Satisfactory Academic Progress
Brewton-Parker College is required by Federal Regulations to establish minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and the Financial Aid Office is required to review the progress of students in meeting the stated standards. The standards apply to all students who receive federal and state financial aid.(Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), SAP Warning and SAP Suspension as measured and defined by the Financial Aid Office differs from Academic Good Standing, Academic Warning, Probation, Suspension and Exclusion as measured and defined by the Registrar’s Office.)
Athletic aid will be based on the requirements of the NAIA as well as the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.
A student may appeal a financial aid suspension by filing an appeal with the Financial Aid Office. This appeal should be based on:
- Injury or illness of the student
- Death of a relative
- Other mitigating circumstance (Students who experience mitigating circumstances (including but not limited to serious illness and injury which require extended recovery time or significant improvement, the death or serious illness of an immediate family member or significant trauma in the student’s life that impairs the student’s emotional and/or physical health) may appeal the loss of financial aid.)
Supporting documentation should also be included with the appeal, for example: doctor statements, injury reports, death certificate of relative, and any other information that will help explain the reason for the appeal.
Appeals should be sent to the Financial Aid Office, Attention: Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The Director of Financial Aid will coordinate all appeals.
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will meet on all appeals. The chair of the Financial Aid Committee may appoint a temporary replacement for a permanent member of this committee who is unable to attend a scheduled meeting.
If the appeal is granted, an academic plan will go into effect by which the student will be required to meet and work with the Counseling Office. Each student whose appeal is granted will be placed on probation for a semester, and their academic progress reviewed at the end of the probation period to ensure that they have earned a minimum of a 2.0 semester GPA while enrolled at least half time for an individual term. The student must continue to adhere to their academic plan while enrolled at least half time until their cumulative GPA is raised to 2.0. Also, the student must continue toward a 67 percent pace achievement rate.
If a student fails to meet the requirements of probation, including, but not limited to the elements of the Academic Plan, then his/her probation will be revoked, the student will return to SAP Suspension status and will no longer be eligible to receive any federal or state aid from BPC.
Students must make a 2.0 GPA or higher for the semester placed on probation, all courses must be completed, the student cannot fail or withdraw from a course during probation and the student cannot enroll in more than 12 hours. This is not a complete list of the requirements of the Academic Plan. Each student’s Academic Plan is different and must be followed accordingly to meet the requirements of the Counseling Center and the Financial Aid Office. The student must also be able to graduate within the 150% time frame.
Satisfactory academic progress is measured by two criteria: GPA (Grade Point Average) and Pace.
GPA (Grade Point Average): In order to comply with this component of the policy, students must meet the following requirements:
Minimum SAP Requirements | |
| Semester | Minimum Cumulative GPA Required |
| 1st Semester | 1.7 |
| 2nd Semester | 1.8 |
| 3rd Semester | 1.9 |
| 4th and Following Semesters | 2.0 |
*Credit hours calculated do not include courses numbered under 100. There are limits on the receipt of state and federal financial aid that apply to students who are enrolled in learning assistance courses.
Students who have aid terminated as a result of this component of the policy may be able to regain eligibility for aid after they are allowed to return to the college.
In order to regain eligibility, students must make a minimum of a 2.0 semester GPA while enrolled at least half time for an individual term. Students must continue to adhere to their individualized academic plan while enrolled at least half time until their cumulative GPA’s are raised to a 2.0. Failure to do so will result in final termination of eligibility for federal and state financial aid at BPC.
Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) will be reviewed at the end of each semester. At that time, if the student has not met the minimum requirements for his/her grade level, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. During this semester the student will remain eligible for federal and state financial aid. The student will be informed in writing of the deficiency and encouraged to meet with the Counseling Center to arrange for assistance. The Counseling Center will be given a list of the students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning.
The second consecutive semester a student fails to meet the standards of academic progress, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension/SAP Suspension and is no longer eligible for federal and state financial aid. Students placed on financial aid suspension may still be eligible to attend Brewton-Parker College.
Any student who loses financial aid eligibility may appeal the decision by following the “SAP Suspension Appeal Process” described below, or by attending school, using their own resources, until the cumulative GPA prescribed for the student’s grade level has been achieved.
Pace refers to the number of hours earned within specified time periods. There are two measures of pace. First, students are required to earn credit for 70 percent of the hours attempted at the end of each semester. Pace is determined by dividing completed hours by attempted hours.
Second, students may attempt up to 150 percent of the hours required for their majors and degree. Students will be declared ineligible to receive federal and state financial aid once they have earned 150 percent of the number of hours required in their majors. For example:
Degree Requirements* Maximum Time Frame
123 hours 184.5
136 hours 204
144 hours 216
*Semester hours calculated do not include courses numbered under 100. There are limits on the receipt of state and federal financial aid which apply to students who are enrolled in learning assistance courses. However, if a student is in jeopardy of exceeding the maximum number of allowable credit hours because of a change in course study, double major or a second degree, financial aid may be extended upon receipt of proper documentation of said change.
Hours attempted include all hours in which students remain enrolled after the expiration of the drop/add period for any term. Grades of A, B, C, and D count as hours earned. Grades of F, W, WP, WF, and I do not count as hours earned. Courses repeated with a passing grade are counted twice in both determining hours earned and in cumulative GPA. Students who fail to meet the minimum standards will be declared ineligible to receive federal and state financial aid until they meet the indicated standards. Dropped courses count toward the total hours attempted and could possibly jeopardize the receipt of federal and state financial aid.
Only credit taken at Brewton-Parker College or accepted by Brewton-Parker will be counted in determining compliance with the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP). The pace component will be reviewed at the end of each semester. If at that time, the student did not meet the minimum 70 percent pace requirement, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning.
Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) will be reviewed at the end of each semester. At that time, if the student has not met the minimum requirements for his/her grade level, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. During this semester the student will remain eligible for federal and state financial aid. The student will be informed in writing of the deficiency and encouraged to meet with the Counseling Center to arrange for assistance. The Counseling Center will be given a list of the students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning.
The second consecutive semester a student fails to meet the standards of academic progress, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension/SAP Suspension and is no longer be eligible for federal and state financial aid. Students placed on financial aid suspension may still be eligible to attend Brewton-Parker College.
Any student who loses financial aid eligibility may appeal the decision by following the “SAP Suspension Appeal Process” described below, or by attending school, using their own resources, until the 70 percent pace has been achieved.
Students must meet both standards of academic progress, GPA and Pace. Academic progress is checked at the end of each semester. A student may be placed on Warning or Suspension based on GPA, Pace, or a combination of the two.
A student may only appeal a SAP Suspension/Financial Aid Suspension twice during their academic lifetime at BPC. Each appeal must be for a completely different mitigating circumstance.
