Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
According to Federal and State regulation students receiving financial aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Failure to maintain academic progress will result in the termination of financial aid. Eligibility may be regained by re-establishing satisfactory academic progress. The Financial Aid Office at Bladen Community College monitors a student’s academic progress as a condition of eligibility when the student applies for financial aid and at the end of each enrollment period (semester). These requirements are applied to a student’s entire academic history at BCC including transfer hours from other schools and including periods when financial aid was not received. A student is considered to be making satisfactory academic progress when the following three requirements are satisfied.
- Qualitative Standard (Cumulative Grade Point Average) – A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
- Quantitative Standard (Completion Rate) – Students must complete with a letter grade or A, B, C, D, or P at least 67% of all coursework attempted. This includes every course (a cumulative history) on their Bladen Community College transcript. Transfer courses accepted by the college are included in addition to all courses taken at Bladen Community College. Hours for each attempt of a repeated course will be included.
- Maximum Time Frame – A student must successfully complete the program of study within its time frame. Federal regulations specify that the time frame may not exceed 150% of the published length of the program. For example, if they degree requires 64 credit hours to graduate, they are eligible to receive financial assistance until they have attempted 96 credit hours. Additional time needed to complete the degree beyond the maximum stipulated must be entirely at the student’s expense. Once a student exceeds the time frame for their program of study, they are no longer eligible to receive financial aid. However, the student can appeal to the Director of Financial Aid to have their eligibility extended if there are extenuating circumstances. Course withdrawals, incompletes and course failures count as hours attempted. Repeated courses and transfer credit hours received from another college will be counted in hours attempted. All remedial classes are counted towards maximum time frame (150%).
Financial Aid Warning
Students who fail to meet the minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or fail to complete 67% of classes are given a warning. Students placed on a warning remain eligible for financial aid for one payment period (semester).
Financial Aid Suspension
Students who fail to meet the conditions of a warning which are to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and complete 67% of classes are placed on suspension. Students who are placed on suspension forfeit their financial aid. A student may either appeal to have their financial aid eligibility reinstated or may notify the financial aid office once they are meeting the satisfactory academic progress policy for students receiving financial aid so that their financial aid eligibility can be reconsidered.
Financial Aid Probation
Students who are suspended may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid to have their financial aid eligibility reinstated for one payment period (semester) on probation. (See the appeal process outlined below). A student on probation may not receive financial aid for the subsequent payment period unless:
- Student is now meeting the financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy at the end of the probation period (semester).
- The financial aid office determines that the student met the requirements specified by the school in the academic success plan.
Continued Probation
As long as the student continues to make progress as identified by the academic plan, the student will remain eligible for financial aid on continued probation. Students will be notified of their status at the end of each payment period (semester) or when they first apply for financial aid.