Maintaining Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Students receiving any form of Federal Student Aid and Alabama Student Assistance from Bishop State Community College will be expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their program objective. Failure to achieve the minimums required will result in the termination of the student’s aid eligibility.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured at the end of each semester of enrollment at Bishop State Community College. Students are required under federal regulations to maintain certain standards of progress depending on the number of hours they have attempted in college. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand all policies associated with financial aid funding.

Long-Term Certificate and Degree Seeking Qualitative and Quantitative Measures.

Short Term Certificate Qualitative and Quantitative Measures.

Additional Regulations

• The Maximum Timeframe for the completion of an undergraduate program is defined as no more than 150 percent of the published length of the program. For example, a program requiring 64 credit hours allows a maximum of 96 attempted credit hours (64 x 150% = 96). Failure to complete within this timeframe will result in loss of financial aid eligibility. All courses attempted (including transfer courses accepted by the institution) are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. A change in major or academic program does not reset the 150% timeframe.
• If a student fails to meet the Qualitative Standard (GPA) and/or the Quantitative Standard (Pace) for Satisfactory Academic Progress, one warning semester given, during which the student will be eligible to receive aid.
• If a student fails to regain good standing, satisfying both the Qualitative Standard (GPA) and/or the Quantitative Standard (Pace) at the end of the warning semester, the student is placed into a Failing SAP Status and will be ineligible for continued aid.
• There is no warning semester for Maximum Timeframe.
• Additional information follows in regard to the treatment of repeated, incomplete, withdrawn, bankrupted, forgiven, and remedial courses, as well as transfer credit and grade changes:
  • Repeated coursework is factored into the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations. The highest earned grade for a repeated course is factored into the GPA calculation. In addition, a student can only repeat a successfully-passed course using federal aid once. Only one passed course counts toward graduation; therefore, the course is counted in passed hours only once, which may affect the Pace.
  • Incompletes are factored into the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations. Once an Incomplete grade rolls to a final grade, the final grade will be factored into the GPA, Pace, and Maximum Timeframe calculations at the next formal evaluation.
  • Withdrawals will not be factored into the GPA calculation but are included in the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations.
  • Transfer credits accepted by the institution will not be factored into the GPA calculation but all accepted credits are included in the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations.
  • Following acceptance of transfer credits, an official review of these credits is completed at the end of the next semester of enrollment at Bishop.
  • Periods where Academic Bankruptcy was applied are factored into the GPA, Pace, and Maximum Timeframe calculations.
  • Remedial courses are factored into the GPA, Pace, and Maximum Timeframe calculations. Prior to Fall 2023, remedial courses assigned a grade of IP are not factored into the Pace and Maximum Timeframe calculations but are factored into the GPA. There is a 30-hour limit on remedial coursework.
  • After a grade change has been instituted for a prior term, SAP can be recalculated within the immediate following term at the request of the student. Otherwise, it is factored into the SAP calculation at the time of the next formal evaluation. No recalculation will occur without a request from the student.
  • Dual enrollment courses are factored into the GPA, Pace, and Maximum Timeframe calculations.
  • Dropped courses during the add/drop period are not factored into GPA, Pace, or Maximum Timeframe calculations.
  • The final Pace result will be rounded based on traditional rounding rules (e.g. 66.5% = 67%).

It is possible for a student who is not meeting SAP to regain eligibility for Title IV aid. Options may include a) successfully appealing or b) paying for and completing coursework that brings the student into compliance with Bishop’s SAP standards.

Financial Aid Appeal

• A student may submit a Financial Aid Appeal if the student’s failure to maintain SAP standards is due to mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances are those that are beyond the student’s control. An appeal will not be considered for the same circumstance(s) more than once.
• If a student files an appeal due to the Maximum Timeframe, they must be meeting the other two SAP components (GPA and Pace). An appeal cannot be approved for a prior term.
• A student should submit the appeal and any documentation pertaining to the appeal in time to ensure aid can be awarded by the end of the drop/add period. Submitting a Financial Aid Appeal is NOT an automatic approval.
• The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will meet each semester to consider completed appeal requests. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final. Only one appeal will be considered per semester.
• A student will be notified of the decision made by the Committee within their Wildcat Portal. Students should check their Wildcat Portal for statuses regularly.
• A student must follow the terms of an approved appeal or the student will lose financial aid eligibility.
• An Academic Plan may be instituted for a student as an opportunity to restore the student to proper Satisfactory Academic Progress at a specified future point in time. The Plan can be voided if the student has changed majors or the student doesn’t follow the prescribed academic plan. Bishop State does not allow a plan to exceed Maximum Timeframe.
• A student who is on an Academic Plan, receives an Incomplete grade, and does not meet plan requirements, will be placed into a Failing SAP Status.
• At the request of the student, a plan can be reevaluated if/when an Incomplete grade has been changed to a passing grade within the immediate following term. No plan will be reevaluated without a request from the student.

Note: Pace = Cumulative Hours Passed / Cumulative Hours Attempted

RETURN TO TITLE IV (R2T4) POLICY

As part of the Higher Education Act of 1998, Congress passed regulations that dictate how Federal Student Aid (Title IV) funds are handled when a student completely withdraws, officially or unofficially, from the College during any given semester. These regulations require that a Return to Title IV (R2T4) Calculation be performed to determine how much federal aid the student has earned. The calculation of Title IV (TIV) funds earned by the student has no relationship to the student’s incurred institutional charges or to the College’s institutional refund policy.

Even though students are awarded and have federal funds disbursed to them at the beginning of the semester, students are required to “earn” the financial aid disbursed by attending (remaining academically engaged in) TIV-eligible classes for more than 60% of his or her period of enrollment. During the first 60% of the enrollment period, a student earns funds in direct proportion to the length of time he or she remains enrolled. When a student completely withdraws, officially or unofficially, from the College before more than 60% of the semester has expired, the student has failed to “earn” all of the funds that he or she received. Therefore, the student may be required to repay a portion of the federal funds he or she received to the appropriate programs. This will likely result in a debt owed to the College. After the 60% point in the period of enrollment, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds he or she received or was scheduled to receive. Students are able to review the College Calendar for all important dates.

Withdrawals are initiated by the student through the Admissions & Records Office. Students who enroll at Bishop State Community College and decide, for any reason, that they no longer want to be enrolled at the College must officially withdraw. Students can obtain the withdrawal form and procedures for withdrawing from the Admissions & Records Office. The Director of Admissions & Records is responsible for processing all student withdrawals in accordance with College policy. For purposes of Return to Title IV Aid Calculations for official withdrawals, the official withdrawal date, as reported by the Director of Admissions & Records, will be used for all calculations. Failure to properly withdraw from classes may result in the student receiving failing or incomplete grades in all of his or her classes (unofficial withdrawal), which will also require an R2T4 calculation. For unofficial withdrawals, the last date of attendance (LDA), as reported by the instructor, will be used for the calculation (with the exception of LDAs that pre-date the midpoint of the semester, so as to best benefit the student.) Failure to successfully complete attempted coursework may negatively impact the student’s eligibility for financial aid in future semesters in addition to creating a balance due the College.