Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 at all times in order to meet the Qualitative Standard for SAP. All courses a student has ever taken will be used to calculate the students GPA that is evaluated for SAP.

Students who are in a one-year certificate or diploma program will have the Qualitative Standard checked at the end of each semester. Students who fail to earn a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning are eligible to receive financial aid during the warning semester, but they must bring their cumulative GPA up to a 2.00 at the end of the next semester of enrollment. Students who fail to meet the 2.00 GPA requirement after their semester of warning will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Students who are in degree programs will have the Qualitative Standard checked at the end of the academic year (end of summer semester). Students who do not have a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of the academic year will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Students must receive credit for 67% of the hours that they register for each semester. Students will receive credit for grades of A, B, C or D. Students do not receive credit for grades of W, WF, WP, I, NC and F. Also, students will not receive credit for courses they register for and have previously taken and make a grade lower than the initial grade.

Students who are in a one-year certificate or diploma program will have the Quantitative Standard checked at the end of each semester. Students who fail to receive credit for 67% of the hours they have registered for at the end of the semester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning are eligible to receive financial aid during the warning semester, but they must enroll in at least 6 credit hours and receive credit for 100% of the hours they register for during the next semester of enrollment. Students who fail to receive credit for 100% of the hours they are registered for during their semester of warning will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Students who are in a degree programs will have the Quantitative Standard officially checked at the end of the academic year (at the end of the summer semester). If the student has not received credit for 67% of the hours they registered for during that academic year, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Even though the official check will occur at the end of the academic year, the Financial Aid Office will monitor a student’s course completion rate at the end of each semester and notify students who are in danger of being placed on Financial Aid Suspension at the end of the academic year. Students will be allowed to receive financial aid while in danger status, but they must enroll in at least 6 credit hours and receive credit for 100% of the hours they register for during the next semester of enrollment. Students will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension if they do not receive credit for 67% of the hours they register for during an academic year.

Students are only eligible to receive financial aid for 150% of the credit hours that are in a student’s current program. Once students have attempted credit hours equal to 150% of the credit hours for their program, they will automatically be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. All courses taken at OCtech (including development courses) and transferred in to OCtech will be counted when performing the Maximum Time Frame calculation. Because students often return to OCtech after completing a program or changing majors, the Maximum Time Frame will be checked prior to each academic year and at the end of each semester.

If a student has been placed on a Financial Aid Warning, Danger or Suspension status because of failure to meet the Quantitative Standard and/or Qualitative Standard, they will be notified of their status by email. If a student has been placed on Financial Aid Suspension, the notification will instruct the student on how to appeal their suspension and the deadline for submitting their appeal.

If a student has been placed on Financial Aid Suspension for Maximum Time Frame, the student will be mailed a letter informing them that they have been placed on Financial Aid Suspension and give instructions on how to appeal their suspension.