Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.  Title IV financial aid programs include: 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

To remain eligible for federal grants, loans and work‐study, you must meet the standards indicated below at the end of each semester.  At the end of each semester (Summer, Fall, and Spring), you must earn the minimum number of credits and the minimum cumulative Grade Point Average.  If you do not meet the minimum standards, your eligibility may be in jeopardy.

Grade Point Average –The qualitative measurement is your GPA used to determine your status and include grades from courses taken at all other schools which count toward your degree at Lakeshore. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Pace – The quantitative requirement has two parts, (a) Required Completion Rate and (b) Maximum Time frame. 

• 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: 

• Financial Aid Warning – You will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Warning’ status for one semester if you fail to meet the required GPA and/or overall credit completion standards. Note: Students on ‘Warning’ are eligible for financial aid.
  • To be removed from ‘Warning’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of your ‘Warning’ period.  

• Financial Aid Suspension – You will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Suspension’ if you:

• Fail to comply during ‘Probation’ or ‘Warning’ period, or
• Fail to have an approved academic appeal, or
• Fail to follow your academic plan
  • Note: Students on ‘Suspension’ are NOT eligible for financial aid. 
• Financial Aid Probation – Students who are placed on Financial Aid ‘Probation’ are those who have failed their ‘Warning’ period and have an approved academic appeal. Note: Students on ‘Probation’ are eligible for financial aid.
• To be removed from ‘Probation’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and credit completion rate by the end of your ‘Probation’ period. 

• Maximum Time Frame Warning status – Once your record shows you have attempted 110% or more of your undergraduate degree requirements, you will be placed on ‘Maximum Time Frame Warning’ status to indicate you are approaching the maximum time frame for your degree program. Note: Students on ‘Maximum Time Frame Probation’ are eligible for financial aid. 

• Maximum Time Frame Suspension status – Once you have attempted credits in excess of 150% of attempted credits for your program, you will be placed in ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ status. Note: Students on ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ are NOT eligible for financial aid.

Reestablishing Eligibility

• Without use of financial aid – You may reestablish financial aid eligibility by enrolling at your own expense and attaining the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.

• 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.