Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
Satisfactory progress, as defined by Central Louisiana Technical Community College, must be maintained in order to be eligible for any Title IV Federal Financial Aid program. Academic progress will be measured qualitatively and quantitatively. An appeal process is available for students with extenuating circumstances only.
The payment periods for students are according to the actual semester dates. The student receives payments for the fall and spring semester with the summer session as a trailer if funds are still available. The summer session can be used to earn credits in an attempt to re-establish lost eligibility.
Qualitative standards refer to the quality of work that a student produces. Satisfactory progress in this regard is measured as stated below:
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale or a “C” average. Any transfer credits will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Previous work at another college or university that is not considered transfer credit will not be used in determining the cumulative grade point average. If a student withdraws from a course and receives a grade of “W” or if a student receives a grade of “I” for incomplete work due to extenuating circumstances, the grade will not be used in calculating the overall grade point average.
A student’s cumulative grade point average will be checked throughout the program of study and at least twice an academic year to determine satisfactory progress. If a student’s cumulative average falls below a 2.000 (or “C” average), the student will be placed on probation for one payment period and notified in writing of the probation. During this probationary period, the student may still be eligible to receive Title IV funds if this is the student’s first probation. The student must appeal to the campus for eligibility during this probationary period. The student’s cumulative grade point average will be checked again at the end of the probationary period. If, at that time, the student’s cumulative grade point average is still below a 2.1 on a 4.000 scale (or “C” average), the student will lose eligibility for funding until such time the cumulative average has been raised to meet the eligibility requirements.
The student’s rate of progress for satisfactory quantitative progress will be checked throughout the program of study and at least once an academic year. The method in which the rate of progress will be checked is listed below.
Students must complete their curriculum within 150% of the actual program length (measured in credit hours) in order to be considered as making satisfactory progress. Lack of progress due to extenuating circumstances, such as illness, natural disasters, etc., will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
(Exceptions to this policy shall be allowed for disabled and/or special needs students on an individual basis as mandated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). For a student to meet the 150% completing requirement, a student must earn 67% of all credit hours attempted each semester. For example, if a student schedules 12 credit hours in a semester, the student must earn 8 of the 12 credit hours.
Students may receive federal funds while enrolled in up to a maximum of three developmental courses. These hours will count toward the 150% maximum time frame a student has to complete a degree or diploma.
A student’s rate of completion for Quantitative Progress will be calculated by dividing the number of credit hours earned by the number of credit hours attempted. Any withdrawals of courses after the official Drop/Add period of each semester will be computed into the rate of completion as credit hours attempted. Any transfer credit hours a student may have will be calculated into the total rate of completion for that student.
Students are eligible to receive a Pell Grant award for only 150% of the total approved instructional credit hours for the program they are currently enrolled in, as published in the Central Louisiana Technical Community College Student Catalog/Handbook.
If a student’s rate of progress falls below the standards stated for the type of program in which the student is participating, the student will be placed on probation for one payment period. During this probationary period, the student may still be eligible to receive Title IV funds if this is the student’s first probation. The student must appeal to the campus for eligibility during this probationary period.
The student’s rate of completion will be checked again at the end of the probationary period. If at that time, the student’s rate of completion is still below the given standard the student will lose eligibility for funding until which time the rate of completion has been raised to meet the eligibility requirements.
The college will establish a Financial Aid Appeals Committee to examine the appeals for students who have exhausted their maximum time frame or who have failed to meet either the qualitative or quantitative standard. This committee will consist of the Campus and Community Liaison, Executive Director of Student Affairs or Director of Financial Aid, and two other campus employees where the student attends class.
Only students with extenuating circumstances may appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. Examples of extenuating circumstances are: prolonged illness under a doctor’s care; illness or accidents requiring hospitalization or prolonged absence for class; death of an immediate family member; prolonged illness of a dependent; or a natural disaster. In all cases, the appeal must be in writing and must be accompanied by official documentation no later than 15 days after the student returns to school.
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review all cases and will notify all students of their decisions within ten working days from the date the appeal is received.
The Verification Process
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects FAFSA applications for a process known as verification. Verification is a review of the information provided on the FAFSA for accuracy.
Reasons a student is selected for verification may include:
- The student was selected randomly
- The FAFSA that was submitted was incomplete
- The data on the FAFSA appears to contradict itself
- Estimated information was provided on the FAFSA
If selected, the student will be notified by email with instructions to create an account and list the information the student will need to gather and submit to the verification portal. After the student’s file is complete, he or she will be notified and will be able to view his or her award offer in LoLA. The student’s classes will not be secured with financial aid until this process is completed.
CLTCC has partnered with Inceptia for the processing of student verification files. Students who have been selected for verification will receive an introductory email to the email address that was provided on the FAFSA. If no email address was provided, a postcard would be mailed. A link will be included in the communication instructing the student to create an account and do the following:
- Confirm identity
- Create a secure username and password
- Decide whether or not to receive text messages and e-sign the submission
- Access the Task List and begin the verification process
- Upon receipt of all required documents, Inceptia will begin the verification process, and the student will receive communication about the next step.
All dependent students will be required to have a parent confirm and create an account. The parent will also be required to e-sign or provide an ink signature once all documents are submitted.
A student’s task list may be a combination of online forms and/or the request to upload specific documents. All tasks have detailed instructions and will show the status of each.
Students will have the option to download a copy of their tasks and answers prior to submitting their file for review during the signature process.