Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as those who receive any type of financial assistance, are evaluated for all requirements of SAP at the end of each term. Students can check their SAP status by logging in to their myFSCJ account.

FSCJ uses the student’s cumulative academic grade point average (GPA) to measure qualitative progress. The cumulative GPA that FSCJ uses to evaluate the student’s SAP status is calculated based upon all courses that have been transferred in as well as those attempted at FSCJ. To meet this standard, federal financial aid recipients are required to achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative academic GPA of 2.0 which is consistent with FSCJ’s graduation requirements. Developmental (remedial) courses are not included in the SAP GPA calculation.

Federal regulations require a quantitative component that evaluates the maximum timeframe in which students must complete their educational program and a pace of completion that ensures they will complete the program within the specified timeframe. This calculation includes all courses that are attempted that apply to the student’s program of study. (See below for specific treatment of remedial/ESL courses.) FSCJ requires that all financial aid recipients successfully complete a minimum of 67% of the credits attempted. Successful completion for this standard is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, D, P or S. Financial aid recipients must also complete their program within 150% of the credits required to do so. Students become ineligible for federal financial aid when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete the program within 150% of the length of the program.

All developmental courses, including developmental courses for EAP, are not included in the qualitative assessment of SAP; however, these courses will be included in calculating the quantitative measurement (67%). Since developmental courses do not count toward degree completion, they are excluded from the 150% measurement.

Students are permitted to make one change to their program in accordance with their academic goals. As long as a student is meeting all other SAP standards, changes of program alone will not disqualify them from federal financial aid eligibility. Students who change programs while failing SAP maintain their failing SAP status until the completion of the first payment period of their new program when their SAP status will again be reviewed.

Successful completion of coursework is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, D, S or P at FSCJ. All other grades including ‘I’ (Incomplete), ‘F’ (Failure), ‘FN’ (Failure for non-attendance), ‘NR’ (Not Reported) and ‘W’ (Withdrawn) are defined as unsuccessful completion. Students who have grades of ‘I’ or ‘NR’ that result in an unsatisfactory standing may have their SAP status recalculated if those grades are later changed to an A, B, C or D. Students who achieve satisfactory standing as the result of a grade recalculation will be evaluated for reinstatement of financial aid provided the change occurs within the academic year and all other eligibility criteria are met.

Transfer credits that count toward the student’s current program must be included in both attempted and completed hours.

The grade earned in a repeated course will be substituted for the original grade in computing the grade point average for credit-hour SAP. ESL and developmental courses for credit-hour programs are not counted in the GPA calculation.

Federal regulations require an institution to evaluate SAP at least annually for programs that are longer than one year and every payment period for programs of one year or less. FSCJ evaluates all components of SAP at the point when the student’s scheduled clock hours for the payment period have elapsed regardless of whether the student attended those hours. Financial aid recipients and applicants (upon submission of the FAFSA) can check their SAP status by logging in to their myFSCJ account.

FSCJ uses the student’s cumulative academic grade point average (GPA) to measure qualitative progress. To meet this standard federal financial aid recipients are required to achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative academic GPA of 2.0 which is consistent with FSCJ’s graduation requirements. The cumulative GPA that FSCJ uses to evaluate the student’s SAP status is calculated based on all courses that have been attempted and apply toward the current certificate.

Federal regulations require a quantitative component that evaluates the maximum timeframe in which students must complete their educational program and a pace of completion that ensures they will complete the program within the timeframe. FSCJ requires that all financial aid recipients successfully complete at least 67% of the clock-hours and weeks scheduled for each payment period. Successful completion for this standard is defined as earning a grade of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ or ‘D’ in most programs.

Financial aid recipients are also required to complete their program within 150% of the published length of the program as measured by the number of clock-hours and weeks in the program. (Note that a student in a clock-hour program cannot receive aid for hours beyond those required for the program.  The maximum timeframe applies to the amount of time the student takes to complete the required hours.)

Students are permitted to make one change to their program of study in accordance with their academic goals. So long as students are meeting all other SAP standards, changes of program alone will not disqualify them for financial aid eligibility. Students who change programs while failing SAP maintain their previous SAP status until the completion of the first payment period of their new program.

Successful completion of coursework is defined as earning a grade of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ or ‘D’ at FSCJ. All other grades including ‘I’ (Incomplete), ‘F’ (Failure), ‘FN’ (Failure for non-attendance), ‘NR’ (Not Reported) and W (Withdrawn) are defined as unsuccessful completion. Accordingly, all courses having grades of ‘I’, ‘F’, ‘FN’, ‘NR’ and ‘W’ count as hours attempted and count as zero hours earned in the SAP calculation. The grade of ‘F’ additionally counts as zero quality points when the qualitative SAP standard is assessed. Grades of ‘I’ and ‘W’ are not counted when the qualitative SAP standard is assessed. Grades of ‘I’ and ‘W’ do not carry any quality points.

Students who have grades of ‘I’ or ‘NR’ that result in an unsatisfactory standing may have their SAP status recalculated if those grades are later reported as an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ or ‘D’. Students who achieve satisfactory standing as the result of a grade recalculation will be evaluated for reinstatement of financial aid so long as the end of the same academic year has not occurred and all other eligibility criteria are met.

Federal regulations require that at a minimum, transfer credits that count toward the student’s current program must be included in both attempted and completed hours. FSCJ complies with those regulations.

The grade earned in a repeated course will be substituted for the original grade in computing the grade point average for clock-hour SAP. ESL and developmental courses for clock-hour programs are not counted in the GPA calculation.

Students who are not meeting the qualitative (GPA) or quantitative (67%) components of SAP will be given a status of ‘Warning’ for one term or payment period. Students in a warning status may continue to receive federal aid.

Students who fail to meet the SAP standards after the end of their ‘Warning’ term or payment period are considered to be ‘Not Meeting’ SAP.  As a result, they are ineligible to receive federal aid for any future coursework attempted.  Students in a ‘Not Meets’ SAP status may appeal this status provided there are extenuating circumstances which interfered with their academic progress.

Students who experienced extenuating circumstances which interfered with their academic progress may submit an appeal to have their ‘Not Meets’ SAP status reviewed by a financial aid representative under the guidance of the Director of Financial Aid. Extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to accidents, medical situations, death in the immediate family or difficult personal situations. 

Students who do not meet SAP due to exceeding 150% of the required hours for their program and have a valid reason for exceeding the maximum timeframe may submit an appeal to have their SAP status reviewed by a financial aid representative under the guidance of the Director of Financial Aid. 

GPA and Completion Rate

Students who fail SAP due to GPA or completion rate may submit an appeal within 30 days of the start of the term (Fall, Spring or Summer) by providing the following documentation. Please note: Students whose appeals are received after 30 days will have their appeal evaluated for future terms only.

• A written and signed explanation from the student describing the extenuating circumstance(s) which interfered with their ability to be academically successful.
• Documentation which supports the extenuating circumstance(s).
• An academic plan signed by both the student and the Academic Advisor listing the coursework the student is required to attempt in order to be academically successful in the continuation of their program.

Exceeding 150% of credits or hours

Students who fail SAP due to exceeding 150% of the attempted credits or hours for their program may submit an appeal within 30 days of the start of the term (Fall, Spring or Summer) by providing the following documentation:

• A written and signed statement from the student describing why they have exceeded 150% of attempted credits or hours in their program along with an explanation of their intended career goals.
• Documentation which supports the extenuating circumstance.
• An academic plan signed by both the student and the Academic Advisor listing the coursework the student is required to attempt in order to be academically successful in the continuation of their program.

Appeals submitted with incomplete or unsigned documentation or submitted beyond the 30-day deadline will not have their aid eligibility evaluated for the current term.

Students will be notified of the decision regarding their SAP appeal via email within 30 days of receipt of their appeal.

When submitting a SAP appeal for exceeding 150% of the program hours (excess hours) during the process of obtaining a second degree, additional documentation can consist of the proof of first degree. If this is the case, the student may pursue the second degree under an Academic Plan based on an approved SAP appeal.

If a student’s SAP appeal is approved they will be assigned a status of ‘probation’. Depending on their situation, they may be granted one to two additional terms or payment periods of federal financial aid eligibility. Failure to meet SAP standards after the probationary period will result in the termination of federal aid eligibility.

A student’s eligibility for federal student aid is re-established when they meet the minimum 2.0 GPA, have completed at least 67% of their attempted coursework and have attempted less than 150% of the credits or hours in their program of study.

Meeting SAP – Student has a cumulative academic GPA of 2.0 or higher, has completed at least 67% of all attempted credits and has attempted less than 150% of the maximum timeframe for their program of study.

Warning – Student has not met the GPA or completion rate requirements for one term or payment period.

Not Meets – Student has not met the GPA or completion rate requirements for two terms or payment periods.

Probation – Student has successfully appealed their ‘Not Meets’ SAP status and has been granted one or two terms or payment periods of federal aid eligibility.

Termination – Student has failed to meet SAP during their probationary status and cannot appeal their status.