Scope | Procedures | Monitoring 
Probation & Suspension | Appeals

Monitoring

The Financial Aid office will monitor satisfactory academic progress for all students receiving or applying for federal or state aid to ensure that they are making progress toward program completion. All programs will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each semester.

In order to measure a student's satisfactory progress toward a degree, diploma, or certificate requirements, the student's total academic record at Central Piedmont Community College will be evaluated whether or not the student received financial aid for the entire time of enrollment. 

Special Notes:

Cumulative Credit Hours Attempted -- Cumulative credit hours attempted are defined as all credit hours attempted at CPCC, and all credit hours transferred from other institutions. Attempted credits include courses with grades of "A" through "F", "W", "I/A", "I/B", "I/C", "I/D", "I/F" or "I". 

Repeated Courses – will be counted as hours attempted and also toward maximum credits allowable for each type of program for financial aid. 

Cumulative Credit Hours Completed -- Credit hours successfully completed are defined as grades "A" through "D", "I/A", "I/B", "I/C", "I/D", "I/F". Credit hours not successfully completed are defined as "F", "W", 

Audited Courses -- Credit hours taken for a grade of "audit" do not apply toward an associate degree, diploma, or certificate program. Therefore, credit hours with this designation are not included in determining enrollment status for financial aid or satisfactory academic progress. 

Students with changes grade type of an "audit"(AU) after the disbursement of financial aid will be reviewd for an enrollment status change. This change may result in a reduction of financial aid eligibility and a balance owed to the college.

Incomplete Grades – Courses with grades of "I" (Incomplete) will be considered as credit hours attempted and not completed. Student who have made arrangements with the instructor to complete required course work are not required to re-register for the same class during a subsequent semester to complete the work. Any course carried forward to the next semester for completion will not be counted as part of the new semester enrollment status. If the "incomplete" grade resulted in a student being placed on financial aid probation or suspension, once completed, the student may appeal for a re-evaluation of Satisfactory Academic Progress by submitting the Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal form to the Financial Aid office at CPCC. Should the grade become final before the review, the actual grade, credits attempted, and credits earned will be used to determine if the student is making satisfactory progress.

Cumulative Grade Point Average - A student's cumulative grade point average must meet the minimum standards of the institution according to their degree intentions. The minimum cumulative grade point average for graduation at CPCC is 2.0.

Course Withdrawals – Students who withdraw from classes officially or unofficially should understand how withdraws affect their eligibility for financial aid as determined by this Satisfactory Academic Progress procedure. A “Withdrawal” will count as attempted, not completed, and will not count in the GPA calculation. Financial Aid recipients should discuss their possibility of withdrawing with a Financial Aid Officer before doing so.

Reducing enrollment during any semester can create serious consequences for financial aid recipients:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress may be affected;
• In cases of complete withdrawals, students may be required to repay a percentage of financial aid received for that semester. (See Return of Title IV Funds).

Developmental Studies Standards of Progress - Financial aid recipients may take a maximum of 30 credit hours in developmental coursework. Developmental courses (designated by course numbers below 100, eg MAT 050) are included in the calculation of satisfactory academic progress. Students enrolled in developmental courses must receive grades of A, B, or C to remain in good standing.

English as a Second Language - If a student enrolls in ESL coursework while enrolled in an eligible program of study, he/she may also receive FSA program funds. In this case, ESL courses are treated as remedial (developmental) coursework and will not count towards the student's 150% timeframe.

Developmental hours in excess of total semester credit hours cannot be counted towards enrollment status for federal and state grants or for the cost of attendance for any campus-based programs or loan programs.

Transfer students - All transfer students will be considered to be making satisfactory progress based on the number of credit hours accepted toward their current program of study.

Change of Majors - Students who change their major are still responsible for maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the procedures as outlined. A review of satisfactory academic progress will be based on the student's current program of study. A student changing from an associate program into a diploma or certificate program may lose federal and state eligibility immediately upon making the change.

Summer Session - Credit hours attempted and earned during the summer session are included in the calculation of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Full-time status is the same for summer session as it is for the fall and spring semesters (12 credit hours).

IT IS ALWAYS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENT TO CONTACT THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE BEFORE CHANGING PROGRAMS AND/OR WITHDRAWING FROM ANY COURSES