Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Qualitative Standards

• Financial Aid Probation I

• Financial Aid Probation II

• Financial Aid Suspension

• Financial Aid Probation III (probation after suspension)

• Appeal Process for Financial Aid Suspension

The Financial Aid Office must monitor satisfactory academic progress for all students receiving federal and state financial aid to ensure that they are making progress toward completion of their programs of study in a reasonable period of time. There are two standards that must be measured: a qualitative (GPA) standard and a quantitative (hours attempted).

Qualitative Standards
 

Students who fail to achieve the GPA listed above will be placed on Academic and Financial Aid Probation.

Quantitative Standards
Students will have 150% of the published time to complete their curriculum. For example, if a student is registered in the Accounting Degree program which consists of 69 credit hours, that student is permitted 104 hours to complete that program. All courses that a student registers for counts toward the 150% a student can use, including courses where a student receives grades of W, WF, WP, I, or CF. Students who register but do not officially withdraw from classes may have those classes included in the 150% calculation. To avoid this, students who do not plan to attend classes should officially withdraw from the applicable courses in the student records office.

Students must also complete 67% of the credit hours they register for each semester. Completed courses are courses with a grade of A, B, C, D.

Students who fail to complete their curriculum in 150% of the published length or who fail to complete 67% of the courses registered for each semester will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester.
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Financial Aid Probation I
Students who are placed on Financial Aid Probation I must register for at least 6 hours, must obtain a 2.0 semester or cumulative GPA, and must complete 100% of the courses registered for. A student who fails to meet these stipulations while on Financial Aid Probation will be put on FA probation II for the next semester.

Students will be notified that the Financial Aid Office has placed them on probation. A student is still eligible to receive financial aid during the probationary period.
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Financial Aid Probation II
Students who do not meet the stipulations of FA Probation I will be placed on FA Probation II.Under FA Probation II, students must register for at least 6 hours and again complete 100% of the courses they register for. Completed courses for students under FA Probation II are ones where a grade of A, B, or C is received . Failure to meet the stipulations of FA Probation II will result in the student being placed on FA Suspension I.

Students will be notified that the Financial Aid office has placed them on probation. A student is still eligible to receive financial aid during the probationary period.
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Financial Aid Suspension I
Students who fail to meet the stipulations of FA probation II will be placed on FA Suspension I for one semester. During this time period the student will be able to attend the college, but is not eligible to receive Federal or State Financial Aid.

Students will be notified in writing that the Financial Aid Office has placed them on FA suspension I, and which semester they will regain eligibility for Federal or State Financial Aid.
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Probation III (Probation after Suspension I)
Upon completion of one semester without Federal or State Financial Aid, a student will regain eligibility for Financial Aid, but will be placed on Probation III. During Financial Aid Probation III a student is eligible for Federal or State Financial Aid, but must register for at least 6 hours, complete 100% of the courses registered for and have obtained a 2.0 semester and cumulative GPA. Failure to meet these stipulations will result in Suspension II >status from the Financial Aid Program at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
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Financial Aid Suspension II
Students who fail to meet the stipulations of FA Probation III will be place on Financial Aid Suspension II for 3 semesters. During this period the student will be able to attend the college, but is not eligible to receive Federal or State Financial Aid.

Students will be notified in writing that the Financial Aid office has placed them on FA suspension II, and which semester they will regain eligibility for Federal or State Financial Aid.
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Probation III (Probation after Suspension II)
Upon completion of 3 semesters without Federal or State Financial Aid, a student will regain eligibility for Financial Aid, but will be placed on Probation III. During Financial Aid Probation III a student is eligible for Federal or State Financial Aid, but must register for at least 6 hours, complete 100% of the courses registered for and have obtained a 2.0 semesters and cumulative GPA. Failure to meet these stipulations will result in an additional suspension II status from the Financial Aid Program at Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College.
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Appeal Process for Financial Aid Suspension
Students who have extenuating circumstances that contributed to the failure to meet satisfactory academic standards of progress will be given an opportunity to appeal for reinstatement of financial aid. The Appeal Team will be composed of the Financial Aid Director, and the student’s faculty advisor. The Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form must be completed and submitted with the required attached documentation to:

SAP APPEAL FORM

Financial Aid Appeal Review Team
Financial Aid Director
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
3250 St. Matthews Rd.
Orangeburg, SC 29118-8299

Students should allow two weeks for the committee to meet after all documentation has been submited. If the Appeal Team determines that justifiable evidence of extenuating circumstances exists, the student may receive financial aid for additional semesters and must adhere to the Financial Aid Contract established by the Review Team. At this point the student will be on Probation III in which the student must complete 100% of all course work with a grade of A, B, or C. The student will be notified of the financial aid appeal team’s decision. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeal Team is final and may not be appealed.
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