Satisfactory Academic Progress 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (Effective December, 2011)

Federal regulations require that students receiving Federal financial aid must be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible to receive financial aid at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). This policy applies to ALL periods of enrollment whether or not the student previously received financial aid. In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the Financial Aid Office at NWTC has established the following policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards:

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) monitors all credits for all students, whether or not the student has received financial aid. The standards below will be applied after the student’s first semester of enrollment and each subsequent semester.

Qualitative Measure of Progress

Grade Point Average (GPA): Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Quantitative Measure of Progress (PACE)

·         Completion Rate: Students are required to maintain an overall completion rate of 67 %.  The completion rate is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credits successfully completed by the cumulative number of credits attempted. Attempted credits include all credits taken at NWTC regardless of whether the student received financial aid or not and any transfer credits accepted.  Attempted credits include those credits for which the following grades were received, W, I, IP, NS, F.

·         Maximum Time-Frame: Students are expected to complete their degree/diploma program within a maximum timeframe for financial aid purposes.  Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum timeframe is 150% of the published credit requirement of each eligible program.  Students are only eligible to receive financial aid until their cumulative attempted credits plus any transfer credits accepted equals 150% of the required credits for their degree/diploma.  Once a student has reached the maximum timeframe they are no longer eligible to receive financial aid.  Credits are counted starting with the semester the student first enrolled at NWTC even those semesters for which financial aid was not received.  Students who reach the maximum time frame are immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility.

Maximum Timeframe Examples:

Immediate Suspension of Financial Aid

·         If at any point in time the Financial Aid Office determines that the student cannot complete their program within the 150% timeframe the student will be immediately suspended from future financial aid for the remainder of their program, even if currently meeting the SAP standards.

Students who have no passing grades for any semester or term (semester/term GPA of 0.00) will be immediately suspended from financial aid until such time as they are meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. 

Evaluation Period:

NWTC evaluates Satisfactory Academic progress at the end of each semester or term (fall, spring and summer).  Grades entered as of the established grading date for each semester will be used to calculate Satisfactory Academic Progress.  Missing grades or grade changes made after the first day of the subsequent semester will not be considered.

Notification:

Students are notified through their NWTC email of their warning, suspension or probationary status at the end of each semester.  Students that appeal their ineligibility will be notified of the outcome through their NWTC email.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Status:

·         Warning: Students who fail to meet the grade point average and/or the completion percentage standards will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students placed on Financial Aid Warning are eligible to receive financial aid for one additional semester at which time they must be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

·         Suspension: Students on warning who do not meet either the cumulative progress standards or the term standards are placed on suspension. Suspended students are not eligible to receive financial aid until an appeal is approved or satisfactory academic progress standards are met.

Probation: Students may be placed on financial aid probation after they have failed their warning period and have been approved a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal.  Students on probation are eligible for financial aid. To be removed from probation students must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of the probationary period.

*Students may be required to repay some or all financial aid received.

Reinstatement:

Return to Academic/Financial Aid Good Standing:

Students suspended from financial aid eligibility may regain eligibility for financial aid by enrolling at their own expense and after attaining the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.  This may require enrollment in multiple semesters and must include a minimum of six credits per semester.  Students that need less than six credits to attain good standing must enroll in at least six credits during one semester to be considered for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility.  Students return to good standing only after achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a cumulative completion rate of 67 %. After meeting these standards the student is no longer on suspension and is eligible to receive financial aid.

Suspended students may also regain financial aid eligibility if a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal is approved.   Students who have appeals approved will be placed on probation and will again lose financial aid eligibility if they have not met the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards at the end of their probationary period.   

Appeals:

Students have the right to appeal their suspension status based on non-academic, mitigating circumstances (i.e. death of an immediate family member including father, mother, sibling, spouse, or child, an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student). All appeals require third party documentation.  Students may appeal Financial Aid Suspension only once.  Students who wish to appeal must speak with a Financial Aid Advisor to discuss their appeal and obtain the appeal form.  Financial Aid appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.

• Suspension due to not meeting GPA or Completion standards: To appeal a financial aid suspension, students must complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal form. Required documentation for a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal includes a letter from the student that explains the specific circumstances that prevented the student from meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards and third party documentation.
• Suspension due to reaching Maximum Timeframe: To appeal a maximum timeframe suspension, students must complete the Timeframe Appeal form.  Required documentation for a Timeframe appeal includes a letter from the student that explains the specific circumstances that prevented the student from completing their program within the maximum timeframe (i.e. change of program, 2^nd degree) and an approved Academic Plan from the student’s Academic Advisor.

Additional Elements:

Treatment of Grades:

o    Attempted-Not Earned Credits: Letter grades of F, NS (No Show), I (incomplete), IP (in progress), or W (withdraw) are counted as credits attempted but not successfully completed.

o    Attempted-Earned Credits: Letter grades of A, B, C, D, count as completed credits.

o    Grade Point Average: Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using a grade point value for grades of A, B, C, D, F. 

o    Incomplete Grade: A grade of I (incomplete) or IP (in progress) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of I or IP is a temporary grade and will automatically become an F grade at the end of the next term if the required course work is not completed.

o    Audited Courses: Audited credits are not financial aid eligible and are excluded from academic progress calculations.

o    Consortium Credits: Consortium credits are included in financial aid academic progress calculations.

o    Remedial Credits: Students may receive financial aid for up to 30 remedial credits. These credits are included in academic progress calculations.  A maximum of 30 remedial credits can be excluded from the maximum time-frame calculation.

o    Repeated Credits: Students may repeat a class once to review course material or improve a grade. Repeated credits are included in the completion rate and maximum time frame calculations. All grades remain on the transcript. Only the highest grade recorded is included in the GPA calculation.

o    Transfer Credits: Transfer credits (earned at another college and accepted by NWTC) are excluded from the GPA calculation, but included in the completion rate and maximum time frame calculations.

o    Withdrawals: A W is assigned when a student withdraws from a class after the drop period for the semester has ended. W grades are considered attempted but not successfully completed credits. Grades of W do not impact the GPA calculation, but do negatively impact the completion rate and the maximum time frame calculations.

Program Changes

o    Change in Program: Students who are in compliance with NWTC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy may change their program of study and remain eligible for financial aid.  The maximum timeframe for financial aid will include all credits the student has attempted including those not applicable to the new program.  Students that have changed programs more than two times without completing a degree or diploma program and reach the maximum timeframe for financial aid will not be eligible for additional financial aid.

Additional Program of Study: A student that has completed a degree or diploma program may be eligible for additional financial aid to complete another program of study. The maximum timeframe will still apply and students may need to submit a Timeframe Appeal to the Financial Aid Office.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Please review the Satisfactory Academic Progress Frequently Asked Questions.