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Frequently Asked Questions for: Financial Aid - Satisfactory Academic Progress- What is Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress?
- What are the cumulative GPA, completion rate and maximum time frame measurements at Aims?
- When is my Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress checked?
- Can I appeal a status of 'probation' or 'suspension'?
- What if I have attempted credits at or in excess of 150% of my current academic program length?
- What if I have completed all of the required coursework for my academic program but I would like to still take some classes?
- Can I appeal a status of 'maximum credit'?
- If I have withdrawn from all of my classes at Aims, what impact does this have on my financial aid eligibility?
- What if my cumulative GPA and/or completion rate do not meet the standards above?
What is Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress?Schools that participate in the Federal and state financial aid programs are required to have a financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy in place that measures a student’s progress towards the completion of his/her academic program. The policy must measure a student’s:- cumulative grade point average (GPA);
- completion rate (number of credits successfully completed divided by the number of credits attempted); and
- maximum time frame
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What are the cumulative GPA, completion rate and maximum time frame measurements at Aims?For a student to be in ‘good standing’ for financial aid satisfactory academic progress, he/she must:- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above (please note: some scholarships require a higher cumulative GPA to maintain eligibility for those funds);
AND - Successfully complete with a grade of ‘D’ or better the minimum number of credits required for the number of credits attempted each semester
- If 12 or more credits were attempted, successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits
- If 9 – 11.99 credits were attempted, successfully complete a minimum of 9 credits
- If 6 – 8.99 credits were attempted, successfully complete a minimum of 6 credits
- If 5.99 or fewer credits were attempted, successfully complete all credits attempted
AND - Complete his/her academic program within 150% of the program’s length, regardless if financial aid was received for any or all of his/her attempted credit hours (please note: transfer credits are included in this calculation)
- Example 1 A 60-credit-hour degree program must be completed within 90 attempted credits;
- Example 2 A 24-credit-hour certificate program must be completed within 36 attempted credits
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When is my Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress checked?Each semester the Financial Aid Office completes the maximum time frame review between the mid-term and the end of the term for which you have either applied for financial aid and/or been awarded financial aid. The review of your cumulative GPA and completion rate takes place shortly after the end of each semester.
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Can I appeal a status of 'probation' or 'suspension'?A ‘probation’ status cannot be appealed. A ‘suspension’ status can be appealed if there were extenuating circumstances that kept you from being academically successful at Aims.
Please note: If you appealed a ‘suspension’ status during your most recent term of enrollment and did not meet the standards outlined in the approved appeal during your next term of enrollment, contact the Financial Aid Office to go over the options available to you.
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What if I have attempted credits at or in excess of 150% of my current academic program length?You will be placed on ‘maximum credit’ status which means you are suspended from receiving additional financial aid.
If you have already successfully appealed your “maximum credit” status and it has been determined that you have not completed your program outlined in the approved appeal, you will be placed on a ‘no complete’ status. A ‘no complete’ status means you are suspended from receiving additional financial aid.
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What if I have completed all of the required coursework for my academic program but I would like to still take some classes?You are welcome to enroll for classes. However, if it is determined that you have completed all the required coursework for your current academic program, you will be placed on an ‘end of program’ status and be suspended from receiving additional financial aid.
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Can I appeal a status of 'maximum credit'?A ‘maximum credit’ status can be appealed as long as you have not submitted a similar appeal for the most recent term of enrollment. If you have submitted a similar appeal during your most recent term of enrollment and did not meet or follow the standards outlined in the approved appeal, you must successfully complete at least 6 credits required for your current academic program before you are eligible to appeal your subsequent ‘maximum credit’ status.
Please note: If you are attempting a second or more academic program at Aims Community College and are applying for financial aid, you will be required to submit an Additional Academic Program Appeal to the Financial Aid Office. This step is required in addition to any program application process.
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If I have withdrawn from all of my classes at Aims, what impact does this have on my financial aid eligibility?First it is important to define ‘withdrawn’. There are ‘official’ and ‘unofficial’ withdraws that must be considered for students who have been awarded financial aid from the Federal Student Aid programs (Pell, ACG, SEOG, Stafford Loan and/or PLUS Loan). An ‘official’ withdraw is when you complete the withdraw process as outlined in the Aims catalog and the class schedule. An ‘unofficial’ withdraw is when you receive non-passing grades (F, U, I, W, AW, NR, WR and AU) for all courses attempted within a semester.
If you withdraw officially or unofficially from all of your courses within a semester:- You will automatically be placed on financial aid suspension; and
- Our office is required to complete a Return of Title IV Fund calculation to determine if you earned all of the Federal aid that was paid on your behalf for the semester. You may be required to repay federal funds paid to you.
An example of a Return of Title IV Fund calculation can be found on our website at www.aims.edu/student/finaid/eligibility.htm
A complete copy of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Guideline is available from the Financial Aid Office.
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What if my cumulative GPA and/or completion rate do not meet the standards above?- You will be placed on ‘probation’ the first semester you do not meet either one or both of these standards;
- You are still eligible for payment of financial aid (except for some scholarships) while on financial aid probation;
- You will be placed on suspension if you do not successfully complete any credits attempted and will not be eligible for financial aid.
- At the end of your next term of enrollment, if you are meeting the minimum standards above, you will be put back into ‘good standing’.
- If at the end of the next term of enrollment you still are not meeting the minimum standards above, you will be placed on ‘suspension’. A status of ‘suspension’ means you are not eligible for the payment of your financial aid.
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