Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy |
Once financial aid is awarded, in order to continue to receive federal financial aid, a student must be making satisfactory progress. A student is normally considered to be making satisfactory progress if he/she is making a cumulative grade of "C" or above (qualitative measure) and is making timely progress toward the attainment of a Program Completion Certificate (quantitative measure). Satisfactory Academic Progress checked at the end of each nine week period . Students may take up to 50% longer than the normal time of their Career Major to complete that career major and still be regarded as being in good standing. However, a student will no longer be eligible for Title IV federal financial aid once he/she has received aid for the number of hours in the career major. (Example: 900 clock hour for most Career Major) The maximum time a student can attend Pontotoc Technology Center in a 900 hour Career Major is 1350 clock hours which is equivalent to an additional fifteen weeks.
Example: a full-time student would normally complete a 900 clock hour Career Major in thirty-four weeks. An eligible student would receive Title IV aid for 900 clock hours during the school year. The student could take an extra fifteen weeks at full time status (extra 450 clock hours, to complete the Career Major if the student was not able to complete in thirty-four weeks (and providing there is space in the Career Major) but that student WILL NOT receive Federal Financial Aid.
The student would be charged tuition for the extra semester. However, the student would not be eligible to receive additional Title IV aid for the additional 450 clock hours. In no instance can the student receive aid for more hours than the program is accredited for.
QUANTITATIVE MEASURE
PROBATIONARY PERIOD If a student receives an unfavorable progress report that is not in compliance with the SAP requirements as outlined above, the student has failed to maintain satisfactory progress. The student will be informed in writing due to his/her failure to maintain SAP. The student will then be placed on financial aid probation for the next 9 week period. During that time, the student is responsible for completing the required cumulative amount of curriculum with at least a letter grade of “C” or higher. The student must also have met the required cumulative clock hours for the evaluation period. During this probationary period the student will continue to receive financial aid. Students who are unable to meet the required grade or attendance cumulative minimums at the end of this financial aid probationary period will be suspended from further financial aid due to failure to maintain satisfactory progress. RE-ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY In the event a student is suspended from financial aid due to his/her failure to maintain satisfactory progress, the student must re-establish his or her eligibility for aid. • For instance, if the average cumulative grade is not at least a "C", the student must bring the average cumulative grade up to at least a "C" or above within the designated pay period in order to re-establish his/her eligibility for further aid. • If the student has not completed the required work/hours up to that point in the program, the student must complete the work or hours before the end of the pay period. • If a student, who was suspended from financial aid, leaves the institution and then returns, that student will not be eligible to receive financial aid until such time that the time has reestablished eligibility by meeting all satisfactory progress requirements. WITHDRAWALS, DROPS, TRANSFERS AND OR INCOMPLETES • Students who receive payment and withdraw or drops before a payment period is completed and does not owe a refund or has not been overpaid must sit out one whole payment period before being re-admitted. The student must complete the course work already paid for before receiving more financial aid. The request for re-admission must be made in writing and must be approved by the Director of Student Services before the student is re-admitted. • Former PTC students who have completed a program may not be re-admitted to the same program within a two year time frame. • Transcripts from other schools, colleges and accredited institutions will be evaluated by the director and the instructor involved and credit may be given for appropriate units of instruction. Financial aid will be adjusted accordingly in approved programs. • A grade of "I" is regarded as unsatisfactory academic progress for the purposes of Title IV COURSE REPETITIONS AND REMEDIAL COURSES
APPEAL PROCESS Students who receive notification that financial aid has been suspended due to unsatisfactory progress have the right to appeal. Students receiving a suspension notice will also receive written procedures to follow to appeal the decision of the Financial Aid Office. To appeal, a student must file a written appeal with the Financial Aid Office. This appeal must be in writing and submitted within two calendar weeks of the notice of denial indicating the extenuating or mitigating reason for not making satisfactory progress. (Mitigating or extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to: illness or injury of student or a member of the student's immediate family; death in the student's immediate family; or some other traumatic situation that can be documented.) The decision of the appeal will be made by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. The student will either be denied aid on the grounds of unsatisfactory progress or aid will be granted on a probationary basis for the next evaluation increment. The student will be notified in writing of the appeal decision with ten days of receipt of the student's written appeal. Failure of the student to meet appeal deadlines will result in denial of the student's appeal. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Committee are final. |
