The Office of Financial Aid is required by federal and state regulations to monitor the academic progress of financial aid recipients. Financial aid applicants must comply with the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy as a condition of continued eligibility. The academic progress of all financial aid applicants is required to be tracked from the first date of enrollment at Roxbury Community College, whether or not financial aid was received. SAP calculations factor in all coursework included on your RCC transcript.
The College evaluates students’ academic progress at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester. Students are evaluated based on cumulative grade point average (GPA), percentage of credits successfully completed out of all credits attempted (also known as “pace”), and maximum time frame limitation. To receive financial aid, all students must be in good standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree/certificate requirements each semester they are enrolled. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may result in the cancellation of financial aid awards.
The Office of Financial Aid will consider students pursuing an associate’s degree to be making satisfactory academic progress if they meet all the following criteria:
For our Associate degree programs:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Pace |
| 0-12 | 1.5 | 50% |
| 13-30 | 1.7 | 67% |
| 31 or more | 2 | 67% |
For our credit-bearing certificates:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| 0-12 | 1.5 | 50% |
| 13 or more | 2 | 67% |
Maximum Time Frame Limitation
Students must complete their educational program within a time frame no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program, as measured by transfer and attempted credits. (For example, a student could receive federal financial aid for up to 90 credits while enrolled in a 60-credit undergraduate program).
Developmental Coursework
Developmental courses are not counted in the cumulative GPA calculation but will be counted toward pace. Financial Aid eligibility for remedial courses is limited to 30 credit hours. Note: For financial aid purposes, English as a Second Language classes do not count towards the 30-credit restriction; however, all classes reduce the lifetime eligibility limits for the Federal Pell Grant Program.
Certificate Coursework
Certificate programs are focused academic training programs designed to assist degree and non-degree students seeking a targeted education to enhance employment skills and employment prospects. Students may pursue a certificate as a part of their degree study or by itself.
Certificates that require 24 (or fewer) credits to complete do not include a warning semester. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed at the end of the first semester of study. Due to the length of certificate programs, students will be placed on academic review at the start of their program and may be dismissed at the end of the first semester of study for failing to meet the above standards.
Certificate students will have the same option of submitting a SAP Appeal if they are dismissed because they are not able to maintain satisfactory academic progress due to extenuating circumstances that prevent them from successfully completing their courses.
NOTE: While certificate programs are generally financial aid approved, aid is restricted to classes required for the specific certificate only. Aid cannot be given for classes that are not specifically listed as needed for the Certificate. Certificate students also will not receive aid for retaking classes to improve their grade.
Withdrawals, Incompletes, and Course Repeats
Attempted credits include grades of F, U, I, W, PS, and WA as well as repeated courses. Students may repeat courses to improve a grade (students in degree-seeking programs can retake prior successfully completed courses to improve grades one time and receive aid for the retake). However, credits for repeated courses will count as additional credits attempted for financial aid purposes. Incomplete grades are not included in the GPA calculation until they are converted to actual course grades. These courses count as attempted credits that are not yet earned and may negatively affect a student’s pace.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Statuses
Good – The student has met the Satisfactory Academic Progress Criteria.
Warning – Students who fail to meet the minimum standard will be given one semester of warning. This warning period is meant to inform the student of existing academic problems and provide time for corrective action. Students who are placed on warning are eligible to receive federal aid for their warning semester but will be reviewed at the end of the semester. At the end of the warning period, students who are meeting the minimum requirements will be considered back in good standing and eligible for student financial aid.
Dismissal – Students who fail to meet the minimum standards at the end of a Warning or Probation semester will be dismissed. Dismissed students are not eligible to receive financial aid and all existing financial aid awards will be cancelled. Students who feel that there are extenuating circumstances that have caused them to fail to meet the minimum standards can submit a SAP Appeal to request to have their eligibility reinstated. For a SAP Appeal to be approved it must be realistically possible for the student to get back in good academic standing, regain their eligibility, and complete their degree.
Probation – If students appeal a dismissal and the appeal is approved, they will be placed on Probation for at least one semester, during which time they will be considered for Financial Aid. Their progress will be reviewed at the end of each probationary semester. If students meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria, they will return to Good Standing. If they meet the terms of their academic plan but fail to meet the overall Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy criteria, they may remain on Probation as stated in their academic plan. If the standards are not met, they will be dismissed again.
Appeal Process – The appeal process is designed to ensure that students who are dismissed:
Students who successfully appeal their dismissal will have to agree to the terms of an Academic Success Plan in order to have their financial aid eligibility reinstated on a probationary basis. This probationary status will be reviewed at the end of each subsequent semester.
Academic Success Plan – Academic performance will be reviewed at the end of each subsequent period of enrollment to ensure that students are meeting the terms of their Academic Success Plan. Students who meet the minimum standards at the end of any semester will have their probation ended and be fully reinstated.
Students who, after a semester review of their probation, fall below the minimum cumulative standards, but have met the expectations outlined in their academic plan, may continue on probation while following the plan to regain satisfactory academic performance status, and a subsequent appeal is not necessary as long as the expected progress is being made.
Students who, after a semester review of their probation, fall below the minimum cumulative standards, and have failed to meet the expectations outlined in their Academic Success Plan, will be dismissed again and are deemed ineligible to receive financial aid.
