Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress policies ensure compliance with Federal Financial Aid policies and ensure that students are moving forward in successful completion of academic requirements for their degree. There are both financial aid and academic requirements and consequences and these details are described in separate sections below.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Impact on Financial Aid

Federal and state regulations require that all students receiving Title IV federal financial aid at the College meet standards for satisfactory academic progress to maintain eligibility for their financial assistance. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) applies to all students and denotes successful completion of coursework towards a degree in each semester. Students who fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and/or course completion rate (CR) in a Maximum Time Frame (MTF) will face loss of eligibility for Title IV federal financial aid. The following table outlines Title IV fund eligibility based on a student’s academic status:

Any account not paid within 120 days after the end of a semester for financial aid students will be referred to a collection agency.

SAP Requirements

Students must meet the following minimum qualitative and quantitative standards of SAP in order to be eligible for Financial Aid.

Qualitative: Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

• Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00. - Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00.

Quantitative: Completion Rate (CR) and Maximum Timeframe (MTF)

Completion Rate (CR)

A student enrolled at the College must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 67% of the credit hours attempted. Satisfactory completion is defined as receiving a passing grade of “D” or better for credits attempted. Any transfer credits accepted by the college will count as attempted and earned courses in this calculation. Courses dropped within the first week drop period will not count against the completion rate percentage.

Maximum Timeframe (MTF)

Students at the College may earn a maximum number of credit hours while pursuing a degree. Students will be allowed to earn a maximum of 150% of the number of credit hours required by the degree-granting program.

Guidelines

All RMCAD credit hours attempted and earned are counted in the evaluation of SAP.

All transferable credits are counted as credit earned and attempted and will count towards MTF and CR but not in the cumulative GPA calculation.

Incomplete grades in courses will count as credits attempted but not earned until the final grade has been posted, at which point SAP will be re-calculated for MTF, CR, and cumulative GPA with the final grade.

Course withdrawals (grades of W) count as credits attempted but not earned, and count towards MTF and CR but not toward cumulative GPA.

For students who change degree programs, all credits attempted and earned at RMCAD, regardless of program, count in MTF and CR. Students on SAP Termination are ineligible to transfer to another program until a SAP appeal has been approved, or if on SAP Probation, until SAP has successfully been met.

Failure to Meet SAP Requirements for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements are reviewed on a semester basis, regardless of the number of credit hours attempted during the term.

Students who do not meet the SAP minimum requirements will be placed on a financial aid SAP FA Warning status for the following semester in which they attempt credits and are still entitled to Title IV funds. If at the end of the warning semester the student still has not met the minimum SAP requirements, the student is no longer eligible for financial aid and their SAP status will be updated to SAP FA Termination. A student may appeal SAP FA Termination status in order to regain eligibility for one additional semester (or the length of the academic plan). A student who is granted an appeal will have their SAP status changed to SAP FA Probation. If at the end of the semester the student does not meet the SAP requirements and fails SAP again, their status will be changed to SAP FA Termination – Permanent and they are not entitled to Title IV funds for one year.

Appeal Process

In order to appeal, the student must (1) submit an appeal form to the Student Advising Office regarding the termination, stating the reasons for the appeal, and (2) be able to reasonably meet SAP within the following semester, and (3) complete Financial Aid Awareness Counseling at https://studentloans.gov once the appeal has been granted. If the student cannot meet SAP in one semester, they may be eligible to have two semesters with an appeal and a specific, approved academic plan on file.

Students who are approved for Financial Aid SAP Appeal will be moved to a SAP FA Probation status and will be eligible to receive financial aid during the following term and/or the length of their academic plan as long as they meet all of the terms and conditions.

If a student is unable to successfully appeal or fails to meet the obligations of an approved appeal, the student will not qualify for financial aid until they have met all of the SAP standards.

Professional Judgment Policy

Please contact a Financial Aid advisor for the complete Professional Judgment Policy.

Academic Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements

All full-time and part-time students are expected to meet minimum standards of progress determined on the basis of cumulative grade point average (CUM GPA) and Completion Rate (CR). Undergraduate students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 by the end of the first semester and for the duration of their degree program. All Art Education majors must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 by the end of their first semester and for the duration of the Art Education degree program.

All full-time and part-time graduate students are expected to meet minimum standards of progress determined on the basis of CUM GPA. Students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 at the end of their first semester and a 3.0 for the duration of their degree.

All full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students are expected to meet the minimum CR of 67% by the end of each semester and throughout their program.

Guidelines

• All RMCAD credit hours attempted and earned are counted in the evaluation of SAP.
• All transferable credits are counted as credit earned and attempted and will count towards CR but not in the cumulative GPA calculation.
• Incomplete grades in courses will count as credits attempted but not earned until the final grade has been posted, at which point SAP will be re-calculated for CR and cumulative GPA with the final grade.
• Course withdrawals (grades of W) count as credits attempted but not earned, and count towards CR but not toward cumulative GPA.
• For students who change degree programs, all credits attempted and earned, regardless of program, count in CR and cumulative GPA.

Failure to Meet SAP Requirements for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements are reviewed on a semester basis, regardless of the number of credit hours attempted during the term. See the Department of Financial Aid section above for additional information regarding SAP and financial aid requirements.

Academic Warning

Student progress is monitored at the end of each semester. Undergraduate students who do not attain the cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (2.5 for Art Education majors) and completion rate of 67% or greater at the end of the semester are placed on academic warning for the following semester. Graduate students who do not attain a completion rate of 67% or greater and a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 for their first semester, and 3.0 for the duration of their degree, are placed on academic warning for the following semester. Students are notified of academic warning in writing.

Academic Probation

Student progress is monitored at the end of each semester. Undergraduate students who do not attain the cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (2.5 for Art Education majors) and completion rate of 67% or greater at the end of the semester are placed on academic probation for the following semester. Graduate students who do not attain a completion rate of 67% or greater and a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 for their first semester, and 3.0 for the duration of their degree, are placed on academic probation for the following semester. Students are notified of academic probation in writing.

Students who are on academic probation may not apply for an “Incomplete” grade in any course during the probationary period. Art Education departmental probation is handled in the same manner as students placed on institutional academic probation. Students will be given one semester to raise their cumulative GPA to a 2.5. Should the student fail to achieve a 2.5 cumulative GPA, they will not be required to leave the college but may choose to declare another major instead. Student will be required to complete an academic success plan with their Student Advisor and participate in tutoring sessions with our Student Learning Center (SLC).

Academic Suspension

For undergraduate students, the minimum required grade point average of 2.0 and completion rate of 67% or better must be achieved by the end of the semester in which the student is placed on suspension, resulting with the student being suspended from the college for a 16-week semester. For graduate students, the minimum required grade point average of 3.0 and completion rate of 67% or better must be achieved by the end of the semester in which the student is placed on academic suspension and the student will be suspended from the college for a 16-week semester. Students are notified of academic suspension in writing.

Academic Suspension Appeals

Students may appeal academic suspensions. Students must submit the appeal to the Office of the Registrar including all relevant documentation/evidence as applicable or requested by the Registrar within one week of notification of the suspension. Students who appeal by this deadline will be permitted to attend class while the appeal is under review. In cases where the appeal is denied, the student will be administratively dropped from all classes. No charges will be assessed, and no grades assigned. Upon denial of appeal, the terms of suspension stated in the original notice will apply.

Academic Probation + Suspension for PASS Students

(Updated October 2021)

Undergraduate students enrolled in the Provisional Academic Success Strategies (PASS) program who do not attain the cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the semester fall under the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.

Readmittance Following Suspension

Upon readmittance to RMCAD after academic suspension, the student will remain on academic probation for a semester.

Students who do not meet the standards designated during this second probationary term will be suspended for another semester and must submit a Policy Appeal to the Office of the Registrar in order to continue enrollment. The Policy Appeal Form must be received 30 days before the start of the semester in which the student wants to enroll. Exceptions will be decided on a case-by-case basis by, and at the discretion of, the Registrar and the Dean of Students.