Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal Rules you have to follow to keep your financial aid.
All students at Holmes Community College who receive federal financial aid must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their degrees within a reasonable period of time. If a student fails to maintain the following mandated federal standards, then the student loses their financial aid. The student may continue to attend Holmes Community College at their own expense.
Required Qualitative Measure
In order to meet the required qualitative measure, a student must maintain a minimum overall cumulative GPA based on the following scales. This measure becomes effective when the student has attempted at least 6 credit hours at Holmes Community College.
- 1-48 hours 1.75 G.P.A.
- 49 hours and above 2.0 G.P.A.
Measurable Progress Requirement (Completion Rate)
In order to maintain measurable progress toward the completion of their degree, a student must pass 67% of their classes.
Withdrawals count against this percentage. (Hours attempted include repeated courses, dropped courses, withdrawals, remedial courses, incomplete and completed courses.) This measure becomes effective when a student has attempted at least 6 hours of credit at Holmes Community College.
Max Time Frame:
In order to comply with federal guidelines, Holmes Community College must place students on financial aid suspension when they have attempted 150% or more of the hours required to complete their respective degree. (This is generally 96 attempted hours.) Students who have changed majors, or are considering changing majors, are encouraged to communicate with the Office of Financial Aid any extenuating circumstances that may have resulted in the accumulation of extra hours, particularly those students considering changing to a Career/Technical major. These circumstances will be considered and an extension may be granted for a limited time based on appeal.
Appeal Process:
A student failing to meet the minimum standards, who has extenuating circumstances or who has a reasonable basis for special consideration may appeal their suspension to the Director of Financial Aid. Sign into My Holmes and click Financial Aid/Business Office, then verify my FAFSA to request an appeal. Current semester grades will also be used to determine eligibility for students who choose to file appeals during the semester.
Cumulative Record:
A student’s entire academic record at Holmes Community College, as well as all transfer work will be evaluated to determine eligibility for financial aid, regardless of whether or not he/she has received aid for all semesters. Therefore, all transcripts are required to be considered for an appeal and must be on file in Admissions and Records.
Notification:
Any student placed on probation or suspension will be notified in writing from the Office of Financial Aid. Only students wishing to utilize federal financial aid are required to file an appeal.
Example A: A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 36 of those hours, dropped 3 hours and failed 3 hours. Their completion rate will be 36 hours earned divided by 42 hours attempted which equals 85.7% completion rate. Therefore, the student has then met the measurable progress component of this requirement.
Example B: A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 20 of those hours, and has either dropped, failed, repeated, has an incomplete, or has withdrawn from the other 22 hours. Their completion rate would be 20 hours divided by 42 hours attempted which equals only a 47.6% completion rate. Therefore, the student has not met the measurable progress component of this requirement.
