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MASFAA Conference November 7, 2012

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

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Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). MASFAA Conference November 7, 2012. Agenda. SAP Authority. Program Integrity r egulations: Published October 29, 2010; SAP requirements: New requirements effective July 1, 2011 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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MASFAA ConferenceNovember 7, 2012

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Pace•Defined as the student’s progression to ensure completion within the maximum time frame•Must be measured at each evaluation•A graduated pace standard is still permitted, such as:

1st term – 50%; 2nd term – 60%; 3rd term – 70%, etc.•Pace calculation: Cumulative # of credit hours completed

÷ Cumulative # of credit hours attempted = Pace/Quantitative Progress

•Other requirements (see Appendix)

Maximum Time Frame•Restricted to 150% of the published length of the student’s program (see additional details in Appendix)

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• Policy is at least as strict as the policy the institution applies to a student who is not receiving Title IV aid.

• Policy provides for consistent application of standards to all students within categories of students, e.g., full-time, part-time, undergraduate, and graduate students, and educational programs established by the institution.

• Policy must define the following elements:– GPA or other comparable assessment measured against a norm; – The pace at which a student must progress to complete the program

within the maximum time frame; – Process for incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions, and transfer of credit

from other schools; – Frequency of SAP evaluation; (continued next slide)

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• Policy must define the following elements (cont’d):– SAP Warning (applicable only if school’s policy places student on

financial aid warning);– SAP Probation (applicable only if school’s policy places student on

financial aid probation); – SAP Appeal (applicable only if school’s policy places student on

financial aid probation); student must appeal before probation granted;

– Process for schools that evaluate SAP at the end of each payment period;

– Process for schools that evaluate SAP annually or less frequently than the end of each payment period; and

– Required SAP Notifications.

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• Is the policy evaluated periodically to ensure its effectiveness and appropriateness?

• Is the policy published in appropriate institutional literature and/or on the institution’s web site?

• Is the policy provided to prospective students by posting it on an Internet web site or by sending publication or other documents via the U.S. Postal Service or e-mail?

• If the written policy is only distributed to students via a web site is notice sent to these students informing them of the exact web site address for the SAP policy and does the notice state that a written copy will be provided upon request?

• Is the policy made available to appropriate faculty advisors, counselors, and other institutional personnel and are they familiar with it?

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• Are the following addressed in SAP Policy?− Non-punitive grades (WD, W, etc.) and repeated courses− Audited and pass/fail courses− Withdrawal and nonattendance− Incomplete grades

• Does the policy address transfer credits in determining SAP?

• Is the SAP policy for students receiving federal student aid at least as strict as the policy used for students not receiving federal student aid?

• Are the evaluation periods or increments established not to exceed the lesser of one academic year or one-half the published length of the education program?

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• If the institution has an academic policy that allows for academic amnesty or renewal, does SAP policy clearly indicate that any such academic amnesty does not apply?

• Does the policy define qualitative and quantitative measures such as: maximum time frame, GPA, and completion rate, and are they consistently applied?

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• Has the institution chosen to allow for an appeal process for students with mitigating circumstances, and if so, has it explained what circumstances may be considered?

• How are students notified of the appeal process?

• Does the policy identify the appropriate official(s) who approve the appeals?

• What constitutes documentation for an appeal?

• How are students notified of appeal decision?

• What office tracks appeals?

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• Is the procedure evaluated periodically to ensure its effective and efficient.

• Are the student records reviewed in a timely manner at the end of each defined evaluation period or increment?

• Does policy address how data on SAP evaluations are maintained for statistical review?

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• Are they included as a condition of a financial aid warning status, a financial aid probation status, or the approval of an appeal at the school’s option?

• Do they state the number of payment periods until student may come into SAP?

• Do they allow for:− Registration for fewer credit/clock hours− Registration in specified courses − Certain term grade point average requirements

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• Do they have clear minimum standards?

• Do they allow for revisions?

• What constitutes a contract violation and what happens when a contract is violated?

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Challenges we faced:

• Qualitative –vs- Quantitative

• Warm and Fuzzy -vs- Standards and Expectations

• Student Retention -vs- Reality

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• Reiterates SAP policy.

• Multi Semester.

• Clearer Goals.

• Special Program Identification.

•Utilize your software.

•Talk with other institutions.

•Forge relationships.

•Don’t feel guilty.

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Joan Crissman, Assistant to the President for Strategic Development

EC Group, LLC: www.ecgroupllc.orgEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 257-6457

Kevin DeRuosi, Financial Aid AdministratorSalem State University

Email: [email protected] Phone: (978) 542-6112

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• Previous SAP requirements & references included in three separate regulatory sections:

– Administrative Capability §668.16(e)– Student Eligibility §668.32 (f)– Satisfactory Progress §668.34

• Now all requirements are consolidated into §668.34, with cross-references in §§668.16(e) & 668.32(f)

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• Pace (cont’d from slide 9)– Institutions are still not required to include remedial coursework in

calculation of pace.– Institutions should carefully consider how any remedial courses are

defined in terms of completed and attempted hours, and appropriately describe how these courses enter the calculation of pace for SAP purposes.

– SAP policy must describe how the pace calculation will be affected by course incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions, and transfer of credits from other institutions.

– Credit hours accepted from another institution toward the student’s educational program must count as both completed and attempted hours in the calculation of pace.

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• Pace (cont’d)– Regarding changes of major/academic program,

schools have flexibility to determine how they impact SAP: School policy could say that only credits counting toward the

student’s current major are considered in the calculation of pace and the maximum time frame.

A more stringent policy might restrict a change in major to two or three times and not have credits specific to the earlier majors count against maintaining SAP; or

Provide that major changes before a certain point in the student’s program (e.g., before the third year in a four-year program,) do not impact SAP.

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• Maximum Time Frame (cont’d from slide 9)– For credit hour programs, the maximum time frame cannot

exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program, measured in credit hours;

– For clock hour programs, the maximum time frame cannot exceed 150% of the length of the educational program, as measured by the cumulative number of clock hours required for completion, and expressed in calendar time.

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• A student’s academic progress must be evaluated at the end of each payment period if the educational program is either:– One academic year in length or shorter than an academic year

• For all other educational programs, the institution may evaluate SAP at the end of each payment period or at least annually to correspond with the end of a payment period.

• Institutions must be sure to know when they may use a financial aid warning period based on the frequency of their SAP evaluation periods.

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• Institutions that evaluate SAP each payment period should notify students that they – – May lose eligibility for Title IV aid;– Can be placed on financial aid warning for one payment period;– Must make SAP or can be placed on financial aid probation after

an appeal.

• Institutions that evaluate SAP each payment period after financial aid probation should notify students that they –

– Must be making SAP, or– Are successfully following an academic plan.

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• Institutions that evaluate SAP less often than each payment period should notify students that they – – May lose eligibility for Title IV aid;– May be placed on financial aid probation after an appeal;– Must be making SAP or successfully following an

academic plan, after serving a probationary period.

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• For programs shorter than two years – Students must have an academic standing consistent

with graduation standards.• For programs longer than two years

– Institutions have flexibility in defining the GPA requirement of their SAP policy.

– At the end of the second academic year, the student must have – GPA of at least a “C” or its equivalent; or academic standing consistent with the institution’s

requirements for graduation.

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• Preamble to the Program Integrity Final Regulations, October 29, 2010, p. 66879

https://www.ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/FR102910Final.html

• Satisfactory Academic Progress Reviews for Students in Clock Hour Programs, E-Announcement, June 6, 2011

https://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/060611SAPReviewforStudentsinClockHrs.html

• Program Integrity Questions and Answers - Satisfactory Academic Progress

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/sap.html

• Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies & Procedures & FSA Assessments, for 2010-11 and prior, and 2011-12 award year and beyond

http://ifap.ed.gov/qahome/qaassessments/sap.html

• NASFAA 2011 Training Materials -- Satisfactory Academic Progress

http://www.nasfaa.org/training/archives/Satisfactory_Academic_Progress_-_2011_Workshop_Kit.aspx

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