Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulation requires all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Title IV financial aid programs include the Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, PLUS Loan, and Work–Study. The requirements of this policy apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid.   

Minimum Standards

Your eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work-study will be determined by the following standards.  At the end of each semester (Summer, Fall, and Spring), you must be meeting the following cumulative standards. If a student doesn’t meet the requirements below, they will be placed on a financial aid warning, probation, or suspension depending on their history.  Beginning with the 2023 aid year, it is Lakeshore College's policy that aid code 77 courses will not be included in the SAP calculation as they are preparatory courses, with no credit earned and receive a pass/fail measure.  These courses are paid for through the Foundation. 

1. Grade Point Average –The qualitative measurement is your GPA. Only grades from Lakeshore College will count towards your GPA except for students in Shared Programs.  For courses taken at Shared Program schools, all grades will count towards your GPA at Lakeshore College. Students must maintain a minimum lifetime cumulative GPA of 2.0. Grades of A, B, C, D, F, LF (lapsed), and WF (withdrawn F) are included in the GPA calculation.  Grades of IC (incomplete), W (withdrawn), and R (retake) are excluded from the GPA calculation. 

1. Incomplete grade (IC) – May be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.  A grade of IC is a temporary grade and will automatically become an LF grade six weeks after the end of the term if the required coursework is not completed.  The GPA and completion rate will be recalculated after the IC grades have been converted to the LF or a passing grade. 
2. Grade Changes – This will result in the recalculation of the cumulative GPA and completion rate if it is changed within the same semester or the following semester. Grades changed after this will not result in a recalculation. 
3. Repeat of Courses – For courses that are taken more than once, the last grade the student receives will be the one used for GPA purposes.  A student may retake a course however many times they would like, however, financial aid will only pay for one additional retake after your first passing attempt.
4. Transfer credits (earned at another college and accepted by Lakeshore College) are excluded from GPA calculation.

2. Pace – the quantitative requirement has two parts, Required Completion Rate and Maximum Time Frame.

1. Completion Rate – A student must earn 66.67% of all credits attempted.  This is a cumulative calculation and includes credits attempted at Lakeshore College as well as all schools at which courses were taken and counted toward your Lakeshore College degree.  
2. Maximum Time Frame (150% SAP) – A student must complete the degree program within 150% of the published credit length of the academic program.  The maximum length of study depends on the degree they are pursuing.  Time is measured in credits, including transfer credits and credits attempted while at Lakeshore College, regardless of financial aid status or if the credits were completed.  Repeated courses count against your maximum time frame. For additional programs of study, if courses completed for a prior program are not required for your current program, they are not counted against your Maximum time frame.  For program changes, financial aid will include all credits for both past and current programs. 

• Required Completion Rate – You must, regardless of degree, earn 67% of all credits attempted. This is a cumulative calculation and includes credits attempted at Lakeshore as well as all schools at which courses were taken and counted toward your Lakeshore degree.  If you do not earn 67% of all credit hours attempted you will be placed on financial aid warning, probation, or suspension depending on your history.   

• Maximum Time Frame – In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, you must complete the degree program within a certain time period.  Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum time frame for an undergraduate student cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the academic program. The maximum lengths of study depend on the degree you are currently pursuing.  Once you reach the maximum time frame, you are no longer eligible for financial aid.  Time is measured in credits, including transfer credits and credits attempted credits while at Lakeshore, regardless if you received financial aid and regardless if the credits were successfully completed.  If you have reached your maximum time‐frame and have mitigating circumstances may appeal to the Financial Aid Office for a brief extension of your aid.

Maximum Time Frame Examples:

Determination of Eligibility 

The minimum progress standards will be checked after each semester of enrollment (Summer, fall and Spring).  If you do not meet the minimum requirements AND you have been placed in either ‘Suspension’ or ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ status, refer to the “Reestablishing Eligibility” section. 

Program Changes 

If you are in compliance with Lakeshore's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy you may remain eligible for financial aid if you change your program of study or complete one degree and pursue another degree. 

• Change in Program: The maximum time frame for financial aid will include all credits for both past and current programs. 

• Additional Program of Study: The maximum time frame for financial aid excludes credits that pertain only to the completed degree(s) but not the current program.

Credits Attempted 

• All undergraduate credits attempted for a given term are counted.
• Audited Courses are not financial aid eligible and are excluded from SAP calculations.
• Consortium/Shared Program credits are included in financial aid SAP calculations.
• Remedial credits (aid code  77) are not included in your total hours attempted, and, if successfully completed, credits earned.  Graded remedial credits are included in your GPA.  You can only receive financial aid for 30 remedial credits while taking only remedial credits.  Once the limit is reached, your financial aid eligibility will only be based on program required classes in which you are enrolled.
• Repeated courses count against your maximum time frame (total attempted credits) and reduce your completion rate as they count as earned credits only once.  You may repeat a previously passed class one time to review course material or improve a grade.  All courses remain on the transcript.  Only the highest grade is record and is included in the GPA calculation.  The lower grade(s) is changed to a grade of R (for Retake).
• Transfer credits (earned at another college and accepted by Lakeshore) count toward your maximum time frame and your completion rate but excluded from the GPA calculation.

Treatment of Grades 

• Attempted‐Not Earned Credits: IC (incomplete), W or WF (withdrawn), LF (lapsed) are counted as credits attempted but not successfully completed. 

• Attempted‐Earned Credits: Letter grades of A, B, C, and D, count as completed credits. 

• Grade Point Average: Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using a grade point value for grades A, B, C, D, F, LF, and WF. Grades of IC, W, and R are excluded from the GPA calculation.

• Incomplete Grade: A grade of IC (incomplete) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of IC is a temporary grade and will automatically become an LF grade six weeks after the end of the term if the required course work is not completed. The GPA and completion rate will be recalculated after the IC grades have been converted to LF grades. 

• Grade Changes: Grades that are changed (for example, through the grade appeal process) will result in the recalculation of the cumulative GPA and completion rate 

• Withdrawals: A grade of W or WF is assigned when you withdraw from a class after the class has started. W and WF grades are considered attempted but not successfully completed credits.  A grade of W impacts the completion rate and the maximum time frame calculations, but is excluded from the GPA calculation. A grade of WF impacts the completion rate, GPA, and maximum time frame calculations.

Failure to Meet Requirements

Failure to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards may result in a student being placed in one of the following SAP statuses.  Students are notified, via email, that they have failed SAP requirements. 

• Financial aid warning – A student who fails to meet the required GPA and/or overall credit completion standards will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for 1 semester. The student is still eligible for financial aid for the semester. At this point, no extenuating circumstance is required nor is third-party documentation.  To be removed from a warning status the student must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of their warning semester.  
• Financial aid suspension – The student is not eligible for financial aid.  Students who were on a financial aid warning and failed their financial aid warning semester. The student does have the ability to appeal the financial aid suspension.  The student will need to fill out the appeal form, which requires an extenuating circumstance (an uncontrollable event such as a serious health condition, illness or injury, a traumatic event, natural disaster, divorce, sexual assault, family emergency, mandatory changes to employment or hours, or military duty) along with supporting documentation. The student will also need to explain why they failed to meet SAP regulations, along with what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to meet SAP requirements at the next evaluation. 
  • If it is not mathematically possible for the student to meet SAP within the next semester, the student will also need an approved academic plan created after the initial appeal is approved.  If the appeal and academic plan are both approved, the student is eligible for financial aid during the timeframe of their approved plan.  If the appeal is denied, the student may continue to take courses, but will not be eligible for financial aid. Students may continue to appeal with different circumstances and supporting documentation.
• A student will be placed on financial aid suspension if:
  • Fail to meet cumulative values after their financial aid warning semester.
  • They appeal their suspension, and it is denied.
  • Fail to follow their academic plan.
• Maximum time frame (150% SAP) warning – Student’s record shows they have attempted at least 110% or more of their undergraduate degree requirements.  This indicates that the student is approaching the maximum time frame for their degree program. The student is still eligible for financial aid until they reach 150% of their program requirements.  Transfer credit hours that are accepted from another institution toward the student’s educational program must count as both attempted and completed hours. 
• Maximum time frame (150% SAP) suspension – Student has attempted credits more than 150% of the required credits for their program.  The student is not eligible for financial aid.  The student does have the ability to appeal the Maximum Time Frame suspension.  The appeal will require an extenuating circumstance (same as above) and supporting documentation. Transfer credit hours that are accepted from another institution toward the student’s educational program must count as both attempted and completed hours.
  • A student on Max Timeframe Suspension will need an academic plan as well as an approved appeal to continue receiving financial aid. If the appeal and academic plan are approved, the student is eligible for financial aid during the timeframe of their approved plan. If the appeal is denied, the student may continue to take courses, but will not be eligible for financial aid.  Students may continue to appeal with different circumstances and supporting documentation.

Reestablishing Eligibility

To reestablish eligibility, the student may:

• Without use of financial aid – Student may reestablish financial aid eligibility by enrolling at their own expense and attaining the cumulative Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, which are 2.000 cumulative GPA and 66.67% completion rate.
• Probation – If you are suspended after the ‘Warning’ semester you may have the right to a one-time appeal of your suspension status based on non‐academic, extenuating circumstances (i.e. death of an immediate family member, an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student). All appeals require third party documentation.  To appeal a financial aid suspension, you must complete and submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form.  If the appeal is approved, you are put on a Probation status and are eligible for one semester of financial aid.

• Academic Plan – If you are suspended after the ‘Probation’ semester (or you are not able to attain SAP standards after a ‘Warning’ period) you may also regain financial aid eligibility if an Academic Plan is approved with your Program Counselor. If you have an approved Academic Plan you must follow the terms of the Academic Plan, including the requirements to meet a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the semester and meet a minimum completion rate of 67% for the term.  If you follow the terms of the Academic Plan, you are eligible for financial aid.
  • You have the right to appeal, one time, your Academic Plan based on non-academic, extenuating circumstances (i.e. death of an immediate family member, an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student). To appeal an Academic Plan, you must complete and submit the Academic Plan Appeal form with your Program Counselor. If you follow the terms of the appealed Academic Plan, you are eligible for financial aid.

• Maximum Time Frame Plan – If you have reached 150% of your maximum time frame you may regain financial aid eligibility if a Maximum Time Frame Plan is approved with your Program Counselor. With your approved Maximum Time Frame Plan, you must follow the terms of the plan (including the list of classes to be taken per term) as well as maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a minimum cumulative completion rate of 67% for the semester.  If you follow the terms of the Maximum Time Frame Plan are eligible for financial aid.
  • You have the right to appeal, one time, your Maximum Time Frame Plan based on non-academic, extenuating circumstances (i.e. death of an immediate family member, an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student). To appeal a Maximum Time Frame Plan, you must complete and submit the Maximum Time Frame Plan Appeal form with your Program Counselor. If you follow the terms of the appealed Maximum Time Frame Plan, you are eligible for financial aid.
• Appeal – Student may file an appeal of their suspension status based on extenuating circumstances (same as above).  All appeals require third-party documentation. To appeal financial aid suspension, the student must complete and submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form and/or academic plan.  
  • Academic Probation - if the student can meet cumulative values within one semester, they will be put on academic probation. 
  • Academic Probation with an Academic Plan - if it is not mathematically possible for the student to meet cumulative values within one semester, the student will also need an academic plan. 
    • Academic Plan Appeal – if a student is unable to follow their Academic Plan, they may appeal, one time, for extenuating circumstances.  They will need:
      • Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress/Academic Plan Appeal Form
      • Copy of your approved academic plan – that was not followed.
      • A new academic plan.
      • Documentation of the extenuating circumstances that are preventing the student from following their originally approved academic plan. 

If the appeal is denied, the student is not eligible for financial aid but may continue to take courses. Students may continue to appeal with different circumstances and supporting documentation.