Satisfactory Progress

Students who fail to meet the grade point average and/or the completion percentage standards will be placed on one semester of Financial Aid Warning. Students placed on Financial Aid Warning are eligible to receive financial aid during their warning semester. The warning semester is considered to be the next attended semester following when student failed to meet the academic progress standards, regardless if the student is receiving aid or completed the FAFSA. At the end of the one warning semester, students must be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards to remain eligible, or aid will be immediately suspended.

• Any student with less than a 10% completion rate or less than a .50 GPA will be immediately suspended and will not receive a Warning semester. These students may be manually reviewed by staff if it is determined that they are enrolled in enough credits to meet the minimums after one semester. 

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 submitted due to not meeting minimum GPA and/or completion requirements, must submit third party documentation or in limited circumstances, a Student Success Plan. Students may appeal Financial Aid Suspension only once in their lifetime with the college. Students who wish to appeal must first have completed the FAFSA for the upcoming semester that they are appealing for and then 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 every 2-3 weeks. It is the student's responsibility to submit an appeal in a timely manner. Students are always responsible for all charges on their student bill regardless of financial aid.

• 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. An Academic Plan from their Academic Advisor is also required. The student and Academic Advisor are required to sign the Academic Plan as a mutual agreement to follow the plan through graduation. Academic Plans are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office on a weekly basis. If at any time the student fails to comply with the Academic Plan Agreement, the student is immediately ineligible for financial aid.
• Suspension due to reaching Maximum Time Frame: To appeal a maximum time frame suspension, students must complete the Time Frame Appeal form.  Required documentation for a Time Frame appeal includes a letter from the student that explains the specific circumstances that prevented the student from completing their program within the maximum time frame (i.e. change of program, 2^nd degree) and an approved Academic Plan from the student’s Academic Advisor. The student and Academic Advisor are required to sign the Academic Plan as a mutual agreement to follow the plan through graduation. Academic Plans are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office on a weekly basis. If at any time the student fails to comply with the Academic Plan Agreement, the student is immediately ineligible for financial aid.

If a student believes the Satisfactory Academic Progress status is incorrect due to a grade change, late grade, or completion of an incomplete, it is the student's responsibility to contact the Financial Aid Office. Grade changes that occur after the next semester begins will not be reevaluated. 

Students are expected to complete their degree/diploma program within a maximum time frame for financial aid purposes. Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum time frame 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. This includes all prior credits (including previous programs at NWTC), transfer credits, and current program credits at NWTC. Once a student has reached the maximum time frame 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. If at any point in time the Financial Aid Office determines that the student cannot complete their program within the 150% time frame the student will be immediately suspended from future financial aid for the remainder of their program, even if currently meeting the SAP standards.

Maximum Time Frame Examples