MGCCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

Title IV Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations require that all students make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in a program of study to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has established minimum SAP standards that recipients must make toward completion of a diploma or degree program.

SAP standards encourage successful completion of an educational goal in a timely manner. This policy is separate from the MGCCC Scholastic Progress Standards policy and is monitored by the Directors of Financial Aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress standards apply to the following Title IV federal financial aid programs:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplement Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
• Federal Work Study
• Federal Direct Loan Program
• Federal PLUS Program

Students Receiving Federal Financial Aid Must

1. Maintain a minimum completion rate for all attempted hours and
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA); and
3. Complete a diploma or degree program before they have attempted 90 hours

Hours Earned and GPA Required for Eligibility

• Academic history is reviewed for all students applying for financial aid, regardless of whether financial aid was received during past enrollment.
• Academic history includes transfer hours, scholastic forgiveness hours, withdrawal hours, incomplete hours, repeated hours and developmental hours.
• Attempted Hours include all MGCCC and transfer hours in which the student has enrolled.
• Earned Hours include all MGCCC and transfer hours completed a grade of A, B, C, D, P, S.
• The formula for calculating the completion rate is: Earned Hours/Attempted Hours.

Maximum Time Frame

All recipients of federal financial aid have a maximum of 90 attempted hours (1.5 x 60 minimum hours required for most MGCCC programs) to complete a diploma or degree program. Transfer hours are included in the 90 attempted hours. The maximum time frame is adjusted on an individual basis for programs which require more than 60 hours.

Developmental Courses

Developmental Classes will be treated in the same manner as other college courses attempted. At the student’s request, a maximum of 15 hours of developmental courses can be removed from the completion rate and maximum time frame determination.

Repeated Courses

Repeated courses are counted as attempted hours in the completion rate and maximum time frame determination. Students cannot receive financial aid for more than one repetition of a previously passed course. Also, students cannot receive financial aid for any repetition of a previously passed course due to the student failing other coursework (Example:  Student fails Nursing I and has to repeat the entire semester. Financial Aid will cover the failed class but not the other classes.)

NOTE: Students have a lifetime Pell Grant limit of 12 full-time semesters or the equivalent. The Federal Government will track this via the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS). This is a final decision from the Department of Education and cannot be appealed to the school.

Transfer Students

• Official transcripts from all previous colleges attended (regardless of whether or not financial aid was received) must be forwarded to the MGCCC Admissions Office and be evaluated for transfer credit and SAP compliance before eligibility for Federal Financial Aid can be determined. All credit hours attempted (including those for which grades of W, WF, I, and WP) that are received will be included as hours attempted.
• Transfer credit will be subject to the same SAP standards as institutional credits, and a SAP status will be assigned to the transfer student as calculated according to this policy. This status will be effective beginning the student’s first term of enrollment at MGCCC.
• Transfer students who have attempted 15 hours or less at previous institutions and are not compliant with the MGCCC SAP Policy will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for their first semester at MGCCC. At the end of the first semester, those students on Financial Aid Warning will be re-evaluated for SAP and will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension if they are still not in compliance with the MGCCC SAP Policy.
• Transfer students who have attempted more than 15 hours at previous institutions and are not compliant with the MGCCC SAP Policy will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. This suspension will be enforced beginning in their first semester at MGCCC.

SAP Review and Notification

• Academic progress is reviewed at the end of each term to determine compliance with the grade point average (GPA), completion rate and maximum time frame standards.
• Students who fail to meet the GPA and completion rate standard for the first time will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status.
• Students who began the semester on “Financial Aid Warning” and still failed to meet the GPA and completion rate standard at the end of the semester will be placed on “Financial Aid Suspension”.
• Students who exceed the maximum time frame standard for the first time, and subsequent times, will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension status.
• Attempts to notify all ineligible students via their MGCCC e-mail account will be made; however, MGCCC Web Services will serve as official notification of SAP eligibility.
• It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with SAP and to monitor their progress each term.

Financial Aid Suspension Appeals

• Students placed on “Financial Aid Suspension” due to extenuating circumstances may appeal this status by completing the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form (2023-24 form)(2024-25 form) and submitting supporting documentation and a graduation plan.
• Each appeal will be considered on its own merit by the Campus Financial Aid Appeals Committee. See Schedule below for deadlines and notification dates.
• Appeals submitted without supporting documentation and a graduation plan will be denied.
• Students will be notified of the appeal decision via e-mail and Web Services.
• Students who have completed the appeal process and have been approved will be placed on “Financial Aid Probation”. Students must complete each probationary term in good standing to avoid being placed back on “Financial Aid Suspension”.
• Because students must demonstrate “progress” in the GPA and completion rate, the minimum standards for students on probation are:
  • Must follow the approved Academic/Graduation Plan
  • Must earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of the probationary term
  • Must not receive any withdrawals, failing, or incomplete grades (W, WP, WF, F, I, IP)
  • Students who fail to meet the above standards at the end of the “Financial Aid Probation” semester will be placed on “Financial Aid Suspension” for future semesters.

SAP Appeals Schedule

SAP Appeals that are submitted with supporting documentation and a graduation plan by the deadline(s) will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee prior to the next scheduled payment. Students will be notified of outcome by the 15th of the month (1st of the month deadlines) or 1st of the month (15th of the month deadlines) or the next business day.

Appeals submitted without supporting documentation will be denied.

The decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final.