Satisfactory Academic Progress
| Overview | Review & Evaluation | Appeal Guidelines | FAQ |
Missouri Valley College (MVC) is required to establish standards for measuring Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order for students to be eligible for Title IV aid in accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by Congress.
Financial aid is intended to assist students in making successful progress toward completing their degree. Therefore, students who are identified as not meeting SAP are no longer eligible for federal and state aid.
The Financial Aid Office monitors SAP for all students at the end of each payment period in which they are enrolled (fall, spring and summer). Students who enroll in the summer term will have their SAP evaluated at the end of the summer payment period. In general, SAP is reviewed in December, May and August.
Overview
Financial aid recipients are expected to make reasonable academic progress toward obtaining a degree or certificate as a condition to be eligible for federal, state and certain institutional financial aid funding. A student's entire academic history, as recorded on their academic record with MVC, is reviewed at the end of each payment period (semester) as a requirement of timely progression toward graduation, regardless of having received financial aid or not in the past for that course work. Students who enroll in the summer term will have their SAP monitored at the end of that term. Eligibility to enroll for classes does not mean that SAP requirements have been met.
SAP requires financial aid recipients to meet the following three components:
- Minimum 2.0 cumulative MVC grade point average
- Satisfactorily earn at least 67% of cumulative credit hours attempted
- Complete a degree program within the maximum time frame of credit hours allowed
GPA Requirement (Qualitative Measurement)
One way in which SAP is measured, is through the student's cumulative grade point average (GPA) calculated at the end of each completed term of attendance. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in order to be considered maintaining SAP.
Transfer credits are not included in GPA calculations unless the student is transferring in a new grade for a retaken course for which the student previously received a grade of "F". In this case, the new grade replaces the old and will affect the GPA. This appears on a student's transcript as a grade of "R". For repeated coursework, only the highest grade is counted in the GPA.
A student's GPA is calculated by the Registrar's Office at the end of each term. A manual calculation can be achieved by the following equation:
Quality Points ÷ Attempted Hours
Additional information on calculating your GPA can be found online at the Registrar's Office web page.
Pace of Completion Requirement (Quantitative Measurement)
In addition to a student’s GPA, SAP also measures the pace at which a student is progressing toward degree completion. Pace of completion is determined by taking the total number of credit hours successfully earned divided by the total number of credit hours attempted. Financial aid recipients must satisfactorily complete at least 67% of all cumulative credit hours attempted.
The following formula is used to determine a student's completion percentage:
Hours Earned ÷ Hours Attempted
Hours Earned: Only credit hours where a student earned a passing grade (A, B, C or D) are included in the hours earned portion of the equation.
Hours Attempted: All hours in which the student was registered are included in the hours attempted portion of the equation. This includes all classes in which the student received an incomplete or withdrew (regardless of if the student received a W, WP or WF).
Federal financial aid regulations require that a student's entire academic credit history be considered in reviewing degree progression. All transfer credits from other colleges and universities that are counted toward the student's degree program will be considered in the number of attempted and earned hours.
Maximum Time Frame
A student is expected to complete their degree within a reasonable prescribed time frame. An undergraduate may not exceed 150% of published credit hours over the course of obtaining their degree. If the maximum program credit hours are exceeded, the student is considered ineligible.
The following table lists the maximum timeframe for each degree program offered at MVC:
| Maximum Time Frame | ||
| Hours Required | Maximum Hours Allowed | |
| Associate of Arts | 64 | 96 |
| Bachelor of Arts | 128 | 192 |
| Bachelor of Science | 128 | 192 |
Review & Evaluation
The Financial Aid Office reviews SAP at the end of each payment period. Once it has been initially determined that a student is no longer meeting qualitative and/or quantitative SAP, the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning for one payment period. If the student fails to meet SAP in the subsequent payment period for which they are enrolled, they are placed on Financial Aid Suspension and ineligible for aid.
Additionally, students are placed on suspension immediately upon receiving notification that they will not be able to complete their degree within the maximum time frame.
Students in an ineligible status may regain eligibility as follows:
- Enroll without the benefit of financial aid assistance and bring their academic record to the acceptable SAP requirements
- Submit a written appeal - eligibility reinstatement is contingent on the appeal being approved.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Guidelines
Students who fail to meet these standards and lose eligibility for financial aid can appeal the decision as long as their appeal meets the requirements for an acceptable appeal. The appeal must be prepared in writing and must be accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents. Appeals must be submitted prior to the start of the payment period for which the student wishes to receive aid.
The current appeal deadline for the Spring 2013 semester is May 24th, 2013. Appeals submitted for the summer term will be reviewed on May 28th. Students wishing to appeal for the Fall 2013 term are encouraged to submit their appeals as soon as possible. Appeals must be received no later than August 2nd, 2013. Students may submit their appeals earlier than the August 2nd deadline and early appeals will be reviewed during the summer term. Questions regarding appeal submission and committee review dates can be directed to the .
Appeals will initially be evaluated by the Financial Aid Office prior to being submitted to the Appeal Committee. The Financial Aid Office will only allow appeals that include all the requested documents and meet the criteria for an acceptable appeal to be reviewed by the Appeal Committee.
All appeals should follow the guidelines outlined in the SAP Appeal Form. In addition to the mandatory written statements, requirements for an acceptable appeal are:
- Acceptable Circumstances:
- Medical: Significant medical problems contributed to not making satisfactory academic progress. Supporting documentation should include birth certificates, medical records, physician statements, etc.
- Death/Illness: Death/Illness contributed to the lack of satisfactory academic progress. Supporting documentation should include medical records, death certificate, obituary, funeral program, physician statement, counselor statement, court documents, etc.
- Other Circumstances: May include any other extreme or unusual circumstance(s) OUT OF THE STUDENT'S CONTROL. Documentation supporting circumstance(s) must be included. These circumstances MAY NOT include lack of motivation, lack of responsibility, work conflicts, etc.
- Academic Plan
You must meet with your academic advisor and develop a plan that will allow you to reestablish SAP. This is required of all appeals and must be reasonable. If you will need more than one term to reestablish SAP, include a plan for all subsequent terms. - Documentation
Appeals without proper documentation will be denied. You must submit documentation.
Accepted appeals are reviewed by the Appeal Committee. The decision of the Appeal Committee is considered final. A student with a denied appeal may submit another appeal after attending at least one payment period.
Students who submit a successful appeal are placed on Financial Aid Probation. Students on probation are required to adhere to the terms of their probation and will have their SAP evaluated at the end of each payment period. As long as the student adheres to the terms of their contract, their probation will continue until the student reestablishes SAP.
If a student is placed on probation and subsequently fails to meet the terms of their probation, they will be placed on suspension and are not eligible to file another appeal.
*Late appeals will not be accepted unless extenuating circumstances can be documented.
Academic Circumstances that Affect Your Status
It is important to know how the decisions you make during your academic career will affect your financial aid eligibility. The following is a list of common circumstances that can affect your financial aid status:
- Changes in major, double majors or minors – may cause you to reach your maximum attempted hours, and lose your eligibility before earning a degree.
- Incomplete grades, missing grades, failing grades, course withdrawals – all reduce your completion ratio, because they are counted as attempted, but not earned credits. They also count against your maximum attempted hours.
- Repeated courses - count as attempted credit hours each time you register for them and count against the allowed maximum. This can also reduce your completion ratio because repeated credits count as earned credits only once.
- Transfer credits count toward your maximum attempted credits, and your completion ratio.
- Courses taken for pass/fail grades– count against both your maximum attempted credits and your completion ratio.
- Late posted grades or grade changes – require that you submit a written request to have your SAP recalculated after you have confirmed with the registrar that the grade change has been posted to your academic record.
Frequently Asked Questions - SAP
How do I know my SAP status?
| A letter will be mailed to you if you are not meeting SAP standards. SAP warning letters are mailed to the home address we have on file. Additionally, financial aid suspension letters are mailed to your home address via certified mail so that we can guarantee you’ve receive your notification. You can always confirm your status by contacting the Financial Aid Office. |
How often will I be evaluated for SAP?
| You will be evaluated after each payment period (semester) in which you are enrolled. |
What do I need to do if I receive a SAP warning letter?
| The first term in which you fail to meet SAP you will receive a warning. You are still eligible for aid. You are not required to do anything; however we strongly advise that all students on SAP warning reevaluate their academic performance and seek assistance through your advisor and other campus resources. Carefully review the SAP standards and identify what criteria you are failing to meet. Don’t wait until you’ve lost eligibility to address the issue. There are many campus resources that you can utilize now, such as the Learning Center and the Office of Student Success. |
What do I do if I receive a SAP suspension letter?
| You are not required to do anything. However, because you are on suspension, you are ineligible for financial aid. Therefore, you need to begin discussing how you are going to pay for the upcoming semester. Our office advises students to investigate alternative funding if they plan to attend MVC on financial aid suspension. Additionally, if you have an acceptable reason to appeal your suspension letter, you can submit an appeal. |
How will I know the result of my appeal?
| Once the Appeal Committee has met, an email will be sent to your MVC email account regarding the status of your appeal. The Appeal Committee’s decision is final and appeals cannot be reevaluated until at least one payment period has been completed. |
What do I need to do after my appeal is approved?
| You are required to visit the Financial Aid Office to meet with a Counselor. The Counselor will review the terms of your probation and further explain the importance of reestablishing SAP. You will then sign the SAP contract and your aid will be reinstated. You will also need to determine if the Financial Aid Office has any outstanding documents that are required. If so, you will need to submit the requested paperwork within one week of signing the contract. |
What do I need to do after my appeal is denied?
| If your appeal is denied, you are considered ineligible for federal and state aid until you have reestablished SAP. You are allowed to attend MVC, however you will be paying out-of-pocket for your courses. If you plan to continue attending MVC, you must meet with the Business Office to arrange a payment plan. |
What happens if I do not appeal?
| If you do not appeal, or do not have an acceptable reason to appeal, you are ineligible for federal and state aid. Financial aid suspension does not mean you cannot enroll or attended classes at MVC. What it does mean, is that you will not be able to use federal and state financial aid to assist in meeting your out-of-pocket expenses. Therefore, you will need to find alternative funding to fill the gap. Once you have reestablished SAP, your aid will be reinstated. |
Missouri Valley College
Financial Aid Office
500 East College Street
Marshall, MO 65340
(660) 831-4176
