Student Financial Aid & Veteran's Educational Benefits

Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) for
Financial Aid Recipients

The Danville Area Community College (DACC) Office of Financial Aid is required by federal regulation (HEA Subpart B, 34 CFR 668.16(e), Subpart C, CFR 668.32, 668.34, 668.42, 668.43) to monitor academic progress toward a degree or certificate for all degree seeking aid applicants.  As a result, the Office of Financial Aid reviews the academic history of all attempted credit hours of all applicants prior to the awarding of Title IV Federal Student Aid and/or Illinois State Student Aid. These standards must have components of a Quantitative Measure (the Pace at which the student must be completing their Program of Study) and a Qualitative Measure (the grades a student must be obtaining in their coursework) and be reviewed at stated intervals. At DACC SAP is reviewed at the end of each enrollment period.

Academic progress is evaluated the first time a student is awarded student financial aid and at the end of each term thereafter. If during the semester, a student withdraws from a class we will contact them and remind them of the SAP standards and ask that they review them again in the published College materials (Student Handbook, College Catalog and the DACC’s Financial Aid WEB page). This process may help the student remain in "good standing" with the Federal and State student financial aid programs criteria.

The Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) apply to the following programs:

Federal Title IV Programs:  Pell Grant, Supplement Educational Opportunity Grant, College Work-Study, Direct Loan Program (Stafford Loan Program), and the Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students

Illinois Student Assistance Commission Programs: Monetary Award Program, Veteran's Grant, National Guard and the MIA/POW Scholarship

Veteran’s Educational Benefits:  All Chapter’s and Post 9/11 Benefits

Completion Rate and Grade Point Average Requirement

The student is required to meet the standards listed below or eligibility to receive student financial aid will be placed in a Financial Aid SAP WARNING status or a Financial Aid SAP SUSPENSION status or a Financial Aid  SAP PROBATION status. 

To be in SAP “GOOD STANDING” a student must be meeting the minimum standards each enrollment period by having a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0, a success rate of 67% of all credits attempted and complete their program of study within the published time frames formatted in credit hours.  

PACE- MINIMUM CREDIT HOUR COMPLETION
(Quantitative Measure)

At the end of each enrollment period SAP is reviewed. Cumulatively a student must successfully complete a minimum percentage of all credit hours attempted to stay on pace for completing their program before reaching the maximum time frame allowed.  Attempted credit hours include any credit hours in which the student was enrolled in after the refund period is over. 

If the student accepted Federal Title IV aid for days attended during the refund period but then totally withdrew from all credit hours the student will be placed on SAP Suspension.  Some students will have slightly different refund periods because of late starting classes or classes that end early. Each semester's refund period is published at the DACC WEB page, in the Student News or a student may contact the Registration Office for the dates or any questions concerning withdrawals.

Successful completion of a class is a letter grade of A, B, C, D, S. Unsuccessful completion of a class is defined as Failure (F), Withdrawal (W), Incomplete (I), or Unsatisfactory (U).  Remedial classes are graded as: passing "S" for satisfactory or "U" unsatisfactory (which is considered not completing the course work).  The completion rate requirement applies to remedial classes. Note that remedial coursework does not calculate into a GPA. All classes that are repeated (including grade “exclusions”) are counted in the Quantitative (Pace) Measure.

Students who have attended other post secondary institutions are required to have an official grade transcript from these schools on file in the DACC Records office. Transfer credit that is evaluated to apply towards their program of study at DACC will be included in the total credit hours attempted and earned as part of the quantitative measure (the Pace) of maximum time frame allowance.

Minimum Percentage - A student must complete 67% of cumulative hours attempted to be on pace for completion of program. The first time a student fails to successfully complete the minimum percentage of credit hours required they must be placed on financial aid WARNING for the next term of enrollment.

Total withdrawal (a “grade” of “W” posted to transcript) or total failure (a grade of “F” posted to transcript) will result in SUSPENSION.  This includes the refund period if Title IV funds were accepted for the days in attendance (regardless if tuition and/or fee charges were cancelled).

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement(Qualitative Measure) - The student is required to earn and maintain a 2.0 (C) Cumulative grade point average out of a possible 4.0 scale.

FINANCIAL AID (SAP) WARNING

A SAP Warning status occurs the first time a student fails to meet the minimum standard in any one of the components.  If a student is placed on SAP Warning they will still be eligible to receive Student Financial Aid for one more term without appealing the circumstances.  

Upon the end of the next period of enrollment the student meets the minimum standards they will “automatically” be reinstated to SAP “Good Standing”.

If upon the end of the student’s next period of enrollment they have not met the minimum standards they will be in a SAP Suspension status. An Appeal of the circumstances would need to be submitted for any future consideration of using Title IV and/or State student aid at DACC.

FINANCIAL AID (SAP) SUSPENSION

Failure to complete the minimum cumulative standards of either component while on a SAP Warning will result in the SAP SUSPENSION of a student’s future aid eligibility.

Total withdrawal (a “grade” of “W” posted to transcript) or total failure (a grade of “F” posted to transcript) will result in SAP SUSPENSION.  This includes the refund period if Title IV was accepted for the days you were in attendance.

A student placed on SAP SUSUPENSION is NOT eligible for future Federal and/or State student aid at DACC.

MAXIMUM HOURS ATTEMPTED
(Cumulative Quantitative Measure)

Time of Completion: Title IV and/or Illinois State Student Aid eligibility will be suspended if the student exceeds the 150% completion of the published program time frame for all cumulative credit hours attempted (not earned).  Remedial coursework credit hours attempted will be counted as part of the program of study timeframe. Students who require remedial coursework are limited to a maximum of thirty (30) credit hours of attempted remedial coursework.  The student is advised to work with their academic advisor to “stay on pace” to complete their educational goal.

Student’s on SAP Suspension due to exceeding the maximum time frame (not remaining on pace in cumulative attempted hours) are no longer eligible for student aid funding. They may submit a personal letter (an Appeal) explaining and documenting why they did not stay on pace and complete their program of study within the published timeframe.  The Appeal letter must be submitted with an academic plan of program completion including total hours and semesters still required to complete the program.  This plan is called a Degree Audit and must be prepared by the student’s DACC academic advisor/counselor. The Appeals Committee will take into consideration that remedial coursework may have extended the timeframe towards a completion date.

REINSTATEMENT OF AID ELIGIBILITY
(Appeal Procedures)

If the student feels there were circumstances beyond their control that affected their academic performance, they may appeal the SAP Suspension.  An appeal is a written statement from the student with supporting documentation explaining your circumstances and your plans to be successful in the future semesters.  Other support documentation could include: 

•  A physician who can document that an illness or accident prevented the student from successfully completing their studies and that the student is now able to successfully resume their studies.
•  A physician/clergy/counselor who can verify that the death or life-threatening illness of an immediate family member prevented the student from successfully completing their course work and the family circumstance is no longer applicable.
•  An academic advisor/counselor or an employer, childcare provider, etc. who knows about circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevented the completion of course work and these circumstances have been resolved

FINANCIAL AID (SAP) PROBATION

If the student’s Appeal decision is for reinstatement (approval) they will be placed on SAP Probation and be awarded from Title IV and/or State student aid programs for which they are eligible. A student should be aware that appeal approvals may have certain limitations and specific conditions that must be followed to continue using financial aid funding. An Academic Plan for Success (APS) may be mandated by the Appeals Committee. The APS would be prepared by the student’s academic advisor/counselor (or other pertinent DACC staff) and the student would need to agree to the plan before further student aid would be awarded. The student must be successful with their APS each semester to continue receiving student aid for which they may be eligible (remain on Probation).

A student on SAP Probation who then meets the minimum standards will “automatically” be placed in to Good Standing status.

DEADLINES TO SUBMIT APPEALS

The deadline to submit an appeal is no later than two weeks PRIOR to the semester the student wishes to attend and be reviewed for eligibility for student aid. If the student misses the appeal deadline the appeal WILL NOT is considered for that semester.  It is to he student’s advantage to submit an Appeal immediately after being notified of their SAP status.  Appeal deadlines are published in the Student News, DACC’s Financial Aid WEB page (under “Important Dates”) and various bulletin boards on campus.  The SAP status notices highlights the two week prior to the term deadline.

Appeal decisions are sent via the student’s DACC student email account and posted to their Jaguar Spot (their Web Advisor account).  Students who do not yet have these accounts active will be notified via the U.S. Postal system. If a student is not clear of the meaning of the appeal response they may visit the financial aid office for clarification of the Committee's decision. In order to protect a student’s privacy these matters will not be discussed over the phone.  The student is not privy to who serves on the Appeals Committee and will not have an opportunity to meet members in person or via email or phone communication. The Committee consists of faculty, staff and administrative personnel.

*THE DECISION OF THE APPEAL COMMITTEE IS FINAL*

These requirements are mandated by federal regulations - satisfactory academic progress is the law. The SAP policy applies to all students including first time financial aid recipients. Past academic history (if any) at DACC is evaluated before  financial aid is awarded.

Glossary of Terms:

Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) - a Federal requirement applied to all students who have Federal Student Aid funding (pending, actual or estimated awards)

Program of Study - The educational program the student has indicated they are pursuing at the College. It maybe a Certificate, Associates or Transfer program (must be eligible program per Federal guidelines).

 Quantitative Measure - the Pace at which the student must be completing their Program of Study which must be monitored for completion before maximum time allotted for program is reached

Time of Completion - the PACE: the Maximum time frame is 150% completion of the published program time frame. This calculation considers all cumulative credit hours attempted (not earned).

GOOD STANDING – a student is meeting the minimum standards each enrollment period

Minimum Standards - student has a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 and is staying on pace with a success rate of completing 67% of all credit hours attempted and is completing (on pace) their  program within the published time frames formatted in credit hours.

SAP SUSPENSION – student failed to meet minimum standard by total withdraw in a semester and/or being on a warning status and/or reaching maximum time frame for Program of Study

SAP WARNING - first time a student fails to meet the minimum standard in any one of the components. 

SAP PROBATION - The student has an approved Appeal for reinstatement of Title IV and/or State student aid for an additional term (unless an Academic Success Plan (APS) is being met)

Academic Plan for Success (APS) - prepared by the student’s academic advisor/counselor (or other pertinent DACC staff) and the student would need to agree to the plan before further student aid would be awarded.

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