PRO 6.115 Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility

To maintain satisfactory academic progress, a student must comply with all three standards of this procedure:

• Standard One: Maintain a career grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher.
  
  The student must maintain a career 2.0 or higher grade point average calculated at the end of each semester.
• Standard Two: Complete 67 percent of the credits attempted.
  
  The student must complete, with a passing grade, 67 percent of all credit hours attempted at Kirtland Community College, whether or not financial aid was received for those attempted credits.
• Standard Three: Not exceed 150 percent of attempted credit hours.
  
  Federal regulations state that a student cannot receive Title IV financial aid funds for more than one and one-half times (150 percent) the required credits needed to complete a specific certificate or degree.  For example, if an Associate in Arts degree requires 60 credits to complete, a student cannot attempt more than 90 credit hours toward that degree and still receive aid (60 x 1.50 = 90).  The student should review the Kirtland Community College catalog or consult with an academic advisor/counselor to find the number of credits required for his/her program. The student will be denied financial aid when he/she has attempted more than 150 percent of the credit hours required for his/her program. Grades of W, I, U, R, AU and E (grade definitions are found in the college catalog) are not considered passing but are considered as attempted credits. Remedial coursework and transfer credits are included in the number of attempted credits. The student may receive financial aid for the repeat of a previously passed course once.

Establishing Eligibility for a First Time Financial Aid Applicant

Satisfactory academic progress will be reviewed prior to the awarding of any federal financial aid. A student who applies for financial aid for the first time and has credits already accumulated at Kirtland must have successfully completed, with a 2.0 career grade point average or above, 67 percent of all credit hours attempted.  The student cannot have attempted more than 150 percent of the credit hours required for his/her current program. The student with transfer credits from other institutions will have the total number of transfer credits counted in the total number of attempted credits. All credits, even if paid for from the student’s own funds, will be counted as attempted credits. When the student does not complete 67 percent of all career credit hours attempted with a 2.0 career GPA or above, he/she will be placed on warning status. The student can receive financial aid while on warning.

Consequences of Failing to Meet One or More of the Progress Standards

Warning Status
A student who fails to meet Standards One or Two (previously described in this procedure) in a semester will be placed on a warning status for their next semester of enrollment and receive one subsequent term of financial aid.  A student remains eligible to receive financial aid while on warning status. If both Standard One and Two are met at the end of the warning semester, the student will be removed from warning status.

Denial Status
A student who does not meet the requirements for maintaining eligibility at the end of the warning semester will have eligibility for financial aid programs denied. A student who reaches the upper limit of attempted credits for their program of study will have their aid eligibility denied.

Reinstatement After Ineligibility

With the exception of the 150 percent rule, a student may be reinstated (after being denied) after meeting one of the following conditions:

• The student has taken, without funding from the financial aid office, at least six credit hours and has passed those six credit hours with a grade of “C” or better. Classes taken at institutions other than Kirtland are not considered for reinstatement purposes. The student will be given financial aid on a warning status during the next semester the student attends Kirtland, or
• The student has taken, without funding from the financial aid office, enough credits to meet the GPA and completion rate requirements of Standard Three. The student will be reinstated without warning status.

To view the policy, go to POL 6.115A Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility