SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress. The standard must be applied to all applicants and recipients of financial aid as a determination of eligibility. A student is expected to achieve satisfactory academic progress toward completion of course requirements. Progress toward the course requirements is measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. Satisfactory academic progress will be checked at the end of spring and the beginning of the new academic year.

QUALITATIVE STANDARD

Each financial aid recipient is expected to maintain the same minimum grade point average as any other student enrolled at Waycross College. GPA must be cumulative and include all transfer work accepted by Waycross College. A student is in good standing if his/her grade point average falls within the acceptable range for the number of hours attempted. The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the number of credit hours attempted into the number of grade points earned on the attempted hours.

Semester Hours Transferred into and Attempted at Waycross College	Minimum Grade Point Average
00-9.99	No Minimum
10-15.99	1.7
16-30.99	1.8
31-45.99	1.9
46 or More	2.0

 

QUANTITATIVE STANDARD

In addition to maintaining the required GPA, a student receiving financial aid must show that she/he is making satisfactory progress in fulfilling degree requirements. To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must successfully complete two-thirds (67%) of the hours for which she/he enrolls. A student who fails to meet this requirement shall have his/her financial aid terminated. A student will regain eligibility when she/he is again meeting satisfactory progress standards. Successful completion is defined as a grade of D or better, except in those courses where a D must be repeated (ENGL 1101 and 1102). Grades of I, IP, F, WF, and W are considered unsatisfactory. Up to thirty hours of noncredit remedial coursework may be excluded from satisfactory academic progress determination.

Right to Appeal

A student who is denied financial aid as a result of unsatisfactory academic progress may appeal the decision to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee by taking the following steps:

The Financial Aid Appeal Committee will consider student appeals for waiver of Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies when the student:

Learning Support

You may receive financial aid for up to 30 hours of learning support coursework.

Failure to Exit Learning Support: If you fail to satisfactorily complete all Learning Support requirements, all financial aid (including HOPE and student loans) will be cancelled.
Reinstatement: When Learning Support requirements are completed, financial aid will be reinstated.

HOPE Scholarship

Hope eligibility is reviewed every 30 attempted hours and at the completion of each Spring semester. In addition, all Freshman that enroll full-time during any of their first three terms beginning with Summer semester 2004 will be checked. A student must have a 3.0 GPA at each checkpoint.

If a 3.0 GPA is achieved at each 30-hour checkpoint, student may receive HOPE until 127 hours have been attempted.

HOPE students also must meet all of the general requirements stated above (except time limits) to receive funds from HOPE.

Failure to maintain 3.0: Lose HOPE eligibility

If HOPE eligibility is lost at a check point, student may regain at 30, 60, or 90 hours if 3.0 GPA is achieved.

Additional Considerations

Courses taken on an audit basis do not count when determining eligibility for aid, nor are they considered as courses completed for purposes of the quantitative measure.