Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
effective 2009-2010

All students receiving financial aid from federal and state sources must be making satisfactory academic progress at Union County College. Students shall be monitored for satisfactory academic progress each year that they apply for financial aid based on the cumulative standing at the conclusion of the prior year’s spring semester.

Click to download a copy of the Policy
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Click to download a copy of the Appeal Guidelines
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Guidelines

Maximum Timeframe

All transfer, college level, developmental, and repeat courses will be included in the maximum timeframe calculation. ESL courses will be excluded from the maximum timeframe calculation.

Students may not receive financial aid for attempted credits in excess of 150% of the credits required for graduation. Students who have attempted more than150% of the maximum credits required for graduation are not making satisfactory academic progress.

Once it has been determined that a student will not be able to graduate within this timeframe they will no longer be eligible be making satisfactory academic progress.

For example, if a student’s degree requires 70 credits, they must complete their program within 105 credits. Once a student has attempted 105 or more credits, they are no longer eligible for financial aid.

Quantitative Measures

Attempted credits include all developmental, ESL, and college level credits. Attempted but not completed grades include F, UF, W, I, Z, U, X, etc.

Students must complete a percentage of their attempted credits. This percentage will be graduated based on the number of credits that the student has attempted and is listed below

All credits including ESL, developmental, transfer and college level courses will be counted to determine the credit hours. Students with only transfer, ESL, or developmental courses will be exempt from the Qualitative measure.

Students must achieve a required minimum GPA. This required minimum GPA will be graduated based on the number of credits that the student has attempted and is listed below.

Students not meeting the minimum standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress are ineligible for financial aid from federal and state sources.

However, students have the right to appeal for continued eligibility by submitting an appeal, in writing, to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee if they have exceptional circumstances that prohibited them from meeting any or all of the above standards of academic progress. If the appeal is approved, the student's financial aid will be reinstated.

Appeal requests must provide an explanation of the circumstances that contributed to your failure to meet the minimum academic progress standards and a realistic academic plan for improvement. Prior to submitting an appeal, we recommend that you also meet with your academic advisor. Students should read the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Guidelines available on our website for more information on writing an appropriate appeal. Appeals will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis.

Situations considered “extenuating circumstances” beyond a person’s control include, but are not limited to:
• Serious illness or injury to student that required extended recovery time or significant improvement
• Death or serious illness of an immediate family member
• Significant trauma in student’s life that impaired the student’s emotional and /or physical health
• Readmission under the College policy
• Other documented circumstances

Grades
All F, UF, U, W, I, XF grades will be considered as credits attempted, but not completed.
Transfer, remedial, ESL (except as noted) and repeated courses will be counted in both attempted and completed credits.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Guidelines