Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Title IV Federal Aid – Undergraduate Students
Doane University is required by federal regulations to define and monitor standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to ensure that only students demonstrating progress toward completion of their academic program receive federal/state financial aid. These standards are applied consistently within all undergraduate programs and enrollment levels to students whether or not they have previously received financial aid.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress consist of two measurements:
- Qualitative Measurement = Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) - ensures the student is able to meet the minimum academic grade point average (GPA) to complete a degree at Doane University.
- Quantitative Measurement = Pace - measures the student's progress toward a degree by completing 75% of attempted hours.
After each term of enrollment the financial aid office reviews the transcript of all students to determine if a student is maintaining the required minimum cumulative grade point average and the pace requirements to be eligible to receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid. Below is the minimum grade point average requirements based on the number of attempted credits:
|
Credits Attempted: |
Cumulative GPA: |
|
|
12-35 |
1.70 |
|
|
36-59 |
1.85 |
|
|
60+ |
2.00 |
|
Note: Withdrawals are considered attempted credits.
Transfer credits are not factored into a student's cumulative GPA but are considered in the number of attempted and completed credits. For example if Doane University accepted 60 transfer credit hours from another institution, the student would be required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 to ensure he/she is meeting graduation requirements.
In addition to the minimum cumulative GPA standards, the financial aid office must also ensure the student is completing at least 75% of their attempted hours and is progressing through their program of study towards completion of a degree. Attempted credits are measured by the number of credits the student was enrolled in as of census day (last day for drop and add) each term. At the end of each term, the financial aid office will review all student records to determine if they have completed at least 75 percent of their total hours attempted. The measurement used is as follows:
Total Credit Hours Completed/Total Credit Hours Attempted = PACE
Only credit hours passed (grades A, B, C, D and P) are considered as earned credits. Grades of I and /or IP are not counted as credits earned until they are replaced by a satisfactory letter grade. Grades of I, IP, W, and F are included as attempted credits in the calculation. A student should notify the financial aid office when I and IP's grades are replaced with a satisfactory letter grade in order to recalculate progress.
Maximum Time Frame
Students can receive financial aid for up to 133% of the published credit hour requirements to complete his/her bachelor's degree or until a degree is earned. This is determined by the students catalog year of entry. For example if 123 credits are required to complete a bachelor’s degree, then the student could attempt up to 164 credits to obtain his/her degree. If it is determined by the university the student is not able to complete his/her bachelor's degree without surpassing the 133% attempted credits, the student would be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and would not be able to receive federal financial aid. An email notification is sent to the student’s Doane email of their ineligibility. A student has their ability to appeal this and should contact the financial aid office for instructions.
Financial Aid Warning
Students, who are not meeting either the Qualitative and/or the Quantitative measurements at the end of a term, are placed on Financial Aid Warning their next term of enrollment. Students are allowed to receive financial aid during the Financial Aid Warning period. A student receives only one Financial Aid Warning term while an undergraduate student at Doane University. The student will be notified through his /her Doane email account of their Financial Aid Warning Status.
Financial Aid Suspension
Financial Aid Suspension occurs following the term of Warning or any subsequent term after the Warning term if the student fails to achieve the minimum CGPA and/or the 75 percent completion rate. Students are not eligible to receive Title IV Federal financial aid if on suspension and are notified via Doane email of his/her Financial Aid Suspension status. Students may continue taking coursework; however they are not able to receive Title IV federal aid funds and will need to pay at their own expense.
Appeals
If the student has experienced extenuating circumstances which have impeded his/her ability to make satisfactory academic progress, the student may appeal his/her suspension. Examples of extenuating circumstances include (but not limited to); death of a relative, personal injury or illness of the student, family medical emergency, etc.
A student must submit their circumstances in writing by the date notated in their suspension letter. The appeal must include the following information:
- Explanation of the circumstance that prevented him/her from making satisfactory progress
- Explanation of what has changed or been resolved for him/her to make satisfactory progress in the ensuing term and going forward.
- Supporting documentation of the extenuating circumstance.
The appeal is considered incomplete if any of the three requirements are missing and it will not be sent to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee for review. If the financial aid appeal committee grants the appeal the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation or on a Financial Aid Academic Monitoring plan. The student is notified via Doane email the minimum requirements needed to meet in order to maintain federal aid eligibility after the enrollment period for which they were placed on Probation or Academic Plan. Students whose appeal is denied are also notified through their Doane email account.
Financial Aid Probation/Academic Monitoring Plan
Students who have been granted an appeal are placed either on Financial Aid Probation or on a Financial Aid Academic Monitoring plan depending on their situation.
If it is mathematically impossible for the student to return to satisfactory status after the end of term, but has been granted an appeal, the student is placed on a FA Academic Monitoring Plan. If the student completes the terms and conditions of the academic plan, the student can continue to receive federal/state aid but will continue to be monitored and held to the conditions of the academic plan. A student not meeting the conditions of his/her academic plan will be suspended from federal/state aid.
If the student is able to return to satisfactory status after the term, he/she is placed on Financial Aid (FA) Probation. If the student has not complied with the terms of the appeal and has not returned to satisfactory status after the term of FA Probation, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and is not eligible to receive federal financial/state aid.
Reinstatement
A student who is placed on FA suspension and does complete an appeal or whose appeal has been denied can continue to enroll in classes at the university (if meeting Academic Affairs policies) but will not receive federal/state financial aid. Students can request their financial aid eligibility to be reinstated at the end of any term in which the student reaches the 75% percent completion rate and has met the required minimum GPA requirement consistent with graduation requirements. A student who has regained their eligibility may contact the financial aid office if they wish to begin receiving Title IV federal financial aid.
Repeat Coursework
A student may receive financial aid for a course taken previously. The student may only receive financial aid twice for the repeated coursework.
The exception to this rule is when a student receives university credits for his/her participation in membership in one of the major vocal/instrumental music ensembles or physical education courses. These students are expected to enroll in a certain class on a continuing basis. Even though the course number is the same the course content is different each term.
Academic Affairs Policy:
In addition to the federal aid/state aid rules, a student is subject to Doane University's institutional academic policies which are determined by the Office of Academic Affairs.