Maintain Financial Aid Eligibility

JCC standards for satisfactory academic progress

The college’s standards for satisfactory academic progress are used to determine a student’s academic eligibility for federal financial aid. The standards consist of three components: Attempted Hours, Hours Passed, and Cumulative GPA. Progress is measured against the cumulative number of credit hours a student has attempted at JCC. For each measuring point (see Chart A) of attempted hours, the student is required to have passed a minimum number of credits and cumulative grade point average (GPA). The previous measuring point is the basis for students who have attempted hours that fall between the measuring points until they have attempted the number of hours indicated at the next measuring point.

Chart A: Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Aid/Probation

The first time a student fails to meet minimum academic or progress standards, the student retains federal financial aid eligibility. However, if the student fails to meet satisfactory grade point average standards or hours passed standards a second time, eligibility for federal financial aid will be lost until the student can again demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in both areas. Students who lose financial aid eligibility may, under special circumstances, receive a waiver in order to receive federal aid. Because graduation from JCC requires 60 semester hours with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00, the academic standings committee directs the registrar to identify each semester students who have attempted six credit hours or more and have a cumulative GPA or number of hours passed which is less than those shown on Chart A. Any student identified as not meeting these minimal standards will be considered as not making satisfactory progress and will be placed on academic or progress probation. Academic probation is deficiency in cumulative grade point average. Progress probation is deficiency in hours passed only. Academic probation supersedes progress probation.

Explanation of satisfactory academic progress standards for federal financial aid

Attempted hours

• Includes courses which meet the criteria below in which a student is officially enrolled at census date. (Census date is approximately the last day of the third week of classes, except for late starting classes.)
• Any course(s) from which the student withdraws or is administratively withdrawn prior to the census date will not count toward hours attempted.
• Any course(s) officially added to the student's enrollment after census date will be counted toward hours attempted.
• Upon attempting 150% of the credits required to earn a degree (90 credits for a 60 credit hour degree), the student will no longer be eligible to receive federal financial aid at JCC but may have remaining eligibility at a four-year institution. This includes all federal grants, loans, and work programs. There is no waiver available. Students attempting a second degree at a two-year school, or who have changed majors which requires additional course work may have further eligibility.
• For those students whose last "attempted hours" were attempted five (5) or more years prior to the semester being reviewed, the following will be excluded from "attempted hours" for progress evaluation: those hours attempted five or more years prior to the semester being reviewed with assigned grades of W, X, NC or which were affected by bankruptcy.

Hours passed

• Will include courses in which a letter grade of D or above or a grade of CR is earned, or imputed credits in which letter grades of ID or above or ICR are earned.

Treatment of types of courses

• College-level courses graded CR/F: Will count toward hours attempted, will count toward hours passed, but will not be used to compute GPA.
• Imputed courses/credits (courses which are not at the college level): Imputed credit hours will count toward hours attempted and hours passed, but will not be counted in the GPA.
• Repeated courses: Repeats of passed courses (D or above and CR) are eligible for federal financial aid and will count toward hours attempted, will not affect hours passed, but will affect GPA.
  Repeats of Fs are eligible for federal financial aid and will affect hours attempted, may affect passed hours if successfully completed, and will affect GPA if passed.
• Transfer credits: Credits transferred into JCC do not count toward hours attempted, hours passed, or GPA for academic progress, but are included in the 150% maximum aid rule.
• Incomplete grades and hours: Hours with a grade of incomplete will count toward hours attempted.
  Hours with a grade of incomplete will not count toward hours passed and GPA until a final grade is assigned.
• Audit courses and hours: Audit courses do not count toward hours attempted, hours passed, or GPA.

Federal waiver requests

Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress standards for the second time will lose their eligibility for federal financial aid until such time as they can meet the guidelines by taking courses at their own expense. However, students who can document serious extenuating circumstances may request consideration for a waiver by submitting to the Financial Aid office a waiver request form explaining their circumstances and documentation supporting their circumstances from an appropriate third party before the beginning of the semester for which they are requesting the waiver. Waivers are not automatic and will be determined on a case by case basis.

Explanation of satisfactory academic progress standards for New York state aid (TAP & APTS)

Students awarded NYS TAP, APTS, or other state scholarships must meet New York State Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. Recent changes enacted by the NYS legislature requires different academic progress charts for students enrolled in *remedial programs, and those considered non-remedial. Charts B and D explain minimum academic progress requirements as of 2011-12. The regulations cover the state requirements of satisfactory academic progress; enrollment requirements (coursework); and information regarding the maximum number of awards students may receive from the TAP and APTS state programs.

*NYS defines a remedial student as one a) whose college placement test scores indicate the need for remediation for at least two semesters, or b) who was enrolled in at least six credit hours of remedial courses in the first term they received a TAP award.

Chart B: Satisfactory Academic Progress for New York State Aid (based on full-time enrollment) for *remedial students, or all other students who received their first TAP award prior to 2010-11

CHART D: Satisfactory Academic Progress for New York State Aid effective 2011-12 for non-remedial* students who received their first TAP award 2010-11 or later

Maximum number of awards permitted

• Each semester’s TAP payment for full-time study counts as 6 points.
• Each APTS payment for part-time study counts as 3 points.
• Full-time students may receive their first 36 points of TAP and/or APTS at a community college .
• Part-time students may receive APTS at a two-year school until they have received a total of 48 points of TAP and/or APTS.
• NYS limits TAP/APTS funding to the equivalent of four years of full-time study for a bachelor’s degree (total of 48 points).

College level vs. imputed credits - TAP

• Imputed credits do not count toward earned credits or GPA, but do count toward percentage of course completion.
• The student must be enrolled in at least 3 college-level credits as part of their full-time load (12 credits or more) the first semester they receive TAP. NOTE: Students who receive their first TAP award in 2010-11 or later must have earned at least 6 college-level credits to receive TAP a second time.
• The second semester a student receives TAP and thereafter, the student must be enrolled in at least 6 college-level credits as part of their full-time load (12 credits or more). See important information about satisfactory academic progress requirements below.

College level vs. imputed credits - APTS

• A student must be enrolled in at least 3 college-level credits any semester in which they receive an APTS award.
• Imputed credits do not count toward earned credits or GPA, but do count toward percentage of course completion.

Courses necessary for the completion of degree requirements

• Students receiving a TAP award must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits (college-level and imputed) necessary for the completion of a declared degree or certificate program approved by the state.
• Students in their last semester of enrollment necessary for the completion of a declared degree or certificate may receive TAP if they are enrolled in 12 credits, at least 3 of which are college-level credits necessary for the completion of a declared degree.
• Students can only receive APTS for credits which count toward the completion of their degree.

New credit hour rule

• Students receiving a TAP award must be enrolled in at least 12 new credit courses (college-level and/or imputed). A repeat of a course in which a passing grade has already been earned will not be counted as part of the 12 new credits. However, repeats of courses in which an F grade was earned will be counted as part of the 12 new credits.
• Students receiving an APTS award can only receive APTS for new credit hours (college-level and/or imputed). A repeat of a course in which a passing grade has already been earned will not count as new credit hours. However, repeat of a course in which an F grade was earned will count as new credit hours.

Satisfactory academic progress requirements

• Although enrollment in 12 new credit-hours as indicated above qualifies as full-time enrollment to receive TAP, students may need to enroll in more than 12 credits/semester to meet subsequent minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements. Review Charts B & D to confirm the number of college level credits and GPA that must be attained each semester to receive the next TAP payment. Remedial* students, and others who received their first NYS TAP/APTS award prior to 2010-11 must meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements listed on CHART B- SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR NEW YORK STATE AID.
• Effective 2011-12, non-remedial* students receiving their first NYS grant in 2010-11 or later must meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements listed on CHART D- SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR NEW YORK STATE AID.
• *NYS defines a remedial student as one a) whose college placement test scores indicate the need for remediation for at least two semesters, or b) who was enrolled in at least six credit hours of remedial courses in the first term they received a TAP award.

State waiver requests

• Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress standards will lose their eligibility for state financial aid until such time as they can meet the guidelines by taking courses at their own expense. However, students who can document serious extenuating circumstances may request consideration for a waiver by submitting the waiver request form explaining their circumstances and documentation supporting their circumstances from an appropriate third party to the Financial Aid office before the beginning of the semester for which they are requesting the waiver. Waivers are not automatic and will be determined on a case by case basis.

Explanation of satisfactory academic progress standards for Pennsylvania aid (PA State Grant)

Maximum number of awards permitted - PA State Grant

• Students may receive PA State Grant until they have accumulated 2.0 award accumulators while pursuing an associate’s degree.
• Each semester a student receives an award for full-time study (12 or more credit hours) counts as .50 awards.
• Each semester a student receives an award for part-time study (6-11 credit hours) counts as .25 awards.

College level vs. imputed credit

• A full-time student (12 credit hours) is eligible to receive a PA State Grant for the first two semesters of study if enrolled in at least 6 college-level credits. The third semester a full-time student receives a PA State Grant and thereafter, the student must be enrolled in at least 12 college-level credits.
• A part-time student (6-11 credit hours) is eligible to receive a PA State Grant for the first two semesters of study if enrolled in at least 3 college-level credits. The third semester a part-time student receives a PA State Grant and thereafter, the student must be enrolled in at least 6 college level credits.

Courses necessary for the completion of degree requirements

• Students receiving a full-time PA State Grant must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits (college-level and imputed) which are necessary for the completion of their declared associate degree on record at the beginning of each semester. Part-time students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits (college level and imputed) necessary for their declared associate degree.

Academic progress requirement

• A student who has received a PA State Grant in a prior academic year must have passed the required minimum total number of credits for the semesters in which the grant aid was applied. For example, a student who has received 1.00 award accumulators for two semesters of full-time study must pass at least 24 credit hours to be eligible for subsequent PA State Grants. A student who has received .50 award accumulators for two semesters of part-time study must pass at least 12 credit hours to be eligible for subsequent PA State Grants.

State waiver requests

• In cases where the student has failed to complete the required number credits to satisfy the academic progress requirement due to a medical condition, family illness, or other extenuating circumstances, the student may request consideration for an exception from PA State Grant. Students may submit a waiver request form to the college financial aid office explaining their circumstances with supporting documentation from a third party. Waivers are not automatic and will be determined on a case by case basis by PA State Grant.