Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated after each payment period (Fall, Winter, Summer).  To be eligible for renewal of financial aid, students must meet the following academic standards:

• Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
• Students must complete a minimum of 66.66% of their total attempted credit hours.
• Students may not receive financial aid once they have attempted a total number of credit hours that exceeds 150% of the credits required to complete their certificate or degree.

Students will be notified of their SAP status via email and Colleague Financial Aid Self-Service after each evaluation period.

*Please Note:  Determining Satisfactory Academic Progress for each student requesting financial assistance at MCCC is based on an academic transcript review of all previous enrollments at MCCC, including periods when financial aid was not requested or received.

Students must have a cumulative GPA sufficient to meet graduation requirements.  Students must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA in order to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid eligibility.

• Courses that are dropped are not included in the GPA calculation. 
• Incomplete grades are not included in the GPA calculation.
• Transfer credit hours are not included in the GPA calculation.
• Courses taken as pass/fail are not included in the GPA calculation.
• Grades for non-credit development courses are not included in the GPA calculation.

Students must complete a minimum of 66.66% of the total credit hours they attempt. The 66.66% completion rate maintains a pace of progress toward a degree or certificate so that students will be able to complete their programs within the maximum time frame allowed for receiving financial aid. 

The pace of progression is calculated by dividing the student’s cumulative completed credit hours by the cumulative attempted credit hours. Attempted credit hours are defined as any credits the student is enrolled in after the 100% tuition refund period. Completed credit hours are those credit hours for which the student earned a grade of A, B, C, D, S, P, or H (this includes + / -  grades).  

• Transfer credit hours accepted by MCCC count as both attempted and completed credit hours in this calculation.  
• Credit hours for courses dropped after the 100% tuition refund period are counted as attempted but not completed in this calculation.  
• Credit hours for courses in which a student receives an I (incomplete) grade are counted as attempted but not completed in this calculation.
• Credit hours for pass/fail courses are counted as attempted credits in this calculation. A passing grade (P) counts as attempted and completed credit hours in this calculation. A non-passing grade (F) counts as attempted but not completed in this calculation.
• Credit hours for non-credit development courses are counted as attempted credits in this calculation. A passing grade (H) counts as attempted and completed credit hours in this calculation. A non-passing grade (U) counts as attempted but not completed in this calculation.

Students working toward an associate’s degree or eligible certificate cannot receive financial aid if they have attempted more than 150% of the credit hours published as being required for the completion of the program.  The maximum limit applies to all attempted credit and transfer hours, regardless of whether the student received financial aid to pay for the courses.  After a student has attempted credits beyond the 150% timeframe, the student is no longer eligible for Federal financial aid at MCCC.

• Transfer credit hours accepted by MCCC count as attempted credit hours in this calculation.  
• Credit hours for courses dropped after the 100% tuition refund period are counted as attempted credit hours in this calculation.  
• Credit hours for courses in which a student receives an I (incomplete) grade are counted as attempted credit hours in this calculation.
• Credit hours for pass/fail courses are counted as attempted credits in this calculation.
• Credit hours for non-credit development courses are counted as attempted credits in this calculation.

Repeated courses will count toward determination of enrollment status and attempted credit hours.  Financial aid may be used to pay for repeated courses once for classes in which a student previously earned credit and for courses that need to be repeated for which credit has not been earned. When repeating a course, the most recent grade earned is the “grade of record” for computing the grade point average.  Please see MCCC’s Repeating Course Procedure (Grading System, Procedure 3.12a) for further details.

Note: While MCCC has an academic forgiveness policy (Academic Forgiveness Policy, Policy 3.31) that allows students to petition to have his/her GPA recalculated with failing E grades forgiven based on specific eligibility criteria, the Federal Student Aid Program regulations make no provision for the concept of academic forgiveness.  Therefore, courses that have been excluded from the student’s MCCC GPA calculation on the academic transcript based on the institution’s academic forgiveness policy may not be excluded from the GPA calculation required for monitoring SAP for financial aid eligibility.

Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations are performed at the end of each payment period. MCCC does not re-check SAP or re-calculate SAP as a result of a grade change that occurs between formal SAP evaluations. All grade changes are accounted for in the next scheduled SAP evaluation.

When a student changes his or her major or degree, Satisfactory Academic Progress for each student requesting financial assistance at MCCC is still based on an academic transcript review of all previous enrollments at MCCC, including periods when financial aid was not requested or received. The calculation does NOT exclude courses attempted or grades earned while the student was working toward the prior major or degree.

Additionally, if a student is returning to MCCC to earn a second degree, Satisfactory Academic Progress for each student requesting financial assistance at MCCC is still based on an academic transcript review of all previous enrollments at MCCC, including periods when financial aid was not requested or received. The calculation does NOT exclude courses attempted or grades earned from the previous degree earned by the student.

Students who fail to make the satisfactory academic progress standards of the minimum GPA and/or the 66.66% completion rate in one semester will receive one subsequent term of financial aid while on Financial Aid Warning status.  The Financial Aid Warning status lasts for only one payment period. This status may only be assigned to students who were meeting SAP standards in the prior payment period.  

At the end of the Warning period, a student who still has not met the SAP standards will be ineligible for financial aid.  However, students who have faced extraordinary circumstances may appeal the denial of financial aid.  See the section How Do I Appeal for additional information about the satisfactory academic appeal process. 

Note: Students who have attempted more than 150% of the credits required in the certificate/degree program do not receive a Financial Aid Warning period.  However, they may appeal the denial of financial aid.

When a student who is not making satisfactory academic progress submits a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal to the Financial Aid Office and that appeal is approved, the student is assigned a status of Financial Aid Probation.  Students who are on Financial Aid Probation are eligible to receive financial aid.  

As a condition of the Financial Aid Probation status, the student will be required to follow an academic plan in order to remain eligible for financial aid.  The academic plan is developed to ensure that the student is able to successfully complete his or her program of study at MCCC. While on Financial Aid Probation, the student’s progress will be monitored by the Financial Aid Office at the end of each semester to confirm that the student has followed the academic plan.  As long as the student follows the academic plan, the student will remain eligible for financial aid.  Failing to follow the academic plan will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility for future semesters.

Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, students who have attempted more than 150% of the credits required to complete their certificate/degree, or students who were on Financial Aid Probation and did not follow the terms of their academic plan, will be assigned a status of Financial Aid Denial. Students who are assigned the status of Financial Aid Denial are ineligible for financial aid unless the student subsequently meets the required satisfactory academic progress standards or submits an appeal that is approved by the Financial Aid Office.

A student who is on Financial Aid Denial is not eligible to receive federal or state financial aid, but may reestablish eligibility for these aid programs in the following ways:

1. If the student continues to take classes at MCCC (and is not using federal or state financial aid to pay for those classes), and subsequently meets the academic progress standards required for these aid programs, the student will regain eligibility to receive these funds for the student’s next semester of attendance at MCCC.  
    
2. If the student submits a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal to the Financial Aid Office and that appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible to receive financial aid, as long as the student meets the requirements of the academic plan that has been put in place for the student.

Students who have faced extraordinary circumstances may appeal the denial of financial aid.  Supporting documentation of the circumstances is required.  The student must explain in writing why he or she is not making satisfactory academic progress, as well as what has changed (including any actions the student has taken or will be taking) that will allow the student to once again meet the SAP requirements.

Examples of extraordinary circumstances may include, but are not limited to:

• Health issues experienced by yourself or an immediate family member
• Death of an immediate family member
• Significant trauma in your life that impacted your emotional and/or physical health
• Other unexpected circumstances beyond your control

All appeals and supporting documents must be submitted no later than the end of the 100% tuition refund period for the semester, in order for the student to receive consideration for that semester.  Appeals will be reviewed within 1- 2 weeks and students will be notified via a letter from the Financial Aid Office of the outcome of the appeal.  If an appeal is approved, the student’s status will also be updated on Colleague Financial Aid Self-Service.  Appeals should be forwarded to:

Director of Financial Aid
Monroe County Community College
1555 South Raisinville Road
Monroe, MI 48161

2023-2024 Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form

2022-2023 Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form