How to Keep your Financial Aid:

• Pace: Complete 67% of all classes attempted
• Maintain an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher
• Complete your degree within the 150% timeframe (i.e. an associate degree of 60 credit hours must be completed within 90 credit hours)
• Become familiar with Grayson County College Office of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Completion Rate Worksheet:

Glossary:

Pace: the total number of hours the student has successfully completed divided by the number of hours the student has attempted.

Appeal: a process for a student who fails to maintain SAP to petition the school for a reconsideration of eligibility to receive federal Title IV funds.

Students who have faced mitigating circumstances may appeal the suspension of their financial aid. Mitigating circumstances are generally beyond the student's control and may include:

• A death in the immediate family
• Injury or illness of the student
• Other special circumstances

Mitigating circumstances DO NOT include:

• Student felt overwhelmed
• Student changed work schedule
• Student did not like the instructor or had a conflict with the instructor
• Student did not understand college and wasn't ready or mature enough
• Death or illness of a friend or relative not in immediate family
• Withdrew or stopped attending to avoid a bad grade
• Student states: Nobody told me that would affect me

Financial Aid Probation: a status assigned to a student who fails to maintain SAP but who successfully appeals, permitting the student to receive Title IV funds for one additional payment period following the appeal.

Financial Aid Suspension: a status assigned to a student who failed to meet the requirements of financial aid probation.

Maximum Timeframe: student cannot be paid financial aid for any courses that exceed 150% of the published length of the program.

Re-establishing Financial Aid Eligibility:

There are two avenues available for regaining eligibility for financial aid. These avenues consist of the following:

1. Paying on your own: To regain eligibility, the student must attend GCC (without financial aid) until they meet the GPA and completion rate requirement while not having any F's, I's or W's.
2. Appeal process: Students who have faced mitigating circumstances may appeal the suspension of their financial aid. Only one appeal is allowed.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy:

All students receiving any type of financial aid at Grayson County College must meet the standards of progress outlined below. The requirements for these standards are set by Federal regulations (34CFR 668.34). Satisfactory progress requirements are:

1. You must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA), or;
2. If your cumulative GPA is less than 2.0 you must maintain at least a 2.0 Semester GPA and be in compliance with your official academic plan to maintain probation status to continue receiving aid, and;
3. You must successfully complete at least 67% of all Grayson County College courses taken including transfer courses accepted, and;
4. You must successfully complete at least 67% of the courses you attempt for the Semester to maintain good standing or probation status;
5. You may attempt no more than 150% of the total credit hours in your degree or certificate program.

If you attended other colleges, the courses you took that are accepted as transfer credit by Grayson County College may be considered in the evaluation of your progress. At Grayson County College, for financial aid purposes, being enrolled in a course for credit beyond the official Drop/Refund Deadline counts as an attempt. All successfully completed transfer courses accepted and courses taken at Grayson County College, including those taken as part of another program of study, will be included in determining your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). For financial aid purposes, successful completion of a course means an earned grade of A, B, C, or D. However, a grade of "D" is "Passing below average". All other grades (grades of F, I, & W) are considered unsuccessful completions and will impact your progress determination. The formula for calculating the completion rate is: total hours earned divided by total hours attempted. The resulting percentage must be 67% or greater. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be evaluated at the end of each academic year. If you do not meet the standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) due to your GPA or completion ratio, you will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible for further financial aid at Grayson County College. If you have attempted 150% of the hours needed for your Grayson County College degree program (for most students this is 90 credit hours), you will no longer be eligible for financial aid.

You have the right to appeal a Financial Aid Suspension if you have special circumstances that affected your ability to meet the satisfactory progress requirements. Appeal forms are available in the Office of Financial Aid or can be downloaded HERE. Documentation of your special circumstances will be required. Appeal forms must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid by the Appeal Deadline printed on the form. If you are placed on Financial Aid Suspension and you do not have special circumstances or your appeal is denied, you may regain your eligibility for financial aid by bringing your Cumulative GPA up to a 2.0 or better and your Cumulative Completion Rate to at least 67%. You will need to pay for the courses you take while under Suspension.