Satisfactory Academic Progress

U.S. Department of Education Title IV regulations require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their course of study to remain eligible to receive financial aid. This regulation applies to all students receiving financial aid and to all students enrolled in programs at Gretna. Students who fail to meet these standards will have their financial aid cancelled and will be terminated from their program.

Student quantitative and qualitative progress is monitored at the end of each quarter using academic quarter credits in terms of credits attempted versus credits earned and cumulative GPA (“CGPA”). In non-AOS programs, financial aid quarter credits will be used to monitor SAP. Students who are not receiving financial aid will also be monitored for satisfactory academic progress. Please see the minimum standards in the Chart below.

Students must attain a C average (minimum CGPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) to be eligible for graduation

All students must complete the course of study within the maximum allotted time frame, which shall not exceed 150% of the number of credits necessary to complete the required quarter credits for each program in the normal time frame. For example, a program which requires 60 credit hours must be completed within 90 credit hours (1.5 x 60). (See minimum standards in Chart below.)

IMPACT ON INCOMPLETES, WITHDRAWALS, REPETITIONS, TRANSFER CREDIT, AND REMEDIAL COURSES 

Grades of “W” (Withdrawal) or “I” Incomplete are not included in the CGPA. However, credits for courses with grades of W or I will count as credits attempted but will not count as credits completed.

When courses are completed, all credits count as courses attempted and only grades that are not failing, “F” (A, B, C, and D) will count as credits completed. If a student repeats a course, the grade for the repeated course will count in the CGPA, but the credits for both courses will count as credits attempted.

Credits for courses that are transferred will count as credits attempted and credits completed. Grades for courses that are transferred do not count in the CGPA.

There are no remedial courses.

FINANCIAL AID WARNING

Students with a CGPA below the minimum standards in the Chart or students who do not complete the minimum percentage of credits attempted will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students on Financial Aid Warning will receive special academic advising. An academic plan will be developed to assist with grade or pace issues… Students placed on Financial Aid Warning may continue training in the next quarter and will continue to be eligible for financial aid. Students must repeat the courses failed. Students who do not meet the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress following the quarter of Financial Aid Warning will lose eligibility for financial aid and will be terminated, subject to appeal as explained below.

Gretna will provide notification to students of the results of an evaluation that impacts a student’s eligibility for federal funds, which will be when the student fails to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of a term and is placed on Financial Aid Warning or when the student fails to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the Financial Aid Warning term.

APPEAL PROCESS AND FINANCIAL AID PROBATION

Students who fail to meet the minimum satisfactory academic progress standards will lose financial aid eligibility unless they file a successful appeal. Students may have extenuating circumstances, such as extended illnesses, death in the family, etc., which have affected their satisfactory academic progress. Students who wish to appeal the loss of their financial aid and termination should submit a letter of appeal along with written documentation to the Financial Aid Office within one week after receiving their termination letter. The student’s submission should include an explanation of why the student failed to meet satisfactory academic progress and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the end of the next quarter or to meet the requirements of the academic plan developed by Gretna.

A Financial Aid Appeal Committee will be made available to review the written appeal. Members of this committee will include the School Director, Financial Aid Administrator, Director of Education, Registrar, and one instructor who does not know the student. The Financial Aid Appeal Committee hearing will be held within a reasonable length of time, usually two weeks. The panel will review the extenuating circumstances and determine whether to place the student on Financial Aid Probation, restore the student’s eligibility or uphold the cancellation for financial aid and permit the student to continue in the program. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeal Committee is final. Documentation of the appeal process will be maintained in both the student’s permanent and financial aid records. If the appeal is not successful, the student will not regain eligibility for financial aid. If the appeal is successful, the student will continue to be enrolled in the program and be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one term. A student who does not meet satisfactory academic progress standards by the end of the quarter of Financial Aid Probation will be terminated from the institution.