Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The federal government mandates that students maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward completion of their degrees, certificates, or technical diplomas within a reasonable period of time in order to be eligible for Title IV financial aid programs (including grants, work study, Stafford, and PLUS).

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as:

Earning (passing) a required number of hours (67% of *all hours attempted) and
Achieving a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Total attempted hours must not exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree, certificate, or technical diploma program.

Developmental/Remedial and ESL Courses

Developmental/remedial courses and English as a Second Language courses will be counted towards a student’s qualitative and Pace progression standards for SAP. However, a student may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester hours for developmental/remedial courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and SAP requirements continue to be met. ESL credits are unlimited in number as long as they are taken as part of an eligible program and SAP requirements continue to be met.

Disclosure Statement

Students are expected to monitor their own SAP and consult with the Office of Student Financial Assistance when they have questions or concerns. The Office of Student Financial Assistance provides written or electronic notices to students at the end of semesters where students become ineligible. It is imperative that students keep their mailing and email addresses (preferred) updated with Delgado Community College and check their Delgado email (preferred) and LoLA accounts on a regular basis. Failure to monitor SAP or lack of understanding of how SAP works is not a basis for an appeal.

Terminology Guide

Appeal- The process by which a student who is not meeting satisfactory academic progression standards must petition the committee for reconsideration of his/her eligibility for federal student aid funding.
Qualitative- The qualitative standard is the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). Students must achieve a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Quantitative/Pace- The quantitative measure is the measure, i.e. “pace,” at which the student is progressing. A standard calculation used is to divide the cumulative course hours completed/earned by the cumulative/total course hours attempted.
Maximum Time Frame- Students may receive federal financial aid if they have attempted below 150% of the hours required to complete their program.
- To determine the maximum allowable hours for a specific program of study, all students are expected to reach their chosen academic goal by the time the student has attempted 150% of the credit hours required for the student’s degree, certificate, or technical diploma.

SAP Timeline/ When is SAP Reviewed?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be reviewed and determined:

Before aid is initially awarded and
After each period of enrollment/semester and/or
After summer session if applicable

Visit the College’s website for the full Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

> BACK TO FINANCIAL AID