Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal law requires institutions of higher learning to establish minimum standards of “satisfactory progress” for students receiving financial aid. At HCC, financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, Federal Work-Study, the North Carolina Community College Grant, the North Carolina Student Incentive Grant, the North Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship and the Education Access Rewards North Carolina Scholarship as well as alternative loans. According to federal regulations concerning satisfactory academic progress (SAP), the school’s satisfactory academic progress policy must include both qualitative and quantitative measures.

Qualitative Measure

Students who have a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are placed on financial aid probation. They will remain on continued financial aid probation as long as their cumulative GPA remains below a 2.0. They will be removed from financial aid probation and considered to be in good standing only when their cumulative GPA reaches or exceeds 2.0. Qualitative standards are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment including those for which the student did not receive funds from Title IV programs. A student enrolled in any semester on financial aid probation is required to earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 during the probation semester. If he or she does not earn at least a 2.0 GPA during the probation semester then all financial aid will be suspended. The student will remain on financial aid suspension until he or she earns at least a 2.0 GPA for a subsequent semester. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Director of Financial Aid when he or she achieves at least a 2.0 GPA and seeks to be reconsidered for financial aid.

Quantitative Measure

Students receiving financial aid have a maximum time frame in which they are expected to complete a program. At HCC the time frame is 150 percent of the established length of the program for full-time students. This time frame will be measured in terms of credit hours attempted.

Example:

  • Medical Assisting requires 76 semester hours to complete the associate degree program
  • 76 x 150% = 114 semester hours attempted — maximum time frame 
  • Welding requires 41 semester hours to complete the diploma program
  • 41 x 150% = 61.5 semester hours attempted — maximum time frame

In order to complete a program within the 150 percent maximum time frame as stated by federal regulations, a student must have earned 67% of the semester hours attempted at the end of the designated increment during the academic year. The designated increment is specified at the end of spring semester.

Example:

  • Fall Semester – 14 semester hours attempted
  • Spring Semester – 12 semester hours attempted`
  • 26 x 0.67 = 18 semester hours must be earned

If a student has not earned 67% of the semester hours attempted at the end of the incremental period, then the student will be placed on financial aid probation. The student will be allowed one more semester to re-establish satisfactory academic progress. If the student fails to re-establish satisfactory academic progress, financial aid will be suspended. Financial aid will remain suspended until the student meets one of the following conditions:

  • Enrolls in a subsequent semester at his/her own expense full-time (at least 12 hours) and earns 100% of the hours attempted
  • Enrolls in a subsequent semester at his/her own expense and regains eligibility by attempting and earning enough hours to raise his/her cumulative Quantitative measure back to at least 67%

Students will be removed from financial aid probation and considered to be in good standing when their cumulative quantitative measure reaches or exceeds 67%.

Only grades of A, B, C, D, CE or P will be considered as earned hours. Grades of F, I, W, WF, and CT will not be counted as hours earned, but will be counted as hours attempted. Grades of NS or AU are not counted as hours attempted or earned.

Quantitative standards are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment including those for which the student did not receive funds from Title IV programs.

Appeal Procedure

To appeal financial aid suspension, a student must be able to demonstrate mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are defined as injury or illness of the student, death of a relative, change in employment situations, and/or undue hardship caused by special circumstances. The procedure for appeal is as follows:

  • A student must write a letter to the Director of Financial Aid stating the reasons why he/she did not make satisfactory academic progress and why financial aid should not be suspended. The appeal must be accompanied by appropriate documentation and received within two weeks of being notified of the suspension.
  • The Director of Financial Aid will review the appeal to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether or not the appeal is justified. The student will be notified by the Director of Financial Aid of the appeal decision. If the appeal is approved, the terms of the probationary reinstatement of aid will be stated.
  • A student who wishes to appeal the decision of the Director of Financial Aid may do so in writing, to the Student Financial Aid Committee, in care of the Financial Aid Office. Additional appeals may be made to the Vice President of Student Development Services.
This page was last modified on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 at 02:14 PM