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PoliciesPlease note that the award of financial aid is based on your attending classes through the completion of each semester. When aid is awarded for a semester and you stop attending you will most likely have to repay up to 100% of your financial aid and tuition and fees to the U.S. Department of Education and/or SFCC. Please notify the Financial Aid Office before you withdrawal from your classes.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) Students on financial assistance must maintain cumulative grade point averages as follows in order to continue to receive assistance.
GPA is calculated by dividing total graded hours (those receiving a grade of A, B, C, D, F, or U) into the total grade points awarded for those hours. Developmental or basic skills courses and ungraded credit CR or W, WP, WF, and II are not included. A 2.0 GPA is the minimum requirement for graduation. Students who attend SFCC without financial assistance, and then apply for assistance, will have to meet the satisfactory progress standards as if they had received assistance from the beginning of their attendance at SFCC. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards Federal and state financial aid is intended to assist students as they make successful progress towards completing a certificate or degree. Therefore students have a responsibility to successfully complete the classes they enroll in to maintain their eligibility for federal and state financial aid. All students receiving federal and state financial aid must enroll in courses which lead to the specific degree or major they are pursuing.
The State Fair Community College Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is applied equally to new, continuing and transfer students, and to all federal and state financial aid programs administered through the SFCC Financial Aid Office. All students are required to meet the cumulative requirements to be eligible to receive funds from these programs. Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, lose their eligibility for all types of federal and state financial aid. A financial aid eligibility check will be performed at the end of fall and spring semesters to verify your eligibility to receive financial aid for the next semester. You may check your status through mySTAR under the Student tab. You must complete a degree or certificate program in no more than 96 credit hours attempted unless your program of study has more than 64 hours required for your degree. This is known as the 150 percent limit. You must successfully complete (pass) a minimum of 67 percent of the hours that you attempt. For example, if you have attempted 19 credit hours you would have to have successfully completed at least 13 credit hours to maintain your eligibility. You must maintain the minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) required for the number of hours that you have attempted. Students on financial assistance must maintain cumulative grade point averages as follows in order to continue to receive assistance.
For most SFCC degrees a student needs to successfully complete 64 credit hours in order to be awarded the degree. Students are allowed to attempt up to a maximum of 150 percent (normally 96 credit hours) of the credit hours required for the degree and still be eligible to receive their federal and state financial aid, assuming all other criteria are met. All coursework attempted during every semester, including fall, spring and summer, are evaluated and all hours enrolled in whether repeated, dropped, withdrawn (past the 100% refund period), or graded are counted in the 96 credit hours (150%) limit whether you received financial aid or not.
Students participating in the State Fair Community College Financial Aid Program are required to submit official college transcripts from previous institutions. Transfer credit accepted from other colleges and universities will be included in the number of credit hours attempted and earned.
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY Both academic standards and time limits are established for scholarships awarded by SFCC and are specific to the award. Terms for continuation of each scholarship are available in the Financial Aid Office.
FINANCIAL AID APPEALS PROCESS
Should extenuating circumstances exist which contribute to failure to meet these standards, students may appeal by submitting the reasons in writing to the Financial Aid Director. Generally, excessive work hours will not be considered as extenuating since students are expected to balance their academic course load with other commitments. Documentation of circumstances may be required. The request for appeal will be given to an appeal panel to determine if mitigating circumstances do warrant approval of the appeal. Students will be notified in writing of the decision. Achievement of a cumulative 2.0 GPA will restore good standing academically; financial aid good standing will depend both on academic progress and hours completed. Eligibility for federal financial aid may be reestablished by completing without any federal financial aid assistance; sufficient credit hours to bring your completion rate to 67% or higher and/or raise your GPA to the minimal standards. FINANCIAL AID PROBATION A student whose cumulative GPA is less than the required minimum GPA shown on the above chart for the number of credit hours completed and/or fails to complete the required number of hours per hours attempted (see satisfactory academic progress chart above), will be placed on financial aid probation in the succeeding academic term. Probation still allows the student to receive financial aid. FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION Students on probation whose GPA at the conclusion of the probationary term is less than the required cumulative GPA as shown on the chart for the number of credit hours completed, and/or who failed to successfully complete at least 67 percent of all credit hours attempted, will be suspended from financial aid benefits. Students who are suspended will not be eligible to receive any federal financial aid (Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, student loans, work study, or Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant). A student will regain eligibility to participate in the financial aid programs, upon coming into compliance with the cumulative coursework attempted and GPA requirements. In addition, students whose cumulative attempted hours exceed the maximum time frame will be suspended from financial aid benefits. Students who have graduated with a certificate or an associate degree and plan to pursue another certificate or associate degree should check with a Financial Aid Advisor to see if they are eligible to receive financial assistance.
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