Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress refers to the minimum academic standards required for a student to maintain federal financial aid eligibility.  As required by the United States Department of Education, there are three standards that must be met in order for a student to be meeting SAP. 

Qualitative Standard: To meet the qualitative standard, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. 

• GPAs are not rounded up for SAP purposes; For example, a 1.99 cumulative GPA is considered to be failing this standard.
• Quantitative Standard: In order to meet the quantitative standard, a student must have successfully completed at least 67% of all credit hours they have attempted as a KCTCS student. 
• Completion rates are rounded up to the next whole number using standard rounding rules for this standard; For example, a student whose completion rate it 66.6% would be rounded up to 67% and considered to be meeting this standard.
• Maximum Timeframe Standard: To meet the maximum time frame SAP standard, a student needs to complete their declared credential after attempting no more than 150% of the published hours for that program.
• All credits hours taken at any KCTCS school, as well as all hours that are transferred in from any school count toward maximum timeframe.

NOTE: The following count toward maximum time frame and quantitative standards:

• Transferred hours
• Repeated classes
• Bankrupted hours
• Incompletes
• Withdrawals
• Failed in graded courses
• Failed in Pass/Fail courses
• Audit (changed from credit to audit after the last day to add a class)

All three SAP standards are based on a student’s cumulative academic record, even if financial aid was not received in some or all semesters that are included in the calculations. 

The SAP Policy applies to all Federal financial aid (Pell, SEOG, Sub and Unsub loans), and many state or institutional aid.

SAP is evaluated for every enrolled student at the end of each term (fall, spring, summer).  

SAP Status and Notification

SAP is evaluated at the end of every term of enrollment. All measurements are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment whether or not financial aid was received. Failure to meet any single standard may affect eligibility for financial aid.

Email notifications are sent after each evaluation period indicating the current SAP status by the KCTCS System Office. SAP status is also available to view in Student Self-Service. SAP Statuses are explained below.

• Meet: All standards of success were met, and student remains eligible for all financial aid programs. 
• Warning: Failure to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA and/or 67% completion rate results in Warning. Student will remain eligible for financial aid for one additional term. There is no Warning period for MTF. 
• Suspend: Failure to meet required SAP standards after the Warning term (except for MTF) results in the loss of all financial aid eligibility (grants, loans and work study). 
• Plan of Action: A student who was suspended but submits a successful appeal may be placed on a Plan of Action if more than one term may be necessary to achieve SAP. A student placed on a Plan of Action must fulfill the requirements of the plan every term in order to remain eligible for financial aid or achieve Meet status.

Warning Term

After the first semester that a student is not meeting the GPA and/or the completion rate standard, they will be on warning for the next term in which they are enrolled. During that warning term, you are still eligible to receive financial aid, but you are at risk of being suspended if you continue to not meet requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated again at the end of your next term of enrollment.

There is no warning term for the Maximum Timeframe standard. Once the total attempted hours exceed 150% of the hours required to complete the student’s required credential, the student will be ineligible for federal financial aid. 

SAP Suspension

If a student fails any combination of two consecutive terms of cumulative qualitative and/or cumulative quantitative standards, their financial aid will be suspended.

SAP Appeal Process

A student who has lost financial aid eligibility because of not meeting SAP standards does have the right to submit a SAP Appeal Request.  A link to the online SAP Appeal Request is added to a student’s self-service center soon after the end of the academic term in which they have become SAP suspended. 

Students will be expected to explain why they have failed to meet the required SAP standards in their appeal.  They will also be required to explain what has changed that will allow them to be successful moving forward.  Students should be prepared to submit documentation to support the information they have provided in their Appeal. 

Once the Appeal has been submitted and any requested documentation has been received, the appeal will be reviewed.   Appeals are carefully considered with guidance provided by the Department of Education and the KCTCS SAP policy.  Students will be notified if their Appeal is approved or denied.  Committee decisions are final.  

Additional documentation to support the reason provided in the appeal will be requested through your Gateway email upon receipt of the appeal. Appeals will be submitted for review upon receipt of all requested documentation.

Mitigating or Extenuating Circumstances

Mitigating or extenuating circumstances are defined as situations beyond the student's control that created an undue hardship and caused the student's inability to meet satisfactory academic progress standards. Documentation must be provided.

• Mitigating or extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to:
• Death of an immediate family member or person who share the student's household (parent, spouse or significant other, sibling, child)
• Significant domestic issues
• Injury or illness to student or immediate family member (parent, spouse or significant other, sibling, child) 

Examples of unacceptable extenuating or mitigating circumstances include but not limited to:

• The difficulty of a course
• The teaching method or dislike of an instructor
• Too many hours attempted in a semester
• Promises to perform better in the future
• Immaturity or "didn't know better"
• The length of time since last attended
• Dropping a course to avoid a bad grade
• Voluntary change in work hours

NOTE: Students are responsible for all expenses such as tuition, fees, books, and supplies pending the decision of the SAP Appeals Committee and must contact the Business Affairs Office to make payment arrangements with the institution. Decisions made by the SAP Appeals Committee are final and are not subject to further appeal. 

Denied Appeals

If an Appeal is denied, the student will not be eligible for federal financial aid, including Federal Direct Student Loans.  Students are responsible for any charges incurred regardless of the outcome of their SAP Appeal. 

Approved Appeals

Students failing the cumulative GPA and/or completion rate standard(s):  The student completes a Plan of Action with their academic advisor. Provided they are enrolled only in courses listed on their PLOA, their financial aid eligibility can be extended for one term. During the term that their aid is extended, the student is required to meet the terms of their appeal. The terms of their Appeal, which will include a minimum term GPA and completion rate, will be stated in their Appeal decision communication from the Financial Aid Office.

Students failing for Maximum Timeframe only: Students complete a form called a Plan of Action (PLOA) with their academic advisor. On the PLOA, all courses still required for the completion of their academic program are listed. This becomes the student’s contract with the Financial Aid office. Until the completion of their academic program, they may only take the courses listed on their Plan of Action.

• If a student meets the terms of their Appeal, they will remain eligible for federal financial aid for an additional term. Students on a Plan of Action can only be extended aid eligibility for one semester at a time, provided they have continued to meet the terms of their Appeal.
• If a student fails to meet the terms of their Appeal and they are still not meeting all three SAP standards, they will revert to being ineligible for federal financial aid again. They may submit another SAP Appeal, but it can’t be based on the same circumstances cited in a previously approved Appeal.

Additional Information

How does dropping a class or withdrawing from all classes during a term affect SAP?

Dropping a course or withdrawing from all of your courses after the end of the 100 percent refund period will result in a W grade on the student's transcript for that term. This will negatively affect the student's completion rate (67% Rule). Students are always encouraged to speak with both an Academic Advisor and the Office of Financial Aid prior to dropping a course or withdrawing from all their classes.

Is financial aid suspension the same as academic suspension?

Academic suspension is monitored by the Registrar’s Office with different requirements. If you are uncertain whether or not you are on academic suspension, you should contact the Registrar’s Office. Financial aid suspension applies only to your federal financial aid eligibility.

If I am re-admitted to a KCTCS college under the Academic Bankruptcy Policy, how is my SAP status determined?

KCTCS Academic Bankruptcy policy does not remove courses from the student's permanent financial aid records. Federal regulations do not recognize academic forgiveness programs. Therefore, the student's entire academic history (everything on the student's permanent financial aid record) will be evaluated to ensure the student has met SAP requirements.

What options do I have if I decide not to appeal my unsatisfactory SAP status or if my SAP appeal is denied?

Students with an unsatisfactory SAP status, "SUSPEND" are not eligible for federal student aid at any KCTCS college. Students will remain ineligible for federal student aid unless they successfully appeal or until their academic record is once again in compliance with the SAP Policy. Students who are ineligible for federal student aid may continue to attend any KCTCS college at their own expense and are liable for all educational costs.

Priority Dates

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPEALS MUST BE APPROVED BEFORE THE END OF THE SEMESTER IN ORDER FOR AID ELIGIBILITY TO BE RESTORED FOR THAT SEMESTER.  Appeals and/or documentation submitted after the end of a semester or so late that there is not time for them to be reviewed before the end of the semester will instead be considered for the next semester the student attends.

2023-24 Academic Year

• July 20 - Priority Date for SAP Appeal submissions and all requested document for August 14 start date:  Session 1 - 16 week and 1st 8 week term.
• August 24 - Priority date for SAP Appeal submissions and all requested documentation for September 11 - start date for 12 week term.
• September 26 - Priority date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for October 11 - start date for 2nd 8 week term
• January 3 - Priority Date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for January 8 start date:  Session 1 16 week and 1st 8 week term.
• January 26 - Priority Date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for February 5 start date for 12 week term.
• February 22 - Priority Date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for March 11 start date for 2nd 8 week term.
• April 26 - Priority Date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for May 13 start date for 6 week term.
• May 11 - Priority Date for SAP appeal submissions and all requested documentation for June 3 start date for Summer 8 week term.
• May 31 - Priority Date for SAP Appeal submissions and all requested documentation for June 24 start date for 5 week term.

Additional documentation to support the reason provided in the appeal will be requested through your Gateway email upon receipt of the appeal. Appeals will be submitted for review upon receipt of all requested documentation.