Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

To remain in good academic standing and maintain financial aid eligibility, students must meet the following minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards as measured at the end of each grading and/or payment period:

  1. Must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0.
  2. Must maintain a rate of progress (ROP) of 66.67% or greater.
  3. Must be able to complete the program within 150 percent of the program length (Maximum Time Frame [MTF]).

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

CGPA measures the quality of the student’s work by assigning quality points to each letter grade and weighting the course by the credit hours. Only courses with earned grades required in the student’s program of study are included in the CPGA calculation. In the case of repeated coursework, only the most recent attempt is counted toward the CGPA.

Rate of Progress (ROP)

Students are required to maintain a satisfactory ROP toward successful completion of their program. ROP is defined as the credit hours completed divided by the credit hours attempted. All periods of the student’s enrollment for the current program count when assessing progress, even periods in which the student did not receive Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds.

Maximum Time Frame (MTF)

Students must be able to successfully complete all the required course credit hours of their program within the Maximum Time Frame. To maintain SAP, the credit hours attempted cannot exceed one and one-half times (1.5) or 150 percent of the credit hours required to complete a program.

SAP Evaluation

Each program is broken down into grading periods and payment periods. At the end of each of these periods, the student’s CGPA, ROP and MTF will be evaluated. The evaluation will ensure that all aspects of Satisfactory Academic Progress are met. A student failing to maintain the minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress will be notified of such and will face administrative actions. These actions include being placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation or dismissal from the program at the end of a grading period. In addition, a student failing to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of a payment period may be placed in a Financial Aid (FA) Warning status or Financial Aid Probation status, or the student may lose Federal Financial Aid eligibility altogether.

The outcome of SAP Evaluation is different depending on whether a student is enrolled in a Non-Term Program or a Term Based Program.

Non-Term Programs

(Dental Assistant, Medical Assisting, and Medical Office Administration)

Academic Warning

A student not meeting all aspects of Satisfactory Academic Progress (CGPA, ROP and MTF) at the end of a grading period will be placed on Academic Warning. The school will advise the student of his or her status immediately upon completion of the SAP evaluation, and, in cooperation with campus academic leadership, the student will be required to complete an Academic Success Plan (ASP).

The student will remain in Academic Warning status until; a.) the student’s SAP is evaluated at the end of the upcoming grading period, is met, and the student is returned to good academic standing and Active status; or b.) the student does not meet the requirements agreed to in the Academic Success Plan created at the beginning of the grading period whereupon the student will be notified of pending dismissal from the program. A student may appeal pending dismissal in writing to the Academic Dean within 72 hours of notification. (see Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals) A student who does not file an appeal or for whom an appeal is not granted will be academically dismissed. A student submitting a successful appeal will be placed in Academic Probation status.

Academic Probation

A student notified of pending dismissal who submits a successful SAP Appeal will be placed in Academic Probation status. A student on Academic Probation who fails to meet the requirements of the Academic Success Plan created at the beginning of the Academic Probation grading period will be dismissed.

Term Based Programs

(All other programs not covered in the Non-Term Programs section above)

Academic Warning

A student not meeting all aspects of Satisfactory Academic Progress (CGPA, ROP and MTF) at the end of a grading period will be placed on Academic Warning. The school will advise the student of his or her status immediately upon completion of the SAP evaluation, and, in cooperation with campus academic leadership, the student will be required to complete an Academic Success Plan (ASP). Only one Academic Warning grading period is permitted in Term-Based Programs. If a student fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress for the next grading period or for any grading period in which the student is on Academic Warning, the student will be notified of pending dismissal. To remain enrolled, the student must submit a SAP Appeal within 72 hours of notification. A student in this situation who does not file an appeal or does not receive approval for an appeal will be dismissed.

Academic Probation

A student on Academic Warning who does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards at the end of the grading period must file an appeal. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Academic Probation. A student on Academic Probation who fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress or who fails to meet the requirements of the Academic Success Plan at the end of the grading period will be dismissed.

All Programs

Active Status

A student on Academic Warning or Academic Probation will be returned to good standing and Active status at the end of a grading period in which all Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are met.

Financial Aid (FA) Warning

FA Warning will be assigned to a student not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards at the end of a payment period. The school will advise the student of his or her status immediately upon completion of the SAP evaluation. A student on FA Warning may continue to receive Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds for one payment period. A student on FA Warning who achieves the minimum CGPA and rate of progress by the next payment period will be removed from FA Warning and placed back in good standing and retain his or her eligibility for FSA funds. A student who fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards after the FA Warning period will lose his or her eligibility for FSA funds unless the student’s appeal is approved. The student will then be placed on FA Probation.

Financial Aid (FA) Probation

Students on FA Warning who do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of the payment period must submit an appeal or be dismissed. If the appeal is approved, the student will be assigned the status of FA Probation. The school will advise the student of his or her status immediately upon completion of the SAP evaluation. A student on FA Probation who fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress or who fails to meet the requirements of the Academic Success Plan at the end of the payment period will be dismissed. A student on FA Probation who achieves a minimum CGPA and ROP by the next payment period will be removed from FA Probation and placed back in good standing and retain eligibility for FSA funds. A student who fails to make Satisfactory Academic Progress or fails to meet the requirements of the Academic Success Plan after the FA Probation period will lose eligibility for FSA funds.

Academic Success Plan

At the end of every grading and/or payment period in which a student does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, campus academic staff will assist the student in creating an Academic Success Plan. The Academic Success Plan will outline, in detail, minimum academic performance standards for the student for the upcoming term. The student must acknowledge and meet the requirements of the Academic Success Plan to remain enrolled in the program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals

A student may appeal dismissal from the program due to failure to meet SAP and/or the loss of financial aid based on mitigating circumstances.

Written appeals must include:

  • A clear statement about the mitigating circumstances that caused the student to be unsuccessful and include appropriate supporting documentation of such circumstances;
  • An explanation of how such mitigating circumstances contributed to the student’s academic situation;
  • An explanation about what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to attain Satisfactory Academic Progress at the next payment period; and
  • An acknowledged and signed Academic Success Plan created with the assistance of campus academic staff.

If the student does not submit an appeal within 72 hours of notification, or the appeal is denied, the student will be academically dismissed.