Nashville State Community College (NSCC)
Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Effective February 2018
Financial Aid Warning and Suspension
Appeal Process
Students who are Failing MTF
Federal and State regulations require that students maintain adequate progress towards receiving a degree in order to continue eligibility for financial aid programs. The following standards are for financial aid purposes only and neither replace nor override NSCC academic policies.
- Qualitative
Students must maintain a minimum grade point average based on the number of credit hours attempted at NSCC in order to maintain Satisfactory Progress toward graduation. This includes college level, ESL, and Learning support courses. This does not count transfer credit or credit by exam (AP credit).
Overall Combined
GPA Hours Attempted |
0-14 |
14.1 |
26.1 |
40.1 |
48.1 |
56.1 |
Cumulative GPA |
- |
1.0 |
1.4 |
1.7 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
|
- Quantitative
Students must maintain at least a 67% overall class completion rate (PACE).
Students must maintain an overall 67% completion rate of all classes attempted at NSCC and/or transfer courses accepted. Grades of W, I, X, F, WF, NR, FA, FN and AU do not count as completed courses for the student. Repeats of previously passed courses can cause a student’s completion rate to decrease.
- Maximum Time Frame (MTF)
Students must complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program.
For associate degree programs, students are allowed up to their first 90 hours attempted. Students enrolled in Title IV eligible certificate programs may receive aid up until 150% of the individual program length. NSCC will consider a student to have reached this limit at the end of the semester in which they reach or exceed the maximum hours. Transfer credit and repeated coursework count toward the attempted hours. All NSCC coursework and transfer coursework accepted is included in this measurement even if it does not apply to the student’s current program of study. At any point, when it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to complete their program of study within the Maximum timeframe, the student will become ineligible for all federal financial aid programs.
Students are limited to 30 attempted hours of remedial and developmental coursework. This is measured separately from the MTF measurement.
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Financial Aid Warning
The Financial Aid Office will evaluate each of these measurements at the end of every semester. Current students who fail the first or second measurements will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students in this status may continue to receive aid for one additional semester. At the end of that semester if they do not repair the failed measurement they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.
Unsatisfactory Academic Progress (Suspension)
Students in the suspension status are ineligible to receive any financial aid (including loans) and must take classes at their own expense until their failed measurements are corrected. Students who fail the MTF measurement or are deemed to not be mathematically capable of completing within the MTF are not eligible for a Financial Aid Warning Period and immediately become ineligible for aid.
Learning Support Limit
Students can receive aid for up to 30 attempted hours of remedial or learning support courses. Transfer credits of learning support courses will be included in the total hours for eligibility. Federal aid for students exceeding this maximum will just be based on college level courses only. This time limit cannot be appealed.
Grades of ‘I’ or ‘NR’
In cases where a student is assigned a grade of ‘I’ or ‘NR’, the student will be evaluated accordingly. These grades do not impact GPA. These grades also do not count as completed or earned hours. If the grade is subsequently changed, the student’s SAP status will be re-evaluated.
Readmit Students
Readmit students will be evaluated and brought in under the current SAP policy. All academic transcripts must be received and evaluated prior to determining the student’s SAP status.
Transfer Students
Transfer students will be evaluated and brought in under the current SAP policy. All academic transcripts must be received and evaluated prior to determining the student’s SAP status. Transcripts submitted with In progress grades are not considered to be final transcripts.
Academic Fresh Start
Students granted Academic Fresh Start remain accountable for all work on their record. The hours attempted will still be considered when evaluating for MTF. However, student should be aware that the forgiveness of previously completed coursework will result in a lowering of their completion rate (PACE).
Re-establishing Eligibility
Students who are on unsatisfactory academic progress (suspension) may return to NSCC paying for their own courses until such point as they meet all three standards. Students who have failed the 3rd standard (MTF) or who cannot mathematically complete their program within the 150% allowable, will need to file an appeal to re-establish their eligibility.
Repeat Courses
A student may repeat a failed course until passed (depending on eligibility). However, for a passed course, a student may only be paid one additional time. Passed courses are any course with A, B, C, D, or P grades. Repeats of a passed courses can impact a student’s completion rate, as a student may only earn hours for the course once.
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Appeal Process
Students can file a Financial Aid appeal to regain eligibility if there were extenuating circumstances that warrant a student to continue receiving Title IV aid. To successfully appeal the student must:
- Provide a handwritten signed letter explaining each of the semesters that they did not meet the required standard. The exception to this is if a student has explained and documented a semester in a previous appeal. Then they would explain any semesters not meeting standards since the previous appeal. The student must provide documentation when explaining the situation. Appeals submitted without documentation will be denied.
- State how they have corrected the issues or list the steps they are taking to ensure that circumstances do not reoccur.
Financial Aid Probation/Academic Plan
Students who file successful appeals may be brought back in on either Financial Aid Probation, or Academic Plan. If a student can repair their SAP issues within one semester, they will be brought back in on Financial Aid Probation. If it will take multiple semester to repair the SAP issues, the student will be placed on an Academic Plan with specific requirements. These requirements may include a specific higher GPA, a higher completion rate, etc. that are geared toward ensuring that they student may either repair their SAP issues or reach graduation.
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Students who are Failing MTF
Students who have reached or exceeded their allowable maximum timeframe, must appeal to be re-establish eligibility. Students should complete the Appeal form, write a letter explaining why they are asking for an extension, and submit the completed Academic Plan form. This will then be evaluated and may be extended by the number of hours needed to complete.
Notification
Students are notified of their SAP standing by mail and on their MyNSCC portal. Students are notified of the outcome of any appeal by mail and on their MyNSCC portal. It is the student’s responsibility to keep their address up to date with the Records Office.
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