Satisfactory Academic Progress

12.1 Process Overview & Responsibilities

To be eligible for Title IV aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Under the administrative capability requirements, Lake Land College must determine the academic standards that students must meet. Lake Land College must also determine a method and schedule of measuring the achievement of these standards. The financial aid SAP standards must be the same as or stricter than the standards the school uses for students who are not receiving Title IV aid. It must also apply equally to all students within each category.

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education, Lake Land College is required by federal regulations (Federal Regulations 34CFR Parts 668.32 and CFR 668.34) to establish satisfactory academic progress standards for federal and state financial aid recipients enrolled in eligible degree and certificate programs. These minimum standards ensure that only those recipients demonstrating satisfactory progress toward the completion of their educational objective continue to receive financial assistance.

12.2 Same as or Stricter than

Lake Land’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards are established in accordance with the US Department of Education. The following three standards are measured:

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Completion Rate (Pace)
• Maximum Timeframe

These minimum standards are required for a student to be eligible for the following types of student financial aid, regardless if a student has previously received student financial aid:

• Federal Pell Grant,
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG),
• Federal Work-Study Program (FWS),
• Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans,
• Federal Parental Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS),
• Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP), and
• All other ISAC scholarship programs.

SAP is calculated on ALL students, except those that have never received any type of financial assistance (including external scholarships and waivers) at Lake Land College immediately after grades post for the semester.

12.3 Qualitative Measure (GPA)

All degree/certificate-seeking students must comply with the minimum standard for cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) regardless of the student previously receiving financial aid at Lake Land College or any other institution of higher education. Lake Land College uses an escalating minimum GPA consistent with the school’s graduation requirements. Remedial coursework is included in the student’s cumulative GPA calculation.

Minimum Standards regarding GPA are as follows:

12.4 Quantitative Measure (Pace/Maximum timeframe)

All degree/certificate-seeking students must comply with the minimum standards for Satisfactory Course Completion Rate of 67 percent regardless of the student previously receiving financial aid at Lake Land College or any other institution of higher education. The 67 percent Satisfactory Completion Rate refers to the percentage of cumulative hours successfully completed (earned) in relation to cumulative hours attempted. Attempted hours include all Lake Land courses, remedial hours, repeated hours, and transfer credits that count towards graduation for the student’s program of study. Withdrawals, failures, incompletes, and “F” grades are also considered attempted hours.

Successfully completed (earned) hours are those classes for which there is a letter grade of A, B, C, or D.

Example: To meet the minimum completion rate of 67 percent, a student who has attempted 28 cumulative hours at the end of a semester must have successfully completed (earned) a minimum of 19 cumulative hours.

Students enrolled in eligible degree or certificate programs cannot exceed 150 percent of the number of credit hours needed to complete the program. Attempted hours include all Lake Land courses, remedial hours, repeated hours, and transfer credits. Withdrawals, failures, incompletes, and “F” grades are also considered attempted hours.

All attempted credit hours at Lake Land are used in this calculation, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid as well as those credit hours taken while under a different program of study.

Failure to complete the program of study within 150% of the required time will result in the student being placed on Financial Aid Termination and will discontinue their financial aid eligibility.

Students fail the maximum timeframe measure at the point at which it is determined that it is not mathematically possible for them to complete their program within the maximum timeframe.

Note: There is no Financial Aid Warning period for degree or certificate-seeking students who have attempted the maximum of 150 percent of the number of credits needed to complete the program (immediate Financial Aid Termination occurs).

12.5 Increments

To ensure the student is making sufficient progress both quantitatively and qualitatively, Lake Land’s SAP policy must check SAP at the end of each payment period. SAP evaluations coincide with the end of every semester – fall, spring, and summer.

12.6 Probationary or Conditional Periods

New students or students who were previously making Satisfactory Academic Progress that do not meet the required completion rate (67%) or grade point average (2.0 graduated scale) at the end of the payment period are placed on Financial Aid Warning. A student on Financial Aid Warning may continue to Title IV financial aid for one payment period (the student’s next term of enrollment) despite the determination that the student is not making satisfactory progress.

If a student is approved by the Financial Aid SAP Appeals Review Board, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Probation status lasts for one payment period, during which the student may continue to receive FSA funds. Specific conditions will be detailed in an academic plan issued to the student via postal mail. At the conclusion of the payment period, the student may be allowed to continue receiving Title IV financial aid with a continued academic plan if the conditions that were specified in the academic plan are met and the student is making satisfactory progress towards the completion of their program. Conditions specified in the academic plan are always more strict than the standard SAP policy. For more information regarding appeals, see 12.9.

12.7 Treatment of remedial, English as a second language courses, repeated courses, audited courses, transfer hours, nonpunitive grades and pass/fail courses, withdrawals, and incompletes

All Lake Land courses, including remedial and repeated hours, and transfer credits that count towards graduation for the student’s program of study withdrawals, failures, and incompletes are all considered attempted hours and are included when calculating quantitative and qualitative measures, with the exception of transfer hours, which are not included in GPA calculation.

12.8 Notices

The Financial Aid Office publishes the SAP Policy in several locations, which are all readily available to students.

Students receive a copy of the SAP policy with every Award Letter and with the Financial Aid Warning letters. The policy is also available on our Financial Aid website (https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/financialaid/keep-financial-aid/), on the student’s Laker Hub account (personalized to the student) and in the student handbook.

The financial aid staff members are responsible for ensuring that the data provided is accurate and readily available to students. The SAP policy is reviewed at least on an annual basis to ensure continued compliance and consistency.

12.9 Appeals

Students who have extenuating circumstances that led to their failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress may appeal their Financial Aid Suspension and Termination status. Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, prolonged illness, severe accident or injury, death of a family member, extreme family emergency, or other unusual situation beyond the student’s control for which documentation can be provided. Each student may appeal only one time per condition (i.e. one appeal for suspension status and one appeal for termination status).

Students who wish to appeal their SAP status must meet with a Financial Aid Specialist to discuss their SAP status and why they are not currently making satisfactory progress towards their degree. A transcript review is completed during this meeting to indicate why the student is on Financial Aid Suspension or Termination and how the calculation and determination were made. Students must then complete the SAP appeal form and submit it to the FA office with a written statement indicating why they have failed to make satisfactory progress towards their degree and what has changed with the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation. In most cases, the appeal packet should also contain supporting documentation of the student’s extenuating circumstances.

A complete appeal will contain:

• SAP Appeal Form (received during meeting with FA staff)
• Typed letter indicating why the student has failed to meet SAP standards
• Course planning map completed by student and academic advisor
• Supporting Documentation from the incident that has caused the student to fail to meet satisfactory progress (if applicable)
• Degree Audit
• Academic Transcript

All completed appeals are reviewed by the SAP Appeals Review Board, which is made up of professionals from Financial Aid, faculty, and other Student Services staff.

If approved by the SAP Appeals Review Board, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Probation status lasts for one payment period, during which the student may continue to receive FSA funds. Specific conditions will be detailed in an academic plan issued to the student via postal mail. Conditions specified in the academic plan are always more strict than the standard SAP policy.

Information about the appeal process can be found in the college catalog and on our website at https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/financialaid/keep-financial-aid/

The review board meets twice per semester, and the appeal deadlines are indicated to students during their SAP Advising appointment and are printed on the Appeal form.

12.10 Regaining Eligibility

Students who have been placed on Financial Aid Suspension can regain eligibility by:

• Appealing and being placed on Probation status, or
• Successfully completing courses without financial aid resources to increase the student’s GPA and/or completion rate to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standards (cumulative GPA of 2.0 and 67% completion rate).

Updated: 7/9/2024