2.9.1 Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy-Academic and Financial Aid
Part 1. Introduction
Central Lakes College, MinnState Board Policy 2.9, Federal and State law require that a student make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, diploma, or certificate to remain in good standing and/or receive financial aid. The standards defined below are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment, whether or not a student received financial aid. Central Lakes College evaluates progress each term. The College believes that students are responsible for their own academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty.
Part 2. Qualitative Measure of Progress (Grade Point Average-GPA)
All students are required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) monitoring begins with the first attempted credit and will be reviewed once the student has attempted five (5) or more credits. Grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F will be included in the GPA calculation.
Part 3. Quantitative Measure of Progress (Completion Percentage and Maximum Timeframe)
Subpart A. Completion Percentage. All students are required to complete a minimum of 66.67% of their cumulative/attempted-registered credits. Monitoring begins with the first attempted credit, and will be reviewed once they have attempted 5 or more credits. Grades of F, FN, FW I, N, NC, W, Z, and IP (or blank or missing) are treated as registered credits but NOT earned credits and thus negatively impact the completion percentage.
Subpart B. Maximum Time Frame. All financial aid recipients are expected to complete their degree, diploma or certificate at Central Lakes College within an acceptable time frame. The maximum time frame in credits for financial aid recipients is 150% of the published credit length of the program major. Financial aid recipients may continue to receive aid through their cumulative registered credits that equal 150% of the required number of credits needed to complete their program at CLC. In the event that the student is admitted into a new program of study/major, Central Lakes College will reevaluate the student’s 150% eligibility status.
Part 4. Evaluation Period. The College evaluates Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each term: fall, spring and summer. Programs less than one year in length will be evaluated at the midpoint of the program. Non-standard sessions will be evaluated within the term in which they are transcripted (i.e., sessions that do not follow the normal start and end dates for the term). The College will evaluate fall and spring semester status after spring semester for all high school students with registered credits. After spring semester, the College will communicate to high school students their status as of spring semester’s end.
Part 5. Failure to Meet Standards
Subpart A: Warning
If at the end of the evaluation period a student has not met either the institution’s cumulative GPA or cumulative completion percentage standard, the student will be placed on Warning for one evaluation period. Students on warning are eligible to register and receive financial aid.
If at the end of the warning period a student who has been on warning has met both the cumulative GPA and cumulative completion percentage standards, the warning status is ended and the student is returned to good standing.
Subpart B: Suspension of Students on Warning Status
If at the end of the warning period a student who has been on warning status has not met both the institution’s cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards, the student shall be suspended. Students on suspension are not eligible to register or receive financial aid.
Subpart C: Suspension of Students Not on Warning Status.
Suspension for Exceeding the Maximum Time-Frame. If at the end of the evaluation period a student has failed to meet the institution’s standard for measurement of maximum time-frame, the student shall be suspended from financial aid eligibility.
Suspension for Inability to Meet Program Requirements within the Maximum Timeframe. If at the end of the evaluation period the institution determines it is not possible for a student to raise their GPA or course completion percentage to meet the institution’s standards before the student completes the current program of study at CLC, the student shall be immediately suspended from financial aid.
Suspension for Extraordinary Circumstances. Institutions may immediately suspend students in the event of extraordinary circumstances, including, but not limited to, previously suspended (and reinstated) students whose academic performance falls below acceptable standards during a subsequent term of enrollment; students who register for courses, receive financial aid and do not attend any classes; and students whose attendance patterns appear to abuse the receipt of financial aid.
Part 6. Appeals and Probation
Appeals. A student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress and is suspended has the right to appeal based on specific, unusual or extenuating circumstances causing undue hardship such as a death in the family, students’ injury or illness or other specific circumstances as determined by the institution.
Appeals must be submitted using an electronic form linked in the email notifying students of their suspension status.
The appeal must include an explanation of the special, unusual or extenuating circumstances causing undue hardship that prevented the student from making satisfactory academic progress.
The appeal must include what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the next evaluation period.
Supporting documentation beyond the written explanation is strongly encouraged. Initial consideration of appeals will be undertaken by an Appeal Committee. If the appeal is denied, it may be resubmitted for consideration through another appeal committee made up of the Dean of Enrollment Management or designee.
Appeals that are approved must contain an academic plan that, if allowed, ensures the student will be able to meet satisfactory academic progress standards by a specific point in time.
Part 7. Probation
If a student’s academic suspension appeal is granted, they will be on probation for their next term of attendance. At the end of the probation term, students who have not met the cumulative GPA and completion percentage requirements but have met the minimum semester standards (2.5 semester GPA and 100 percent semester course completion) or terms of the academic plan will be allowed to enroll and be eligible for financial aid the next term.
Part 8. Notification of Status and Appeal Results
The College will notify students in writing any time the student is placed on warning, suspension or probationary status.
Status Notification. Students are notified via their student e-mail accounts when the evaluation of satisfactory academic progress results in warning, suspension or probation. The notice includes the conditions of the current status and conditions necessary to regain eligibility for registration and financial aid. Notice of suspension also includes the right and process necessary to appeal the suspension.
Appeal Result Notification. The institution shall notify a student via their student e-mail account of the results of the appeal. Approved appeals include the conditions under which the appeal was approved and any conditions necessary to retain eligibility for registration and financial aid. Denied appeals include the reason for denial and the process to appeal the denial.
Part 9. Reinstatement
A student who has had their academic and financial aid eligibility suspended may be reinstated after an appeal has been approved or the minimum cumulative GPA and completion percentage standards have been achieved. Neither paying for their own classes nor sitting out a period of time is sufficient to re-enroll in classes.
Part 10. Treatment of Grades and Credits
Subpart A. Treatment of grades.
Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, S and P are included in the calculation of cumulative credit completion percentage as courses successfully completed. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of I, IP, N, NC, W, Z, F, FN, FW will be treated as credits attempted but not successfully completed. Audited courses (AU) are not counted.
Subpart B. Academic Forgiveness/Amnesty (forgiveness of prior grades).
Prior grades that have been forgiven are excluded from the grade point average (GPA) calculation but included in the completion rate calculation as attempted but not completed credits.
Subpart C. Audited Courses
Audited courses will not be funded by financial aid and are not included in satisfactory academic progress measurements.
Subpart D. Consortium Credits
Credits for which a student is registered at another college which are accepted in transfer by this college and are included for purposes of processing financial aid at this college. These classes are included in satisfactory academic progress measurements.
Subpart E. Remedial/Developmental Credits
Developmental credits are those awarded for remedial course work (i.e. below the 1000 level). Students may receive financial aid for developmental classes up to a maximum of 30 credit hours. These credits are included in the GPA and excluded from the completion percentage measurement of satisfactory academic progress. Up to 30 developmental credits are excluded from the maximum timeframe calculations.
Subpart F. Repeated Courses
Courses may be repeated for an improved grade. Only the highest grade attained will be counted on the student’s GPA calculation. Repeated courses are included in the completion rate calculation and maximum timeframe calculations. A student shall not be permitted to receive financial aid for more than one repetition of a previously passed course.
Subpart G. Transfer Credits
Transfer credits accepted by the institution and applied by the institution toward a students’ general educational program, or degree requirements shall apply toward the maximum timeframe calculation.
Subpart H. Withdrawals
Credits for which a grade of “W” is received are considered attempted credits but not successfully completed credits. Thus, a “W” does not impact the GPA but does negatively impact the cumulative completion percentage.
Subpart I. Incompletes
The mark of “I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade which is assigned only in exceptional circumstances. It will be given only to a student who cannot complete the work of a course on schedule because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control. An “I” grade will automatically become an “F” grade at the end of the next term (not including summer sessions) if requirements to complete the coursework have not been satisfactory met. Instructors have the option of setting an earlier completion date for the student.
Subpart J. In-Progress grade
The mark of “IP” is a temporary grade which is assigned only in extremely exceptional circumstances. It will be given only to a student who cannot complete the work of a course on schedule because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control. The instructor should form an agreement with the student on when the coursework shall be completed.
Subpart K. Transfer
Central Lakes College shall review and transfer in all credits where a letter grade was given in the course. These transfer credits will be evaluated under the qualitative and quantitative measures in the same way the Central Lakes College credits are evaluated.
Date of implementation/Presidential Approval: 10/1/2011
Date of last review: 11/02/2020
Updated April 2021 to reflect the MinnState requirement to exclude developmental/remedial credits from the completion percentage measurement.
Updated March 2022 to reflect CLC’s policy on academic forgiveness/amnesty. Minor formatting changes made as well.
Updated August 2023 to reflect the change in the timing of evaluating Satisfactory Academic Progress for high school students.