Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

Each student receiving Federal Student Aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The Financial Aid Office is required to review all college level credit hours that apply to any OCCC degree or certificate program when evaluating progress. SAP standards evaluated are cumulative and measure qualitative, quantitative and maximum attempted hours. SAP is evaluated at the close of each semester. Notifications are sent to all evaluated students.

Qualitative Evaluation - GPA:

Qualitative Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is assessed by the Registrar’s Office, based on criteria established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). GPA requirements:

• 1-29 credit hours, cumulative GPA 1.7
• 30 or more credit hours, cumulative GPA 2.0.

Quantitative Evaluation - Completion Rate

Cumulative Completion Pace requires a minimum of 67% and is measured by the credit hours successfully completed divided by the credit hours attempted. Example: 9 completed hours/12 attempted hours = 75% Completion Pace.

Transfer credit hours that apply to any OCCC degree or certificate will be included in the evaluation. Grades counted for successful completion are; A,B,C,D,P,S and CIP. Unsuccessful grades of F,AW,W,I,NP and U are included in the hours attempted. Grades of I, once completed will be re-evaluated.

Quantitative Evaluation – Maximum Credit Hours

The maximum number of credit hours allowable for a student receiving Federal Student Aid to complete a degree or certificates 150 percent of the credit hours normally required to complete a degree or certificate program. Example: 60 hours * 1.5% = 90 hours max. Transfer credits that apply to any OCCC degree are counted.

All students who have completed degree requirements, graduated with an associate degree or transfer into OCCC with credit hours near the required hours to complete an associate’s degree must appeal to be considered for continued eligibility.

Warning

Students who fail to meet SAP are placed on Warning status for their next semester of enrollment. Students on Warning status are eligible to receive Federal Student Aid for one semester of Warning status.

Suspension

After one semester of Warning, status students who fail to meet SAP standards for Completion Pace and/or GPA will be placed on Suspension status. Students on suspension status are not eligible to receive financial aid.

Regaining Eligibility

Students placed on financial aid suspension may regain eligibility by taking at least six (6) credit hours per semester without Federal Student Aid until they meet all SAP standards. They may then submit an online Financial Aid Suspension Appeal explaining they have now met all SAP standards.

Students who have appealable circumstances may submit an online Financial Aid Suspension Appeal explaining the circumstance and the changes that have occurred that will allow successful completion of future coursework.

All students who have completed degree requirements, or graduated with an associate degree or higher, must submit a Continuing Eligibility (CE) appeal to establish their academic plan and credit hours requirements for any additional degree.

Students appealing must be accepted into the program for which they are appealing to be considered for continued eligibility.

Appealable Circumstances

Circumstances that could impact a student’s opportunity to meet SAP standards include, but are not limited to: Death of an immediate family member, student illness or an accident in which the student was involved and unable to attend classes, divorce, natural disaster directly impacting student, medical circumstances of an immediate family member requiring the student’s care for an extended period. Students may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Probation

Students with approved appeals are placed on Probation for the next semester of enrollment. Students on Probation must meet all SAP standards each semester to remain on schedule to complete their degree plan. At the close of the Probation semester students who fail to meet SAP standards are again placed on financial aid suspension. Students on Probation status are eligible to receive financial aid.

Financial Aid Success Plans

Financial Aid Success Plans are required for students on probation who require more than one semester to meet SAP standards. Plans are designed to help move a student toward SAP in a specified timeframe and may include referral to support services, a reduced course load, and adjustments to financial assistance. Students who fail to meet SAP standards or to complete the Financial Aid Success Plan are again placed on financial aid suspension. Students on probation with success plans are eligible to receive financial aid.

Repeated Courses

Students may repeat a course as needed to replace a failing grade if the course is needed to complete degree requirements at OCCC. A passed course may be repeated once and counted for enrollment if a higher grade is required for degree completion. For Federal Student Aid purposes a grade "D" or higher is considered passing.

Audited Courses

Audited courses are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. If a course is changed from Credit to Audit, a student will have to repay any Financial Aid that included the Audit course credit hours.

Consortium Agreements

Students taking courses under a Consortium Agreement must submit their grades at the end of each semester for use in evaluating SAP. Any future financial aid awards will be canceled for failure to submit grades.

Transfer Students

Students who have attended other colleges and universities are required to submit official academic transcripts to the OCCC Records Office. The Financial Aid Office must consider all college level credit hours that apply to any OCCC degree or certificate program when evaluating progress. Students who have earned an associate’s degree or higher must complete a Continued Eligibility appeal to establish their academic plan and the credit hours required for degree completion.

Remedial Non-Credit Coursework

Students may attempt up to 30 credit hours of developmental coursework and receive Federal Student Aid toward enrollment that is based on assessment testing and academic advisement. Students who are in an eligible degree program and taking exclusively developmental coursework must earn a passing grade in each course to be considered to have met qualitative SAP criteria. Students taking a combination of regular coursework and developmental must meet SAP requirements and earn passing grades in all developmental courses to meet qualitative criteria.

English as a Second Language (ESLP Coursework

ESL courses are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. Students who take IEP courses as a means to document proficiency in English enabling them to begin college level credit courses will not be eligible for Federal Student Aid and these courses will not be counted in SAP evaluation or toward the 30 credit hour limit on Developmental coursework.

Students for whom English is a second language are required to document proficiency in English prior to admission for credit classes. Students may demonstrate or document proficiency through: Standardized Testing; High School performance; or transfer students must have successfully completed 24 college level credit hours where English was the primary language.