Federal regulations require that all students receiving federal Title IV, state, and institutional need-based financial aid are meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in order to maintain eligibility.

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:

Student Minimum Grade Point Average PACE Maximum Time Frame
Initial Bachelor Degree Candidates 2.00 cumulative in college-level coursework
1.66 cumulative in TRS (remedial-level) coursework		 67% 180 attempted credits
Post-bac Teacher Licensure and
Post-bac Degree Candidates		 2.75 cumulative in college-level coursework
1.66 cumulative in TRS (remedial-level) coursework		 80% 180 attempted credits
Prerequisite Students 2.00 cumulative in college-level coursework
1.66 cumulative in TRS (remedial-level) coursework		 67% 12 consecutive months
Undergraduate Certificate Students 2.00 cumulative in college-level coursework
1.66 cumulative in TRS (remedial-level) coursework		 67% 33 attempted credits
Graduate Certificate Students 3.00 cumulative 100% 27 attempted credits
Graduate Degree Candidates 3.00 cumulative 100% 60 attempted credits

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.
  • 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 through the appeals process 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 did not complete degree and program requirements, or
    • did not provide official transcripts from off-campus program by the deadline, or
    • did not provide official transcripts from courses taken through a consortium agreement by deadline, or
    • did not meet the cumulative grade point average standard, or
    • the cumulative pace standard, or
    • exceeded the maximum time frame standard.
  • 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.

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 by attending the college without benefit of aid.

Appeals

Students appealing to re-establish eligibility for financial aid must prepare an appeals package. Required documents include:

  • Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form
    • Complete, signed and dated (available on Financial Aid website).
  • Personal Statement
    • explaining the basis for the appeal, the reason for not meeting standards, and what will be changing that will allow standards to be met if reinstated from suspension, or
    • explaining reason for exceeding maximum time frame and plan to graduate.
  • 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, or
    • semester-by-semester program/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. Courses for a dual degree, minor, certificate, or endorsement cannot be included on the plan.

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

Appeal review

In order for the student's appeal to be considered by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, the student must not have any financial holds in excess of $500 or any other 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 their 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 appeal as an "earn back" when standards have been met.

  • Students approved as an "earn back" will return to good standing.
  • Students who were approved through the appeals process and placed on probation must meet all SAP standards by the end of the following term, or they will return to financial aid suspension beginning the following term.
  • Students who were approved through the appeals process and placed on probation with a plan must follow the plan exactly, or they will be placed back on financial aid suspension beginning the following term.

Click here for the complete 2020-2021 Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy