SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND CONDITIONS
FOR REINSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID

Students who have applied for federal financial aid funds are required to make satisfactory academic progress.  If a student does not meet the SAP policy, he/she must attend one or more semesters without financial aid until the required standard is met unless approved in the appeal process.  The college reserves the right to deny or reduce a student loan if NPCC representatives deem that the money is not being used for college related purposes.   Students are considered to be making SAP if they meet the following criteria:

1. Degree seeking: The student must be admitted and enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program.
2. Credit hours: Student must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester (or a summer) for most aid programs.  Full-time enrollment is required for some aid programs. A student's official enrollment status will be determined on the 11th day of enrollment each semester.  However, financial aid disbursement in most cases will be based on enrollment status at the date financial aid locks hours (one or two weeks prior to Pell check dates).
3. GPA requirement: Progress each term according to the following grade scale:
   
   

   Minimum Cumulative GPA

   2.00

4. Maximum credit hours: The student must complete requirements for a degree at this school within a maximum of 150% of the average published length of that type of degree as follows:
   
   

   Nursing, Radiology	115 credit hours	LPN Certificates-	85 credit hours
   Associate Degrees	100 credit hours	Certificates-	50 credit hours

NONTRANSFER STUDENTS: W's, I's, and grades of audit are included in cumulative attempted credit hours. Maximum hours apply whether or not the student was receiving financial aid at the time credits were being attempted. Students may receive aid for developmental courses up to a maximum of 30 attempted credit hours, which will not count toward the maximum attempted hours.  Any developmental course can only be excluded twice from total attempted hours.  A student will not receive financial aid for any class taken more than twice, whether or not financial aid was received for the first two attempts at the course (unless this rule is overturned in the appeal process).

TRANSFER STUDENTS: For financial aid purposes, all hours attempted previously at regionally accredited institutions are considered for the maximum hour limit whether or not aid was received. Students who transfer or change majors must also adhere to the maximum hour standard. Academic transcripts are required from all institutions previously attended regardless of the time span. Students are given one semester probationary period to obtain official transcripts from all other schools attended. After one semester, no financial aid will be disbursed until all official transcripts have been received. No penalties will be assessed for withdrawal semesters or drops below eligibility due to low cumulative grade point averages on academic transcripts from previous institutions.

5. Withdrawals: The student must maintain and complete the semester with the following number of credit hours:
   
   

   11th day of enrollment	Must Complete
   12 or more	9
   6 - 11	6
   1 - 5	All hours attempted

6. Probation: Students are allowed to drop below eligibility due to withdrawals or drops below required cumulative GPA one time only in their careers without penalty. Subsequent drops below eligibility require completion of a minimum of six credit hours and achievement of the required cumulative grade point average without federal financial aid unless approved in the appeal process. This applies whether or not the student was receiving aid during the withdrawal or drop semester.

Attendance: The student must attend all classes as required in each instructor's syllabus. Students who are reported as non-attending may be administratively withdrawn from classes.

Financial aid will not be credited to student’s accounts for late starting classes until the actual start date of the class.

Students dropped from federal aid eligibility must request reinstatement after the SAP standard is reached. Students who do not maintain SAP and who are denied aid may file an appeal with the Financial Aid Office if extenuating circumstances exist.