Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy beginning Fall 2016.

Federal regulations require all students receiving federal financial aid (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or Alabama Student Assistance Programs) must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree or certificate. Academic progress must be monitored for all terms of enrollment, whether or not financial aid was received. Students receiving financial aid are evaluated once during the academic year. A student will be evaluated each time he/she applies for financial aid which will be at least annually. (Please note: Students enrolled in a technical program may require evaluation at the end of each term.)

According to 34 CFR 668-16(e), there are two major components of satisfactory academic progress: the qualitative component (cumulative in-program GPA) and quantitative component (time-frame of completion).

1. Qualitative Requirement (Cumulative in-program GPA [including institutional and accepted transfer credits are used in calculation of the in-program GPA])

Students enrolled in a degree program or a certificate program requiring more than 26 credit hours must meet or exceed the following minimum cumulative in program GPA based upon total hours attempted:

Semester Credit Hours Attempted	Cumulative GPA
0-21	1.5
22-32	1.75
33 or more	2.00

Students enrolled in certificate programs equal to 26 hours must meet or exceed the following minimum cumulative in-program GPA based upon total hours attempted:

Semester Credit Hours Attempted	Cumulative GPA
0-17	1.5
18 or more	2.0

All hours attempted and earned at LBWCC and all transfer credits accepted that are in the student’s program of study will be included in meeting cumulative GPA requirements.
Definition of hours attempted and earned used in calculation of GPA: Hours counted as attempted include:

All LBWCC courses for which the student receives any of the following grades: A, B, C, D, and F
Grades of I will be calculated as an F until the course is completed.
Any courses transferred from another institution that are accepted into the student’s current program of study.
Developmental or Remedial Courses that are taken from LBWCC are not calculated in the in-program GPA as they are assigned non-punitive grades, S, U & IP.

2. Quantitative Requirement (Time-frame for Completion) – Eligible students may receive federal financial aid for a period of time not to exceed 150 percent of the normal length of his/her program of study. LBWCC programs are as follows:

Program	Normal Length of Program in Credit Hours	Maximum # of Credit Hours
Associate of Arts Degree	60	90
Associate of Science Degree	60	90
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Certificate	60	90
Automotive Mechanics Certificate	60	90
Child Development Certificate	27	40
Child Development Degree	65	97
Computer Science Degree	64	96
Cosmetology Certificate	52	78
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree	76	114
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Vascular Certificate	11	16
Diesel and Heavy Equipment Mechanics Certificate	59	88
Emergency Medical Services Degree	75	112
Esthetics Technology Certificate	28	42
Forest Technology Degree	68	102
Industrial Electronics Degree	73	109
Nail Technology	24	36
Practical Nursing Certificate	50	75
Associate Degree Nursing (LPN to RN)	73	109
Associate Degree Nursing (Paramedic to RN)	73	109
Office Administration Degree	68	102
Surgical Technology Certificate	29	43
Welding Certificate	60	90
Welding Short Certificate	23	34

All credit hours (including accepted transfer credit hours) in current program of study and/or Degree plan will be included in Time-frame for Completion calculation.

Each student on federal financial aid must earn two-thirds (67%) of all the hours (including remedial courses and accepted transfer credit hours) he/she attempts in order to complete a program in the normal length of time allowed. Students who have not passed the required number of hours will be suspended from receiving federal financial aid. A student is ineligible when it becomes mathematically impossible for him/her to complete his/her program within 150% of the length of the program. (example: At the time of evaluation of SAP the student has attempted 85 credit hours out of a possible 90 credit hours allowed under max time frame but has 10 hours left to earn to complete his degree, the student is not meeting SAP due to exceeding the max time frame because he has more hours to earn than what is allowed to graduate within the maximum time frame.) Financial aid is reinstated when the student has achieved the minimum cumulative GPA required and earned the required minimum number of credit hours.

Developmental Courses – A student receiving federal financial aid may not enroll in the same developmental (remedial) course more than three times and continue to receive federal financial aid for that course. A federal financial aid recipient may not receive aid for more than 30 semester hours of developmental work. Credit hours attempted for developmental courses are included when determining a student’s quantitative progress (the two-thirds [67%]) for financial aid, however are not included the maximum time frame requirement.

Repeat Courses – If a student repeats a course which was previously successfully completed, the hours obtained the second time the course is attempted do not count toward the minimum number of academic hours required for program completion. A student, who has subsequently passed a course, will be allowed to receive financial aid to repeat that course one time. Failing grades, withdrawals, incompletes and/or repeated classes may result in suspension of financial aid because these classes are considered as attempted hours not successfully completed (these hours are included in the maximum time frame calculation). If a student is required to retake all of the coursework for a term in which a student fails a course, any courses retaken that were previously passed in this case are not eligible for Title IV aid.

Financial Aid Suspension – Academic progress will be reviewed annually at the time a student applies for financial aid. The student is placed on financial aid suspension when the Qualitative Requirement (Cumulative GPA) and/or the Quantitative Requirement (Maximum Timeframe and Completion Rate) have not been met. If a student is academically suspended and readmitted on appeal, this does not automatically qualify a student for reinstatement of financial aid. Financial Aid will be reinstated when the student attends college at his/her own expense and meets the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress or if the Financial Aid Appeal Committee reinstates eligibility.

Change in Program – A student may receive federal financial aid for up to 150% of the normal length of the selected program of study. If a student changes programs, his or her academic progress will be evaluated to include all courses taken that apply to the new program. A student may change programs of study more than once but will not be allowed to receive federal financial aid for attempting more than 3 programs of study at LBWCC. If a student changes program after being awarded and attending a semester, the student must meet the quantitative requirements of the new program. Student’s SAP will be reviewed again when he or she applies for financial aid for the next academic year. Once a student has received a Pell Grant for lifetime maximum of 600%, they will no longer be eligible for additional Pell Grants.

Appeals Process – If a student wishes to request consideration for reinstatement of federal financial aid due to mitigating circumstances, the student must complete a Financial Aid Appeal form and appropriate documentation. Any student may submit a request to reinstate federal financial aid at LBWCC one time. However, a second appeal may be allowed with extenuating circumstances. A written explanation regarding the mitigating and/or extenuating circumstances, plan for improvement, academic plan signed off by an advisor, and supporting documentation must be included with the Financial Aid Appeal form and submitted to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee no later than forty-five days before the first day of class. The student will be notified in writing the decision by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeal Committee is final and is determined on a case by case basis.

Students re-instated on Financial Aid Appeal will be required to follow an Academic Plan and if eligible, must apply with the Student Support Services program within the first ten days of class. Students must comply with all requirements and recommendations. Documentation will be provided by Student Support Services personnel to the Financial Aid Office before the Financial Aid Probation will be removed.

Evaluation of Developmental Coursework for students beginning prior Fall 2016.

LBWCC offers the following developmental courses: RDG084, ENG093, MTH090, and MTH098. When a student is placed in a developmental course, the following grades are issued: S – Satisfactory, U – Unsatisfactory, and IP – In Progress. If the student is issued a grade of IP, the financial aid office will count this IP grade as attempted and completed in order to allow them additional time to complete this class. If the student retakes the class and the student receives another IP or an S, he/she will only receive credit for the last class taken toward completion. However, both classes will be counted in the attempted hours. If a student takes the MTH090 and/or MTH098 and receives an IP grade, re-registers for the same class the next semester, completes the class and the next class in sequence, the student will earn a grade on their transcript for the second class and the original class will be removed from the transcript. In this event, the student will receive credit for completing both classes by including the hours for the IP and the grade from the second class that was reported on the transcript.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy beginning Fall 2017.

According to 34 CFR 668-16(e), there are two major components of satisfactory academic progress: the qualitative component (cumulative in-program GPA) and quantitative component (timeframe of completion).

Qualitative Requirement (Cumulative in-program GPA [including institutional and accepted transfer credits are used in calculation of the in-program GPA])

Semester Credit Hours Attempted Cumulative GPA

0-21 1.50

22-32 1.75

33 or more 2.00

Students enrolled in certificate programs equal to 26 hours must meet or exceed the following minimum cumulative in-program GPA based upon total hours attempted:

Semester Credit Hours Attempted Cumulative GPA

0-17 1.50

18 or more 2.00

All hours attempted and earned at LBWCC and all transfer credits accepted that are in the student’s program of study will be included in meeting cumulative GPA requirements.

Definition of hours attempted and earned used in calculation of GPA: Hours counted as attempted include:

All LBWCC courses for which the student receives any of the following grades: A, B, C, D, and F, (except for developmental courses).
Grades of I will be calculated as an F until the course is completed.
Any courses transferred from another institution that are accepted into the student’s current program of study.
Developmental or Remedial Courses that are taken from LBWCC are not calculated in the in-program GPA.

Quantitative Requirement (Timeframe for Completion) – Eligible students may receive federal financial aid for a period of time not to exceed 150 percent of the normal length of his/her program of study. LBWCC programs are as follows:

Program	Normal Length of Program in Credit Hours	Maximum # of Credit Hours
Associate in Arts Degree	60	90
Associate in Science Degree	60	90
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Certificate	60	90
Automotive Mechanics Certificate	60	90
Child Development Certificate	27	40
Child Development Degree	65	97
Computer Science Degree	64	96
Cosmetology Certificate	52	78
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree	76	114
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Vascular Certificate	11	16
Diesel and Heavy Equipment Mechanics Certificate	59	88
Emergency Medical Services Degree	75	112
Esthetics Technology Certificate	28	42
Forest Technology Degree	68	102
Industrial Electronics Degree	73	109
Nail Technology	24	36
Associate Degree Nursing (Track 1)	67	100
Associate Degree Nursing (Track 2 Mobility)	67	100
Office Administration Degree	68	102
Surgical Technology Certificate	29	43
Welding Certificate	60	90
Welding Short Certificate	23	34

All credit hours (including accepted transfer credit hours) in current program of study and/or Degree plan will be included in Timeframe for Completion calculation.

Each student on federal financial aid must earn two-thirds (.667%) of all the hours (including remedial courses and accepted transfer credit hours) he/she attempts in order to complete a program in the normal length of time allowed. Students who have not passed the required number of hours will be suspended from receiving federal financial aid. A student is ineligible when it becomes mathematically impossible for him/her to complete his/her program within 150% of the length of the program. (example: At the time of evaluation of SAP the student has attempted 85 credit hours out of a possible 90 credit hours allowed under max time frame but has 10 hours left to earn to complete his degree, the student is not meeting SAP due to exceeding the max time frame because he has more hours to earn than what is allowed to graduate within the maximum time frame.) Financial aid is reinstated when the student has achieved the minimum cumulative GPA required and earned the required minimum number of credit hours.

Developmental Courses – A student receiving federal financial aid may not enroll in the same developmental (remedial) course more than three times and continue to receive federal financial aid for that course. A federal financial aid recipient may not receive aid for more than 30 semester hours of developmental work. Credit hours attempted for developmental courses are included when determining a student’s quantitative progress (the two-thirds [67%]) for financial aid, however are not included the maximum time frame requirement.

Repeat Courses – If a student repeats a course which he or she has successfully completed he or she will only receive credit for one class toward the total number or hours completed. A student, who has subsequently passed a course, with a grade of A, B, C, or D will be allowed to receive financial aid to repeat that course one time. Failing grades, withdrawals, incompletes and/or repeated classes may result in suspension of financial aid because these classes are considered as attempted hours not successfully completed (these hours are included in the maximum time frame calculation).

Financial Aid Warning – Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester. If the student is not making academic progress he/she will be notified that they are placed on Financial Aid warning and he/she is in jeopardy of losing their financial aid eligibility. The student is placed on financial aid warning when the Qualitative Requirement (Cumulative GPA) and/or the Quantitative Requirement (Maximum Timeframe and Completion Rate) have not been met.

Financial Aid Suspension – Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester. If the student has been placed on financial aid warning and is not making academic progress for the second semester, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. The student is placed on financial aid suspension when the Qualitative Requirement (Cumulative GPA) and/or the Quantitative Requirement (Maximum Timeframe and Completion Rate) have not been met. If a student is academically suspended and readmitted on admissions appeal, this does not automatically qualify a student for reinstatement of financial aid. Financial Aid will be reinstated when the student attends college at his/her own expense and meets the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress or if the Financial Aid Appeal Committee reinstates eligibility.

Change in Program – A student may receive federal financial aid for up to 150% of the normal length of the selected program of study. If a student changes programs, his or her academic progress will be evaluated to include all courses taken that apply to the new program. A student may change programs of study more than once but will not be allowed to receive federal financial aid for attempting more than 3 programs of study at LBWCC. If a student changes program after being awarded and attending a semester, the student must meet the quantitative requirements of the new program. Student’s SAP will be reviewed again at the end of each semester. Once a student has received a Pell Grant for lifetime maximum of 600%, they will no longer be eligible for additional Pell Grants.

Appeals Process – If a student wishes to request consideration for re-instatement of federal financial aid due to mitigating circumstances, the student must complete a Financial Aid Appeal form and appropriate documentation. A written explanation regarding the mitigating and/or extenuating circumstances, plan for improvement, academic plan signed off by an advisor, and supporting documentation must be included with the Financial Aid Appeal form and submitted to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee no later than forty-five days before the first day of class. The student will be notified in writing the decision by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeal Committee is final and is determined on a case by case basis. Any student may submit a request to reinstate federal financial aid at LBWCC one time. However, a second appeal may be allowed with extenuating circumstances.

Students re-instated on Financial Aid Appeal will be required to follow an Academic Plan and if eligible, must apply with the Student Support Services program within the first ten days of class. Students must comply with all requirements and recommendations. Documentation will be provided by Student Support Services personnel to the Financial Aid Office before the Financial Aid Probation will be removed.