Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for all credits attempted. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as, for students who have attempted six or more credits, completing 67 percent or more of all credits attempted and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0.

After a total of six or more credits have been attempted, a student’s SAP will be evaluated. At this time, students not completing 67 percent or better of all credits attempted or not achieving a GPA of 2.0 or greater, will be placed on probation and given one enrollment period to achieve the expected level of performance. Students not completing 67 percent or more of all credits attempted or not achieving a GPA of 2.0 or greater by the end of that period will be placed on suspension.

The two measures used to determine SAP are qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative Measure

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students will be required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. The following are included in the GPA calculation:

• Grades of A, B, C, D, and F
• Grades for credits taken through a consortium agreement
• English as Second Language (ESL) credits
• Developmental course credits 

Quantitative Measure

Credit Completion Ratio
Student will be required to complete a minimum of 67% of all attempted credits. The following are included in the credit completion ratio:

• Credits attempted with grades of A, B, C, D, F, P, NC, I and W
• Credits attempted through a consortium agreement
• English as Second Language (ESL) credits
• Developmental credits
• Course Repeats

Maximum Time Frame for Financial Aid Recipients
Federal financial aid regulations allow for financial aid eligibility up to but not exceeding 150% of the credits needed to complete the student’s chosen degree, diploma, or certificate, including those credits that the student has transferred from another college. A student who has reached the maximum time frame for his/her degree, diploma or certificate is suspended from financial aid. There is no probationary period for this requirement.

The following credits are included in the maximum time frame calculation of attempted credits:

• Credits attempted with grades of: A, B, C, D, F, P, NC, I and W
• Transfer credits
• English as Second Language (ESL) credits
• Developmental credits

Evaluation Period

SAP will be monitored as follows:

• All students with registered credits during a term will be evaluated at the end of the term (fall, spring and summer)
• Any student who fails to meet the minimum SAP requirements for one term will be placed on probation
• Any student on probation who fails to meet SAP requirements for a consecutive term will be placed on suspension

Failure to Meet Standards

Probation
All students not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements after attempting 6 or more credits will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation remain eligible for financial aid.

Suspension
Students not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for a second consecutive term will be placed on academic suspension. The conditions required for reinstatement will be stated in the letter indicating student suspension. Students placed on suspension may initiate an appeal with a counselor. A suspension notation will be placed on the student transcript and removed upon graduation. Students on academic suspension are not eligible for financial aid.

Extraordinary Circumstances for Financial Aid Recipients
HTC may immediately suspend a student from financial aid in certain circumstances, such as:

• A student who was previously suspended and whose academic performance falls below acceptable levels during a subsequent term of enrollment.
• A student who registers for, but does not earn any credits for two consecutive terms.
• A student who demonstrates an attendance pattern that abuses the receipt of financial aid.

Notification
The conditions required for reinstatement will be stated in the letter indicating student suspension.

Appeal Process
Students suspended for unsatisfactory academic progress have the right to appeal the decision based on an unusual or extenuating circumstance that may have resulted in the student’s performance issues. Examples of unusual or extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• Medical issues
• Death of an immediate family member
• Other one time occurrences

To appeal suspension based on GPA or completion rate, the student needs to schedule a meeting with a counselor to discuss the reasons for appeal.

The student needs to complete the Student Appeal Form along with:

• A written statement describing the unusual or extenuating circumstance that has been a barrier to satisfactory academic work,
• Any forms, letters, records, or other documentation that may substantiate the claim, particularly in the case of medical issues, and
• A written recommendation from a HTC counselor.

Appeals submitted without the required documentation will be denied.

Appeals must be directed to a counselor by the date indicated in the Academic Suspension letter.

Hennepin Technical College appeals process is outlined in the Student Handbook and includes an option of an Appeal Review Committee.

Maximum Time Frame Suspension Appeal Process for Financial Aid Recipients

To file an appeal for maximum time frame suspension, a student must meet with a HTC counselor to discuss an academic plan for completion. The academic plan outlines the courses needed for completion and the semester each will be taken. Students must submit a copy of the academic plan to the Financial Aid Office for review. If approved, the student’s financial aid will cover only courses related to completion of the degree, diploma, or certificate. Financial Aid Appeal Forms submitted without required documentation will be denied.

It is possible to be on financial aid suspension for maximum time frame and not be on academic suspension for the GPA and credit completion ratio.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility Following Suspension:

The student’s eligibility for financial aid may be reinstated in one of the following ways:

• The student’s appeal is approved with financial aid
• The student’s appeal is approved without financial aid and the student improves the GPA and/or completion rate to the minimum standards.

Additional SAP Standards

Treatment of Grades
Grade of A, B, C, D, and P are included in the calculation of the credits attempted as courses successfully completed. Grade of NC, I, W, and F are included in the calculation of credits attempted as courses not successfully completed.

Academic Fresh Start
Credits forgiven are included in the SAP standard calculations for financial aid recipients.

Audited Courses
Audited courses are not funded by financial aid and are not included in any satisfactory academic progress measurements.

Consortium Credits
Consortium credits are treated the same as credits for courses taken at Hennepin Technical College.

Developmental Credits
Developmental and ESL credits are included in the qualitative and completion percentage measurement. Up to 30 ESL and/or developmental credits will be excluded from maximum time-frame calculations. Coursework below the 1000 level is included in the calculation of grade point average, completion rate and maximum time frame.

Repeated Courses
Courses may be repeated more that once except in programs that have different requirements. For a course that is repeated, the original grade will remain on the transcript but will not be used in the GPA calculation. The original course credits remain in the number of attempted credits but are removed from the credits earned calculation. While this has no punitive impact on GPA, the percentage of completion will reflect the original course as attempted and not earned.

Transfer Credits
Transfer credits accepted by HTC and applied toward a student’s program or degree requirements are included in the maximum time-frame calculation.

Withdrawals
Credits for which a grade of “W” is received are considered attempted credits but not successfully completed credits for the purpose of monitoring satisfactory academic progress. A “W” does not impact GPA but does negatively impact the cumulative completion percentage.

Additional Information
If you change majors, the credits you earn under all majors will be included in the calculation of credit completion ratio as well as your GPA calculation.

If you are enrolled in multiple programs, all programs will be included in the calculation of credit completion ratio as well as your GPA calculation.

Contact HTC at 952-995-1300 or info@hennepintech.edu

Copyright © 2008 by Hennepin Technical College