Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

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Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

• Featuring
• Yolanda Cleveland

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SAP

• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• School must have a published policy for
  monitoring a students progress
• Standards include
• Qualitative
• Quantitative

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Qualitative Standard

• Grade based
• Programs gt than 2 years- at least a C average
• Programs lt than 2 years- standards to a C
• Apply policy consistently
• Be as strict as those non T4 enrolled students

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Quantitative Standard

• Time-related
• Determines a of courses completed
• Set max time frame to complete program
• Undergraduate-150 of length of program
• Apply policy consistently
• Be as strict as those non T4 enrolled students

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Change of Major Transfer Credits

• All period of enrollment count
• You may exclude courses not part of new major
• You may limit of times student changes major
• Must count transfer credits for new program
• You may count transfer grades
• Establish rules for those who want new degrees

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Repeats, Drops, Incompletes, Remedial, ESL Courses

• Explain course repeats including which grade
  will count.
• Quantitative-include all repeated courses
• Policy must explain remedial, incomplete grades,
  and ESL course work
• Cannot exclude course work from the Summer term

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When Do You Check SAP

• No longer than one academic year or the length of
  the program, whichever is less
• Increments generally coincide with payment periods

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Regaining SAP Eligibility

• Policy must explain how to regain eligibility
• When student meets SAP standards
• Place them on probation , part of policy
• Submit an appeal, part of policy
• Sitting out a term doesnt regain eligibility
• Paying for one term doesnt regain eligibility

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Probation/Warning Status

• Policy explains circumstance and procedures
• Continue to receive T4 funding
• Must regain eligibility
• Cannot allow over two such periods

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Appeal Policy

• May have an appeal policy for mitigating
  circumstances
• Explain circumstance and procedures
• Cannot limit appeals
• Approved appeals receive T4 funding
• Must regain eligibility by your policy standards

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New Program Rules

• Effective 07/01/2011
• Last comprehensive review 1983
• Inconsistent terminology
• More structured comprehensive, consistent
  approach to SAP
• Rules were placed in 3 different sections
• All rules in one section of Federal regulations

• Continued Flexibility
• New definitions for Warning/Probation
• Student not making SAP, no longer eligible for T4
  funds.
• Evaluation timeframe
• Specific elements/process required for an appeal
• Specifies the pace a student must progress

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New Program Rules Effective 07/01/2011

• SAP policy must include
• Incompletes
• Withdrawals
• Repetitions
• Transfer of credit from other schools

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Standardized Terms

• Pace Measures the pace at each SAP evaluation
• Pace Total cumulative hours completed
• Total cumulative hours attempted
• FA Warning -Fails to meet SAP at a school who
  evaluates after each payment period.
• FA ProbationFails to meet SAP at a school,
  approved appeal and aid reinstated.

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Standardized Terms

• Maximum time frame-
• Undergraduate program (credit hours), cannot
  exceed 150 of published length of program
• Undergraduate program (clock hours), cannot
  exceed 150 of published length of program,
  measured by cumulative of clock hours required
  to complete.
• Graduate programrules do not change.
• 150 rule does not apply
• Must develop a policy and apply consistently.

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Appeal Policy

• Appeal
• Process by which a student not meeting a schools
  SAP standards petitions for reconsideration of T4
  eligibility.
• May have an appeal procedure
• How the student may re-establish T4 eligibility
• Basis for filing an appeal
• Petition must include why the student failed to
  meet SAP, what has changed that will allow the
  student to meet SAP at the next review.

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Schools That Evaluate SAP Each Payment Period

• Option 1
• Place on FA warning
• Receives T4 funding for one payment period
• Not meeting SAP after that , loses T4 eligibility
• No appeal policy, regain eligibility when meets
  SAP
• Approved appeal, FA Probation, receives T4 funds
• Student must meet SAP end of next payment period
  or
• Comply with academic plan designed to ensure
  student will meet SAP standards

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School Evaluates Each Payment Period

• Option 2
• SAP not met
• Student loses T4 eligibility immediately
• No appeal policy, regain eligibility when meets
  SAP
• Approved appeal, FA Probation, receives T4 funds
• Student must meet SAP end of next payment period
  or
• Comply with academic plan designed to ensure
  student will meet SAP standards

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Evaluates SAP Annually or Less Than Each Payment
Period

• Student not making SAP, loses T4 funding
• Approved appeal, receive T4 funding
• Part of your policy
• Student placed on FA Probation
• Student must meet SAP end of next payment period
  or
• Comply with academic plan designed to ensure
  student will meet SAP standards
• No appeal policy-student regain eligibility when
  they meet schools SAP standards

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FINANCIAL AID PROBATION

• School determines that student should be able to
  meet SAP standards by the end of the next payment
  period.
• OR
• An academic plan is developed and student can
  meet school SAP standards by a specific point in
  time.

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Academic Plan

• Steps needed to meet SAP standards
• Review of progress at each SAP evaluation
• Specified time frame by which SAP standards must
  be met

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SAP Notification

• Must notify students of the SAP evaluations end
  of each review
• If an appeal process, describe how to appeal
• Not meeting SAP, describe how to regain
  eligibility

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Discussion Questions

• Can the school continue to use current
  terminology?
• Can the school delay the implementation of rules?
• Is the school required to have an appeal process?
• Can the school limit the of appeals?
• What is included in the academic Plan?
• Case Studies..

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Resources

• Federal Register 668.34 (c) (d) (a) (3-7), (b)
• 2010 FSA Conference
• Program Integrity Final Rules
• Industry Webinars