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Academic Requirements for Maintaining Federal and State Financial Aid

Federal and New York State regulations require students receiving financial aid from federal or state sources to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward the completion of their degree or certificate program.

SAP standards for financial aid purposes are separate from the College’s academic standing requirements and are reviewed at the end of each semester. Federal and New York State SAP requirements differ and are outlined below.

Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal SAP requirements apply to federal financial aid programs including:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal PLUS Loans
• Federal Work-Study
• GI Bill® educational benefits

To maintain eligibility for federal financial aid, students must meet all three SAP standards:

1. Minimum cumulative GPA
2. Pace of completion
3. Maximum timeframe toward degree completion

 

1. Minimum Cumulative GPA

Students must maintain the following cumulative GPA based on attempted credits

 

Cumulative Attempted Credits	Minimum Cumulative GPA
0-13	1.50 on a 4.0 scale
14-29	1.80 on a 4.0 scale
30+	2.0 on a 4.0 scale

 

2. Pace of Completion

Students must successfully complete at least 67% (two-thirds) of all attempted coursework.

Successfully completed coursework generally includes courses completed with a passing grade.

 

3. Maximum Timeframe

Federal regulations limit the amount of time a student may receive financial aid while completing a degree or certificate program.

Students must complete their program within 150% of the published program length.

Example:

• A 60-credit degree program must generally be completed within 90 attempted credits.

Students become ineligible for federal financial aid at the point it is determined they cannot complete their program within the maximum timeframe, even if the credit limit has not yet been reached.

 

Federal Treatment of Coursework and Grades

Coursework may be treated differently for financial aid SAP purposes than for academic standing purposes.

 

Dropped Courses

Courses dropped during the official add/drop period are not included in SAP calculations.

 

Nonpunitive Grades

Grades including:

• W (Withdrawal)
• X (Administrative Drop)
• MW (Medical Withdrawal)
• AW (Administrative Withdrawal)
• NA (Never Attended)
• Q (Never Attended)
• T (Transfer)

count as attempted credits for pace calculations but do not affect GPA.

 

Repeated Coursework

All attempts of repeated coursework are included in attempted credits and GPA calculations.

 

Audited Courses

Audited courses are not included in attempted or completed credits and do not affect GPA.

 

Pass/Fail Coursework

Pass/fail coursework counts toward attempted credits for pace calculations.

• S grades do not affect GPA
• U grades are treated as unsatisfactory

 

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grades count as attempted credits but are not considered successfully completed coursework for pace calculations. Incomplete grades are treated as failing grades in GPA calculations until updated.

 

Remedial Coursework

Remedial coursework is included in GPA calculations but excluded from pace calculations.

 

Transfer Credits

Accepted transfer credits are included in attempted and completed credits for pace calculations but are not included in the GPA calculation at Finger Lakes Community College.

 

Winter Session Coursework

Winter courses are evaluated with the spring semester for federal financial aid purposes. Unlike winter coursework, summer coursework is treated as a separate term for SAP evaluation.

 

Federal SAP Statuses

Good Standing

Students meeting all SAP standards remain eligible for federal financial aid.

Financial Aid Warning

Students who fail GPA or pace requirements for the first time are placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester.

Students remain eligible for federal financial aid during the warning semester. Students who fail to regain SAP eligibility after the warning semester become ineligible for federal financial aid.

Students cannot receive consecutive warning semesters.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who fail SAP standards after a warning semester, or who fail the maximum timeframe requirement, are placed on Financial Aid Suspension and become ineligible for federal financial aid.

Students may appeal this status based on extenuating circumstances.

Financial Aid Probation with Academic Plan

Students whose SAP appeal is approved are placed on Financial Aid Probation and assigned an academic plan developed in coordination with their Professional Academic Advisor (PAA).

The academic plan outlines the GPA and completion requirements the student must meet to regain SAP compliance.

 

Federal SAP Appeals

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension may appeal for reinstatement of federal financial aid eligibility based on documented extenuating circumstances.

Federal regulations generally limit appeals to circumstances such as:

• Personal illness or injury
• Death of a relative
• Other circumstances beyond the student’s control

Circumstances that were foreseeable, ongoing, preexisting, or within the student’s control may not qualify for appeal approval.

An appeal must include:

• An explanation of why SAP standards were not met
• An explanation of what has changed and how the student plans to regain SAP compliance
• Supporting documentation

Supporting documentation may include:

Death of a Relative

• Obituary
• Death certificate
• Funeral program
• Statement from a medical or counseling professional

Medical Issues

• Medical records
• Doctor’s statement
• Hospital documentation
• Medical billing documentation

Other Special Circumstances

• Court or police documentation
• Eviction notices
• Insurance documentation
• Statements from clergy, counselors, social workers, or other qualified professionals

Change in Degree Program / Second Degree

• Degree audit showing credits that no longer apply to the current program

The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to request additional documentation when necessary.

 

Third-Party Documentation Requirements

Third-party documentation submitted with a SAP appeal must include:

• Student’s full name
• Official letterhead
• Name and credentials of the provider
• Contact information for the provider

 

Federal SAP Appeal Submission and Review

SAP appeals must be submitted using the official SAP Appeal Form along with supporting documentation.

The appeal form is available:

• As a checklist item on MyFLCC when a student fails SAP

Students are strongly encouraged to submit appeals well before the beginning of the semester to allow time for review and academic planning.

Appeals submitted after classes begin may not be reviewed in time for aid reinstatement during that semester.

If an appeal is approved:

• The student is placed on Financial Aid Probation
• An academic plan is required
• The student must meet with their Professional Academic Advisor
• Federal aid eligibility may be reinstated retroactively to the beginning of the payment period in which the appeal was approved, however, not all types of aid can be awarded retroactively

If an appeal is approved after the semester has ended, aid cannot be reinstated for the completed semester.

 

Federal SAP Appeal Decisions

SAP appeals are generally reviewed by a financial aid counselor.

If denied, students may request a formal reevaluation by the Director of Financial Aid within three business days of notification by emailing .

The Director of Financial Aid’s decision is final.

Students may submit additional SAP appeals if new and compelling circumstances exist.

Maximum timeframe appeals are limited to changes in major or second-degree programs. Students are limited to two maximum timeframe appeals for these circumstances.

Additional information regarding SAP may be available through the Financial Aid Office and the Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual.

 

Additional Considerations

FLCC Fresh Start Program and Federal SAP

Federal student aid regulations do not recognize academic amnesty or academic renewal programs, including Finger Lakes Community College’s Fresh Start Program, for purposes of federal financial aid eligibility.

If a student leaves FLCC and later returns, their prior federal SAP status remains in effect for financial aid purposes, regardless of participation in the College’s Fresh Start Program. Students who are not meeting federal SAP standards may submit a SAP appeal for reinstatement of eligibility if extenuating circumstances exist.

 

 

New York State Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

New York State SAP requirements apply to state financial aid programs including:

• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Part-Time TAP
• Other eligible New York State financial aid programs

Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may result in the loss of one or more semesters of New York State financial aid eligibility.

At the conclusion of each semester, the Financial Aid Office reviews student academic records to determine continued eligibility for New York State financial aid programs. To remain eligible, students must meet both:

• Pursuit of Program requirements
• Standards of Good Academic Progress requirements

Additionally, a student must have at least a cumulative C-average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) after the student has completed the second year of academic study. In practice, this means that a student who has accumulated 24 payment points (received four semester payments of TAP in their lifetime, or the equivalent) must have a 2.0 to be eligible for further awards. 

 

NYS Pursuit of Program

Pursuit of Program refers to the percentage of coursework a student must complete each semester while receiving New York State financial aid.

Students satisfy Pursuit of Program requirements by receiving either a passing or failing grade in the required percentage of a full-time course load during each semester in which state aid is received.

The required completion percentage increases as students progress through their program.

Minimum full-time enrollment for New York State aid purposes is 12 applicable credits per semester.

 

*Applicable only to Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students.

Students pursuing an associate degree are generally limited to six semesters of TAP eligibility unless enrolled in EOP.

 

NYS Standards of Good Academic Progress

Students must also meet New York State Standards of Good Academic Progress to remain eligible for state financial aid programs.

These standards establish minimum cumulative credit completion and GPA requirements prior to certification for the next state aid payment.

Programs affected include:

• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Child of Veteran Award
• Other New York State aid programs

Students Who First Received TAP in 2010-2011 or Later

Students Who First Received TAP Prior to 2010-2011 or Who Meet the Definition of a Remedial Student

 

Failure to Meet NYS SAP Standards

Students who fail to meet New York State SAP standards become ineligible for state financial aid.

Students will be notified by mail or email after semester grades are reviewed. Students who lose eligibility will automatically receive information regarding the Waiver for Reinstatement of State Financial Aid Eligibility.

Please note that receipt of a TAP award certificate from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) does not guarantee payment eligibility. Final eligibility determination is made by the College based on academic eligibility requirements.

 

Reinstatement of State Aid Eligibility

Waiver for Reinstatement of State Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who lose eligibility for New York State financial aid programs due to failure to meet Pursuit of Program or Standards of Good Academic Progress requirements may apply for a waiver to reinstate eligibility.

Waivers may only be approved once during a student’s undergraduate academic career.

To be considered, students must:

• Demonstrate that unusual or extenuating circumstances affected academic performance
• Demonstrate that the circumstance has been resolved or no longer exists
• Provide supporting documentation

Waivers submitted after the published deadline will not be considered.

Coursework-Based Reinstatement

Students may also regain state aid eligibility by:

• Meeting all Pursuit of Program and SAP requirements in a future semester, or
• Remaining out of TAP eligibility status for at least one academic year

Students who have received four semesters of TAP must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA before state aid eligibility may be reinstated.

 

New York State Excelsior Scholarship Requirements

Maintaining eligibility for the Excelsior Scholarship is a two-step process.

First, the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) verifies income eligibility. Second, the College certifies that the student meets academic and enrollment requirements.

To remain eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship, students must:

• Enroll in at least 12 applicable credits each semester
• Successfully complete at least 30 applicable credits each academic year
• Maintain continuous enrollment without a break in attendance
• Maintain good academic standing
• Be on track to graduate in two years

 

Failure to Meet Excelsior Scholarship Requirements

Students who fail to meet Excelsior Scholarship requirements due to qualifying circumstances may be eligible to retain their award through an Excelsior Appeal.

Qualifying circumstances may include:

• Death of an immediate family member
• Active military duty
• Parental leave following the birth of a child
• Medical or mental health conditions preventing full-time enrollment
• Caring for an immediate family member requiring significant support or care

Supporting documentation is required for all appeals.

Other circumstances not specifically identified under New York State law or regulation may not qualify for Excelsior appeal approval.

 

Excelsior Appeal for Reevaluation

Students who lose eligibility for the Excelsior Scholarship will be notified by email. Appeal instructions and deadlines will be included in the notification.

Please note that receipt of an Excelsior award certification from HESC does not guarantee continued eligibility. Students must continue meeting all program requirements established by New York State.

 

 

Excelsior Scholarship Duration

Students may receive Excelsior Scholarship funding for up to two years of full-time undergraduate study in an associate degree program.