SAP Definitions and Standards:
SAP is defined as making progress toward earning a degree or certificate within established
guidelines. SAP and continued federal financial aid eligibility are assessed using
three components, as required by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Grade Point Average (GPA) – A numerical weighted-average of all graded coursework
- Pace of Progression – A ratio of credit hours attempted vs. credit hours completed
- Maximum Allowable Timeframe – The total sum of all credit hours attempted must
not exceed 150% of the total credit hours required to complete the selected
academic program of study.
Pace of Progression Example:
| Credit hours for which the student is enrolled: |
Pace of Progression (Completion % Calculation) |
Credit hours in which the student must earn a passing grade: |
| 12 |
12 x .67 |
8 |
| 15 |
15 x .67 |
10 |
| 18 |
18 x .67 |
12 |
| 21 |
21 x .67 |
14 |
| 24 |
24 x .67 |
16 |
Attempted Credits Hours include credit hours assigned to a course that the student was actively enrolled
in at the time of the census date of that course. Attempted Credit Hours includes
all for-credit coursework assigned letter grades (A through F, CP, I, W, WS, WP, WF,
and N. Audited coursework and credit earned through CLEP testing are not considered
attempted credits.
Completed Credit Hours include all credit hours for which the student attended the entire length of the
course and received a passing grade and any credits transferred into OCC that are
applicable to the student's program of study.
To meet minimum SAP standards and maintain SAP federal financial aid eligibility at
OCC, a student must:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00,
- Achieve a Pace of Progression of at least 67%, and,
- Ensure that the total sum of all credit hours attempted does not exceed 150% of the
total credit hours required to complete the selected academic program of study.
The Effect of Repeated or Remedial Coursework on SAP:
- A class taken and passed with a grade of D - or better may only be retaken once with
financial aid funds. Subsequent attempts of a previously passed course will count
as Attempted Credits but not Completed Credits.
- Additional coursework not directly required for a program of study may increase credit
hours potentially resulting in unsatisfactory progress.
- Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 remedial/developmental credits
(see list below). ESL coursework does not count toward 30 remedial/developmental credits.
OCC Remedial/Developmental Credits Identified by the Registrar.
| ASC-1070 (2 crs) |
CNS-1100 (1 cr) |
CNS-1160 (2 crs) |
| MAT-1070 (3 crs) |
MAT-1125 (4 crs) |
MAT-1150 (4 crs) |
SAP Evaluation:
All OCC federal financial aid applicants will be evaluated for SAP at multiple points
in the academic year:
- An initial evaluation will occur upon OCC’s receipt of the student’s FAFSA.
- Subsequent evaluations will occur at the conclusion of each academic semester, and/or
as determined necessary by SFRS.
Applicants who have attempted 12 or more credit hours (including OCC attempts or a
combination of OCC and transfer credit hours) must meet the SAP Standard to maintain
Title IV (TIV) financial aid eligibility.
Upon receipt of a FAFSA, OCC students who are not currently on a financial aid Academic
Plan, Academic Plan Maximum or a Continuing Plan (described below in the Reinstatement
of Financial Aid Eligibility section) will be evaluated against the three criteria
listed above and placed into one of the following categories:
- In Good Standing – The student has met all SAP standards and is academically eligible for federal
financial aid.
- Warning – Federal financial aid applicants who fail to meet GPA and/or Pace of Progression
standards will be assigned a Warning Period for one semester. During the Warning Period,
students remain eligible for federal financial aid.
- Students placed into Warning status will be notified via student email and are encouraged
to meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to discuss SAP requirements and the potential
impact on continued eligibility. If the subsequent SAP evaluation determines that
the student has improved academic performance to meet all SAP standards, they will
be reinstated to SAP status In Good Standing.
- Unsatisfactory (Financial Aid Suspension) – Federal financial aid applicants who fail to meet GPA and Pace of Progression SAP
standards after the Warning Period, as well as those who have attempted 150% or more
of the published length of their program of study (including transfer credit hours)
without graduating from that program, will be placed in Unsatisfactory Status and
lose eligibility for future financial aid.
- Students assigned an Unsatisfactory Status due to credit hour attempts exceeding 113%
of the program length are approaching the Maximum Eligibility Timeframe. Proactive Intervention at this point is necessary
to ensure the students’ ability to complete their program within the allowable timeframe.
- Students placed in Unsatisfactory Status will be notified via their OCC student email
of the SAP status and provided with instructions for the SAP Appeal process.
- No Eligible TIV Program - If an evaluation determines that a student is not actively enrolled in an eligible
TIV program, they will be assigned status No Eligible TIV Program. Students with
this status are not eligible for TIV financial aid. To pursue eligibility, students
must update their program of study with Enrollment Services and notify SFRS upon completion
to initiate a new SAP evaluation.
SAP Appeal Process:
A student placed in Unsatisfactory Status will be offered the opportunity to appeal.
In the appeal, the student must address the SAP standard(s) they are not meeting.
The student must submit the appeal, supporting documentation for any extenuating
circumstance, and the FATV certification simultaneously.
Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility:
SAP Appeals approved by SFRS will result in federal financial aid reinstatement under
one of the two following plans, each with its own set of requirements:
- Academic Plan (AP) – A student on an AP will have aid reinstated for one semester. The student must
complete 100% of the credit hours attempted in the subsequent semester, with at least
a 2.00 cumulative GPA for that semester. The student’s progress will be evaluated
at the end of the semester. If AP requirements are met, the student will be placed
into Continuing Academic Plan (CAP) status and have aid extended for another semester.
Students on a CAP will continue to be evaluated at the end of each semester for continued
compliance of the AP requirements. If, after a semester on AP or CAP, the student
is meeting all minimum SAP standards, the student will be removed from AP/CAP and
returned to a Good Standing Status, regaining federal financial aid eligibility as
long as SAP standards are maintained.
- Academic Plan Maximum (APM) – A student on an Academic Plan Maximum (APM) will have aid reinstated for one semester,
during which they must complete 100% of credit hours attempted with at least a 2.00
GPA. Additionally, the student may pursue only one eligible academic program, with
all attempted coursework determined by the OCC Registrar to be required for the selected
program. If APM requirements are met during the first semester on APM, the student
will be placed into Continuing Academic Plan Max (CAPM) status. A student on a CAPM
will continue to be evaluated at the end of each semester for compliance with the
APM plan requirements. Students on APM/CAPM will not have an opportunity to return
to In Good Standing Status.
Appeal Approval - An approved SAP appeal will be valid for one year from the date of the approval.
Students who fail to enroll within one year must appeal again.
Appeal Denial - A denied appeal will result in the student losing eligibility for federal financial
aid. Denial decisions are final and cannot be challenged. However, if a student
has inadvertently omitted valuable information and/or supporting documentation from
the original appeal, the student may be granted the opportunity to resubmit. A student
whose SAP appeal is denied may submit another appeal after successfully completing
a minimum of six (6) credit hours required for their selected program of study in
a subsequent semester.
SAP Evaluations for students assigned AP, CAP, APM, and CAPM:
If a SAP evaluation determines that a student has failed to meet the conditions of
their AP, CAP, APM or CAPM at any point in the semester, their future TIV aid will
be terminated, and the student will receive status Loss of Eligibility. A status of Loss of Eligibility status requires a student to meet with a Financial Aid Advisor before any decision
will be made on a student’s re-appeal for eligibility.
If a SAP evaluation for a student on an AP or CAP indicates that they are approaching
the maximum timeframe allowed, the student will be assigned a status of Academic Plan Transition to Max. The student will be contacted by SFRS with further instructions on transitioning
to an Academic Plan Maximum. The student will have 30 days from the start of the
next enrolled semester to transition or risk losing eligibility for the current and
future semesters (Status Did Not Transition to APM).
SAP Appeal Deadlines:
SAP Request Form and FATV Online Appeal Session must be received by SFRS by the following
deadlines to be considered for semester eligibility:
- Fall Semester – September 30
- Winter Semester – January 31
- Summer Semester – May 31
Disclaimer:
SFRS retains the authority as granted by the U.S. Department of Education, to terminate
Federal Title IV financial aid at any time for academic history or performance reasons.
SFRS 12/13/2024