Students who have applied for federal financial aid funds are required to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP). SAP is calculated at the end of each term (payment period). 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.    Students are considered to be making SAP if they meet the following criteria:

1. Degree seeking: Students must be admitted and enrolled in an approved degree or certificate program.

2. Credit hours:  Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester (or a summer) for most aid programs. Students may receive small amounts of pell if less than half time.  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 (census date).  Financial aid disbursement in most cases will be based on enrollment status as of the census date and financial aid may be disbursed 14 days following the census date.   

3. GPA requirement: Minimum Cumulative GPA is 2.00.

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

                 

5.    Pace (Rate of Completion)
To measure the rate of completion, the total number of credits attempted is compared to the total number of credits completed. Students must successfully complete at least two thirds (66.66%) of the total number of credits attempted. Successfully completed grades are A, B, C, and D Example: The total number of credits attempted is 48 credits.  You must successfully complete at least 32 credits (48 credits X 66.66% = 32 credits)   

Maximum hours apply whether or not the student was receiving financial aid at the time credits were being attempted.
For satisfactory academic progress purposes the student’s NPCC transcript will be the official record used to evaluate all attempts, completion of attempted hours and cumulative grade point average. The Registrar’s Office requires that all students submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions which are regionally accredited and from which acceptable credits may be transferred. Any student who transfers or changes majors must also adhere to the maximum hour standards. 

TRANSFER STUDENTS: Transfer students are given one semester exclusion of maximum credit hours limits until such time as the Registrar’s Office has received all transcripts, one semester of academic credits has been posted to the student’s NPCC transcript and at that time all transferrable credits will be considered in satisfactory academic progress evaluation process for determining eligibility for federal financial aid.

6.   Withdrawals:  Students must maintain and complete the semester with the following number of credit hours:   

Appeal:  Students may apply for an Appeal one time in their career at NPCC in the event of extenuating circumstances i.e. death of immediate family member with documentation, unanticipated serious illness of the student with documentation, or institutional error. Some appeal situations may require that an academic plan be established for the rest of student’s degree.   All students must have a 2.0 CGPA by the end of the appealed term to continue receiving aid. All appeals must be submitted within the first 30 days of the semester in order to be guaranteed consideration.  However, students who have received F’s and or W’s for the previous semester are not eligible for warning status. All past due bills must be paid before aid can be reinstated. In addition, all approved Pace appeals require students to take only courses that apply to their declared degree and successfully complete all courses they enroll in (no F’s, W’s, X’s or IP’s) until they are making Pace standards.

Warning: Students are allowed to drop below eligibility due to withdrawals or low 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. This applies whether or not the student was receiving aid during the withdrawal or drop semester.