Satisfactory Progress and Appeal Policies

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Effective: 2015-2016

Federal regulations require that all students make satisfactory academic progress in a program of study to maintain eligibility for federal aid programs, including, but not limited to, the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, the Perkins loan, the Federal Direct Stafford loan, the Federal Direct PLUS loan, and Federal work study. The same regulations apply to the Colorado Student Grant, Colorado Finish in Four, State work study, Institutional Need-Based Award, and Institutional work study.

Students may be impacted by other academic progress policies, including institutional and departmental academic standards, as well as academic progress policies for other types of aid, including, but not limited to institutional merit scholarships, athletic aid, and veterans benefits.

Students must take responsibility to clarify the academic progress policies that impact them.

Components of financial aid satisfactory academic progress

The following standards will be monitored to determine eligibility for financial aid:

Qualitative Standard
- Cumulative grade point average
Quantitative Standard
- Maximum time frame
- Cumulative pace

Cumulative grade point average

To remain eligible to receive financial aid, students must have a cumulative grade point average as specified below when evaluated at the end of the spring and summer payment periods. Students who do not meet the standard will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Bachelor’s Degree Candidates – cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799 and cumulative grade point average is greater than or equal to 1.66 in courses numbered 001-099 (remedial/TRS courses);
Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Candidates – cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799;
Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Prerequisite Candidates– cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799;
Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates – cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher in courses numbered 600-700.

The impact of grades of A, AU, AW, B, C, CW, D, F, I, MW, NC, NG, S, SW, and W on the cumulative grade point average are specified in the Catalog of Courses published on the Fort Lewis College website. The impact of grades for repeated courses is also specified in the Catalog of Courses.

Maximum time frame

To remain eligible to receive financial aid, students must not have attempted more than the specified number of credits for their academic program. Students who exceed maximum time frame will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Bachelor’s Degree Candidates – 150% of the number of credits for their degree program as published in the Catalog of Courses (for most programs this would be 180 credit hours);
Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Candidates – 150% of the number of credits for their licensure program as published on the Department of Teacher Education website;
Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Prerequisite Candidates– 12 consecutive months;
Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates – 200% of the number of credits for their degree program as published in the Catalog of Courses.

The program length for most Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees is 120 credits; therefore, for most students, the maximum time frame is 180 attempted credits. Teacher preparation and engineering programs are authorized to require additional credits. For students in those programs, maximum time frame is adjusted to 150% of the credits required. Students in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program who received their baccalaureate degrees from Fort Lewis College are allowed up to 234 attempted credits. Students in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program who received their baccalaureate degrees elsewhere are allowed up to 54 attempted credits. The program length for the Master of Arts in Education degree program is 30 credits; therefore, for graduate students, the maximum time frame is 60 credits. The program length for Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Program Prerequisite students is 12 consecutive months from the time they approved to begin.

For Bachelor’s Degree and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Candidates, all credits attempted in courses numbered 100-499 at Fort Lewis College and at other institutions, except those taken under the audit option, are included in the calculation of maximum time frame. Also included in the calculation are the number of credits earned through credit by examination and credits from extended off campus programs. For Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates, all credits attempted in courses numbered 600-700 at Fort Lewis College and in graduate courses at other institutions, except those taken under the audit option, are included in the calculation of maximum time frame.

Bachelor’s Degree Candidates who have not previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree who are pursuing more than one major, a minor, or a dual degree, and Bachelor’s Degree Candidates pursing a second or subsequent bachelor’s degree receive no additional allowances for maximum time frame. Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Candidates receive no additional credit allowances for deficiency requirements or additional endorsements. Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates pursuing a second or subsequent master’s degree receives no additional allowances. Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Program Prerequisite students will not receive any additional allowances.

Pace

To remain eligible to receive financial aid, students must meet the cumulative pace standards specified for their academic program. Cumulative pace is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credits completed by the cumulative number of credits attempted. Students who do not meet cumulative pace standards will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Bachelor’s Degree Candidates – 67% of the number of credits attempted in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799, excluding those taken under the audit option;
Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program Candidates – 80% of the number of credits attempted in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799, excluding those taken under the audit option;
Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Program Prerequisite Candidates - 80% of the number of credits attempted in courses numbered 100-499 and 1100-1799, excluding those taken under the audit option;
Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates – 100% of the number of credits attempted in courses numbered 600-700, excluding those taken under the audit option;

For included coursework, completed credits for Bachelor’s Degree Candidates and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Program Candidates are courses taken at Fort Lewis College that earned a grade of A, B, C, D, S, or P in all enrollment periods, including those for which financial aid was not received, plus credits in courses earned through the transfer of credit, credit by exam, and evaluation of prior learning credit processes. For Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates, grades of D are excluded from completed credits.

For included coursework, attempted credits for Bachelor’s Degree Candidates, Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Candidates, and Master of Arts in Education Degree Candidates are courses taken at Fort Lewis College that earned a grade of A, AW, B, C, CW, D, F, I, MW, NC, NG, P, S, SW, and W in all enrollment periods, including those for which financial aid was not received, plus the number of credits that were earned through the transfer of credit, credit by examination, and evaluation or prior learning processes.

REVIEW OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Students receiving financial aid are evaluated against standards after the spring and summer payment periods after grades have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office, with the following exceptions:

Students on financial aid probation with or without SAP Plans will be evaluated after the fall, spring, and summer payment periods after grades have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office.
Students who were enrolled during a payment period in an off-campus program will be evaluated when the grades associated with that program have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office or at the end of the subsequent payment period, whichever occurs first.
Students who were enrolled during a payment period at another institution under a consortium agreement will be evaluated when grades from that institution have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office or at the end of the subsequent payment period, whichever occurs first.
Students receiving a grade change will be re-evaluated for the relevant payment period when the grade change has been officially posted by the Registrar's Office.
Students who present transcripts from other institutions showing attempted and/or earned credits not previously accounted for will be re-evaluated for the relevant payment period when the attempted credits have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office.
Students receiving a late disbursement for a previous term will be evaluated at the time of disbursement.
Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Program Prerequisite Students will be evaluated after the fall, spring, and summer payment periods after grades have been officially posted by the Registrar's Office.

Financial aid status

After evaluation, students will be assigned a status of good standing or suspension. Students reinstated from suspension will be assigned the status of probation.

*Good standing

A student is in good standing and eligible to receive additional financial aid if the student has not completed degree and program requirements and has met the cumulative grade point average standard and the cumulative pace standard and has not exceeded the maximum time frame standard.

*Suspension

A student is suspended from financial aid if the student is on a financial aid plan and the student completed degree and program requirements or did not meet the cumulative grade point average standard and/or the cumulative pace standard and/or exceeded the maximum time frame standard. Students on financial aid suspension will be notified by an individual email to their Fort Lewis College email account that they are not eligible to receive financial aid unless they re-establish eligibility through the appeals process or by achieving standards attending the college without benefit of aid.

*Probation

Students are on probation or probation with a financial aid plan if they were reinstated from suspension through the appeals process. Students on probation are eligible to receive aid and are expected to return to meeting standards by the end of the following term. Students on probation with a financial aid plan are eligible to receive aid as long as they meet the conditions of their plan, as specified by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

APPEAL PROCEDURES

A student unable to meet cumulative grade point average and/or cumulative pace standards because of illness or injury of the student or a family member, death of a family member or another unforeseen circumstance may appeal for re-establishment of eligibility to receive aid. Students who have exceeded maximum time frame may also appeal for reinstatement if they have a plan for degree completion.

Students make the appeal by submitting required documents to the Office of Financial Aid. The deadlines to submit these documents are published on the Office of Financial Aid website.

The required documents for students who were unable to meet cumulative grade point average and/or cumulative pace standards are:

Financial Aid Suspension Appeals Form – complete and signed (available on Office of Financial Aid website);
Personal Statement – explaining reason for not meeting satisfactory academic progress standards and what will be changing that will allow these standards to be met in the future and;
Documentation – supporting the basis of the appeal, such as a letter from a medical or mental health professional licensed or certified to provide diagnosis and treatment, obituary/death certificate, police report, insurance claim, or social services agency statement.

The required documents for students who have exceeded the maximum time frame are:

Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form – complete and signed (available on Office of Financial Aid website);
Personal Statement – explaining reason for exceeding maximum time frame and plan to graduate and;
Documentation – semester-by-semester degree plan signed by a Professional Academic Advisor in the Office of Student Success showing how the degree or program will be completed. Only the courses required to complete a program or degree may be included in the plan.

In order for the students’ appeal to be considered by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, the student must not have any financial or registration holds.

The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will consider appeals on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the appeals package submitted by the student and the student’s academic, financial, and disciplinary records.

Students will be individually notified of the committee’s decision by email to the Fort Lewis College account.

Students suspended because they failed to meet cumulative grade point average and/or cumulative pace standards, who were denied on appeal, who did not appeal, or who rejected an Academic Plan must re-establish eligibility for aid by meeting satisfactory academic progress standards by attending the college without benefit of financial aid. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Office of Financial Aid when standards have been met.