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Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress and Duration of Eligibility Review

Turtle Mountain Community College, in compliance with federal regulations, established these policies and procedures to ensure that students who receive federal financial aid are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. This policy applies to all periods of enrollment whether the student received federal financial aid during those periods or not. Students who fail to meet these standards of SAP will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid until eligibility has been re-established.

*Note: Financial Aid SAP is NOT the same as Academic Standing.

Measures of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):

Two measures of SAP are used:

  1. Qualitative academic standard (GPA), and
  2. Quantitative rate of progress (Pace)- Number of credits completed divided by number of credits attempted

Qualitative Academic Standard (Grade Point Average):

Students who receive Federal financial aid (i.e. Pell Grant, Supplemental Grant, Work Study, and ND State Grant) are required to maintain a grade point average of 2.00. At the conclusion of each semester, the cumulative grade point average will be evaluated for all students at Turtle Mountain Community College.

Students not meeting the 2.00 minimum cumulative GPA standard will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next semester the student enrolls in. Students on Financial Aid Warning have access to all financial aid programs for which he or she is eligible for during that semester. If the student does not improve his or her cumulative GPA to at least a 2.00 by the end of the warning semester, the student will then be placed on Financial Aid Suspension, which terminates financial aid eligibility.

Quantitative Rate of Progress (Pace of Progress):

  1. Maximum Time Frame: All students are expected to complete his or her degree requirements within 150% of the published length of the program. For example, if a program requires 60 credits to complete, the student would be allowed 90 attempted credits (60 x 150%=90 attempted credits) Rate of Progress Examples

    Rate of Progress Examples
    Program of Study Credits Required Max Credits Allowable
    Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education 126 189= (126*150%)
    Associate in Arts or Associate in Science 63 94.5 = (63*150%)
    Associate in Applied Science Process Plant 68 102 = (68*150%)
    Associate in Applied Science HVAC 66 99 = (66*150%)
  2. Completion of Attempted Credits: Students must successfully complete two-thirds (66.667%) of the credits he or she attempts each semester and cumulatively complete two-thirds of attempted credits throughout his or her academic career. This percentage is determined by dividing the total number of successfully completed credits by the total number of credits the student was registered for on the Turtle Mountain Community College financial aid census date. The financial aid census date is the first day after the last day to add a class.
    Semester Attempted Credits Credits withdrawn from or Failed Completion Rate SAP Status
    Semester 1 12 Credits 6 Credits 50% = (6/12) Warning
    Semester 2 12 Credits 0 Credits 100% = (12/12) Meets
    Cumulative 24 Credits 6 Credits 75% = (18/24) Meets

Federal Regulations require that a refund calculation be calculated for all students receiving federal funds, unless the financial aid office staff can document an official last date of attendance beyond the 60% point in any semester. The calculation and return of funds may result in the student owing a balance to Turtle Mountain Community College and/or U.S. Department of Education.