the conclusion of each semester, all students receiving Title IV aid will be evaluated to determine whether or not they are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If a student is failing to meet SAP standards, they will be placed on warning for the following semester for which they are enrolled.  Warning status will not prevent the student from receiving financial aid.  This is not the same as being on academic probation with the College.  If the student fails to meet satisfactory academic progress standards while on warning, the student will be placed on financial aid denial.

Denial

A student not meeting satisfactory progress for two consecutive semesters will be denied financial aid until they reach the required completion rate or grade point average to meet satisfactory academic progress policy requirements. Students on denial are not eligible for financial aid of any kind, including Federal Direct student loans.  This is not the same as being on academic dismissal with the College.

Reinstatement

A student who has been placed on financial aid warning or denial may request that their status be adjusted if a subsequent semester brings them into compliance with Satisfactory Academic Progress standard.  Students may request a re-evaluation of their SAP status in writing to the Financial Aid Office.

Appeal

A student on denial may also appeal to have their eligibility reinstated through the Financial Aid Office.  Appeal forms are available at www.hutchcc.edu and/or DragonZone.  Appeals will be accepted through September 30 for the fall term, February 28 for the spring term, and July 15 for the summer term.  The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to review appeals after the deadline dates, if warranted.  Appeals will be reviewed within 10 business days of the date they were received in the Financial Aid Office.

The Financial Aid office will consider each petition individually.  Only extenuating circumstances will be considered for appeal.  Extenuating circumstances must be unexpected circumstances that are beyond the student’s control.  Typical adjustments to college life such as underestimating the time required for studying, failing to manage one’s time wisely, or failing to attend class on a regular basis without documented hardship will not be considered as extenuating circumstances.  Extenuating circumstances must be adequately documented and the documentation must be included with the appeal.  Documentation may include supporting statements from doctors, teachers, counselors, etc.  Students filing an appeal must be enrolled in the semester they are appealing aid for.  The student will be notified in writing of the decision within ten days of the appeal review. 

A student whose appeal has been denied who wishes to appeal the decision further may file another appeal if they can provide additional information or documentation that was not included in their initial appeal.