Despite having only one person in attendance, important information was given at the Satisfactory Academic Progress Workshop on Thursday, September 18.
One of the objectives of the workshop was to inform students about Satisfactory Academic Progress or SAP, a policy requiring that students meet the school’s academic standard in order to continue receiving state and federal student aid funds. Students also need to make satisfactory academic progress toward an educational goal.
The standards of SAP are to meet the minimum of 2.0 cumulative grade point average, complete the 70 percent of attempted units and finish a educational program within a maximum time frame of 150 percent of the program’s required units.
For the unit completion requirement, units with a grade of NP, NC, I, W, or F are not considered until completed.
If students fail to meet SAP standards they will be placed on warning status but will still be eligible to receive financial aid. Notifications would be sent of their status and how to avoid termination.
After a semester of warning status and if students fail to meet the standard they will be placed on termination status. Once placed, students won’t be eligible for financial aid, excluding the Board of Governors Fee Waiver. They will be notified by mail and will be provided paperwork for the appeal process.
Important information was also provided at the presentation on the Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Use (LEU). This the amount of Federal Pell Grant one can receive over their lifetime is limited to six years by federal law. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding one can receive in a year is equal to 100%, over six year course it would be 600%.
Students can calculate their LEU percentage by logging on to The National Student Loan Data System by using their Federal Aid pin and review it.
Math major, Alejandra Lopez, said what was the most important part to her was, “how many classes we are allowed to take before they stop helping you out.”
With only one person in attendance Rio Medina, outreach coordinator of student services assistant, explained how she felt about the situation, “It happens but it also makes me critical of what other things I can’t do.”
Medina feels that the campus has to make sure its serving the students and make sure information is available. Recession in the budget have cut staff.
“In the access field especially being able to provide information to student it’s been left on the full time staff who have a lot another administrative duties,” Medina said.
