FINANCIAL AID POLICIES FOR
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
(Effective Fall 2007)

GENERAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS:
To be eligible for financial assistance, a student must meet minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP) as listed below each semester – fall, spring and summer.  Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined as passing a required number of hours and achieving a required cumulative grade point average during each semester while pursuing a degree program. 

The above policy applies to all transfer, continuing, and re-entry students for all academic semesters or sessions, including students who have not previously participated in federal aid programs. 

• Remedial or Developmental Courses - Completion of these courses is considered in the total hour requirement for receiving financial aid.
• “I”, “IN”, “IP”, “IPC”, “W”, “WN” or “NR” Grades - Count as hours pursued, but do not count as hours earned until the course is satisfactorily completed according to the provisions in the university catalog. These grades do not affect grade point average.
• Transfer Students – In order to be eligible for financial aid, transfer students are required to be in good academic standing at the school from which they are transferring and meet the McNeese Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards during their last period of enrollment.  Incoming transfer students are not eligible for a probationary term.  All previous hours pursued are considered in establishing total remaining eligibility.
• Repeated Courses - Students who are repeating classes which they have previously completed with an “S” or a grade of “C” or above may be declared ineligible for federal student aid and may be subject to repayment of funds received.  This decision is at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid at McNeese.
• Grade Changes – Once a grade change has occurred, it is the students responsibility to contact this office to determine if it changes their eligibility for financial assistance.
• Academic Bankruptcy – For financial aid purposes, hours dismissed through academic bankruptcy will count towards hours attempted/pursued but not towards grade point average except in the case of a transfer student where hours will count towards both hours attempted/pursued and grade point average.

Any students, other than transfer students, not meeting these requirements have not met the minimum satisfactory academic progress standards and will be placed on probation.  (See Appeal Procedures)

• Probation - Students will be placed on probation after their first semester of not maintaining SAP.  Students on SAP Probation are eligible for financial aid.  No appeal is necessary.  After their second consecutive semester of NOT maintaining SAP at McNeese State University, their financial aid will be terminated.  Not attending one or more semesters will not affect or change your SAP status.

ATTEMPTED HOUR LIMITATIONS:
Federal regulations require academic progress to be measured quantitatively as well as qualitatively, and the quantitative measures may not exceed 150% of the time normally required for completion.  Hours attempted/pursued includes all hours (courses) enrolled as of the close of late registration and in which a grade was awarded (including “W” withdrawals). To be eligible to receive financial assistance, students are required to complete their degree plan within the following time frames: (number of enrollment hours pursued at other universities is included) 

• Students who fail to complete their degree plan within the above limitations are ineligible to receive financial assistance, even if they did not receive financial aid each semester. 
• Hours dismissed through academic bankruptcy will count towards grade point average and hours attempted/pursued.

APPEAL PROCEDURES:

Satisfactory Academic Progress will be checked after grades are posted at the end of the fall, spring and summer semesters. 

1.  Notification - Students not in academic compliance will be notified after each semester.  Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) information is mailed to the student after determination of compliance with each semester’s standards. 

2.   Probation – Students, except for transfer, will be put on probation after their first semester at McNeese State University of not maintaining SAP.  Students on SAP Probation are eligible for financial aid.  No appeal is necessary.  After their second consecutive semester of NOT maintaining SAP, their financial aid will be terminated.  Not attending one or more semesters will not affect or change your SAP status.

3.  Mitigating Circumstances - Students who have extenuating circumstances causing the cumulative grade point average and/or hours earned to fall below standard may appeal to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.  Examples of extenuating circumstances are prolonged illness under a doctor’s care, illness or accidents requiring hospitalization or prolonged illness of a dependent, or death of an immediate family member.  Proper documentation is required.

4.  Submission Deadline - Students must submit their appeal letter no later than two weeks prior to the appeal meeting.  Appeal letter must be in writing and must be accompanied by detailed documentation.

5.  Results -The appeal committee decision will be granted or denied.  If the appeal committee denies your appeal, to re-establish financial aid eligibility, students must enroll one semester without receiving federal financial aid, and meet the minimum standards.  The Appeal Committee decision is final.   Personal appeal concerning the Committee’s decision will not be allowed.