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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations (34 CFR 668.16(e)) require institutions to establish and apply a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to ensure students are making measurable progress toward the completion of an eligible academic program. This policy applies to all students enrolled at BMCC, including both Title IV and non-Title IV recipients. To remain eligible for federal financial aid, institutional aid, and scholarships, students must meet the SAP standards outlined below. Non-Title IV recipients are held to the same SAP standards as those receiving federal financial aid.


SAP Evaluation

The Financial Aid Office will evaluate SAP at the end of each semester to determine whether 
students are making progress in three areas: credit hour completion, GPA, and maximum timeframe.

 

Credit Hour Completion

Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours on a cumulative basis. Students who do not meet this requirement will be placed on SAP warning for the following semester. Students on SAP warning remain eligible for financial aid for one subsequent payment period to allow an opportunity to regain SAP standing. If the deficiency is not corrected by the end of the SAP warning period, the student will be placed on SAP suspension and will no longer be eligible for financial aid. Students placed on SAP warning will be notified in writing and provided with information on how to correct the deficiency

 

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, as outlined in the BMCC Student Handbook. Students with a GPA below 2.0 will be placed on academic warning and SAP warning. Students on SAP warning remain eligible for financial aid for one subsequent payment period to allow an opportunity to regain SAP standing. If the GPA is not raised to the required 2.0 by the end of the warning period, the student will be placed on SAP suspension and will no longer be eligible for financial aid. Transfer credits will not be considered in the cumulative BMCC GPA calculation but will count toward attempted and earned credits.

 

Maximum Timeframe

Federal financial aid is limited to 150% of the credit hours required for a student’s program of study. For example, for a program requiring 66 credit hours, students can receive financial aid for up to 99 attempted credit hours. All attempted credit hours, including those from prior enrollments or other institutions, count toward this limit.

Attempted hours include all credit hours a student enrolls in, whether completed or not. This 
includes:

  • Courses in which a student receives a non-passing grade (F)
  • Incomplete grades (I)
  • Withdrawals (W)
  • Repeated courses (counted once as earned but all attempts count as attempted)
  • Remedial courses (count toward attempted and earned hours)

 

SAP Warning Review

At the end of each semester, the Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of students on SAP warning. Students on SAP warning remain eligible for financial aid during the warning period. If the student is meeting SAP standards by the end of the warning period, they will be removed from SAP warning. If not, they will be placed on SAP suspension and lose eligibility for financial aid.

 

Right to Appeal Suspension

Students who are placed on SAP suspension due to extenuating circumstances may appeal their suspension. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Financial Aid Director. The appeal must include an explanation of the circumstances that affected the student's academic performance, and how the situation has been resolved or improved.

 

Mitigating Circumstances for Appeal

The following circumstances may be considered when evaluating an appeal:

  • Medical or mental health issues
  • Death in the immediate family
  • Military call to active duty
  • Family/relationship issues, including abusive relationships
  • Disability issues that were not previously diagnosed or documented
  • Natural disasters
  • Job loss or significant changes in employment
  • Successful completion of a recent semester at another institution with at least a 2.5 GPA and 100% completion rate
  • Significant change in academic or career goals; but otherwise, eligible for aid
  • Other extenuating circumstances not listed but deemed acceptable by the Financial Aid Office

 

Non-Acceptable Reasons for Appeal

The following reasons will not be considered valid for appeal:

  • Lack of financial resources
  • Conflicts with employment schedules
  • Change in marital status
  • Childcare issues
  • Transportation issues
  • Lack of knowledge of college policies or SAP requirements
  • Failure to correctly process web registration activity
  • Dissatisfaction with course instructors and/or materials
  • Failure to follow course prerequisites or placement results

 

Supporting Documentation

Appeals must be supported with documentation specific to the mitigating circumstance. The Financial Aid Office provides a list of required documentation for each type of circumstance. Appeals without appropriate documentation will not be considered.

 

Removal from Suspension

Students who are on SAP suspension and have successfully met SAP standards without financial aid will have their aid reinstated for future semesters. The Financial Aid Office will review their progress each semester to determine eligibility for reinstatement.