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Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients

(Effective July 1, 2011)

NOTE: Financial aid programs subject to the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements include all Federal Title IV aid (Pell, FSEOG, Work-Study, Perkins Loan, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, TEACH Grant) and all Lycoming College grants, scholarships and loans.

Financial aid recipients are required to be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree requirements. Satisfactory academic progress, as described below, is evaluated annually (end of the spring semester) and cumulatively by the Financial Aid Office. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress may result in the suspension of financial aid eligibility. The Financial Aid Office will notify students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress by mail and/or by email to their Lycoming email account.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid eligibility should not be confused with the College’s academic progress policy. These are two distinct and totally separate policies that students must be aware of. It is entirely possible to fail to meet minimum standards of one policy and pass the minimum standards of the other.

Undergraduate students receiving financial aid must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average and make steady progress toward the completion of their degree as described below. The maximum time frame for program completion is defined as 150% of the credits required to complete the degree program as defined by Lycoming College. For example, a typical Bachelor’s degree requires 128 credits: 128 x 150% = 192 credits. Students who attempt more than 192 credits are ineligible for financial aid.

Attempted Credits Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Credit Completion Requirements
0 - 32.5 1.20 67% of attempted credits
33 - 48.5 1.40 67% of attempted credits
49 - 64.5 1.60 67% of attempted credits
65 - 80.5 1.80 67% of attempted credits
81 or more 2.00 67% of attempted credits

Transfer and/or AP credits accepted by Lycoming College will be included in the progress completion requirement and minimum GPA requirement (if the college transferred in the grade). Students who have not completed their undergraduate degree after 192 attempted hours (including transfer credits) will no longer be eligible for financial aid. The student will be automatically placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Students must graduate with a cumulative 2.0 grade point average.

Examples of Credit Completion Requirements

  1. A student who has attempted a total of 24 credits must have successfully completed at least 16* credits (24 x .67 = 16.08 ).
  2. A student who has attempted a total of 56 credits must have successfully completed at least 38* credits (56 x .67 = 37.52 ).
  3. A student's Lycoming transcript reflects 24 transfer and/ or AP credits. If the student has attempted a total of 80 credits of Lycoming coursework, the student must have successfully completed at least 70* credits, including transfer and AP credits ( ( 80 + 24 ) x 0.67 = 69.68 ).

* Calculations not resulting in whole numbers are rounded to the nearest whole credit.

Treatment of W, I, X, P & F Grades and Repeated Coursework

  1. Course withdrawals (W) after the drop/add period are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework .
  2. Incomplete (I) grades are not included in the GPA calculation but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the incomplete grade is replaced with a permanent grade and academic progress can be reevaluated.
  3. An audit (X) grade is not considered attempted coursework. It is not included in the GPA calculation or completion rate determination.
  4. A satisfactory (P) grade is treated as attempted credits earned, but it is not included in the GPA calculation unless the student has designated a minimum acceptance letter grade.
  5. A failing grade (F) is treated as attempted credits not earned; it will be included in the calculation of the GPA and the minimum completion rate.
  6. The most recent course grade for a repeated course will be included in the calculation of the GPA and every repeated attempt will be included in the completion rate determination.

Financial Aid Suspension

Important - Please Note: A successful appeal of academic suspension is unrelated to financial aid suspension and does not result in reinstatement of a student’s financial aid eligibility. Appealing one’s financial aid suspension status is a separate process.

Students who fail to successfully complete the minimum credit completion rate, or fail to complete their program within the maximum time frame, or fail to meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement will have their financial aid eligibility suspended.

Reinstatement of aid after Financial Aid Suspension

Reinstatement of financial aid after a student is placed on Suspension is achieved as follows:

  1. The student submits a written letter of appeal (see Appeal Process below) in accordance with the appeals process and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee grants the appeal. The student is then placed on financial aid probation , allowing an additional semester in order to bring the academic requirements up to minimum standards set forth in the appeal response letter sent to the student .
  2. The student attends Lycoming College during the Suspension semester, pays for tuition and fees without the help of student aid, and does well enough in the coursework to satisfy all the satisfactory academic progress standards. The student must notify the Financial Aid Office if they plan to attend Lycoming College without the assistance of financial aid; or
  3. The student attends summer school to eliminate the deficiency in credits and/or GPA. The student must notify the Financial Aid Office if they are planning to take classes during the summer to eliminate the deficiency.

Students who have been placed on Suspension cannot merely skip a semester to regain eligibility. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters for students on suspension. If an appeal is granted and the student subsequently fails to attain the minimum standards after one semester, or fails to meet the individualized requirements that were specified by the appeals committee in their written response to the student appeal, eligibility for financial assistance will be cancelled automatically for future semesters. No further appeals will be accepted and students will have to pay full charges on their own, bringing their academic requirements up to minimum standards, before regaining financial aid eligibility.

Appeal Process

The appeal letter must address:

  1. The extenuating circumstance(s) as to why satisfactory academic progress was not made.
  2. What has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation (i.e. after the probationary semester if an appeal is granted)?

Extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to, illness or injury; death of a family member; family difficulties; financial difficulties, etc.

Appeals of Financial Aid Suspension must be made in writing by the date specified in the Suspension notification letter. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing to the student’s Lycoming College email account within 5 working days of their decision. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final and not subject to further review.

Appeals may be emailed to Finaid@lycoming.edu, or mailed to:

Lycoming College
Office of Financial Aid
Attn: Financial Aid Appeal Committee
One College Place
Williamsport, PA 17701