Current Students / Financial Aid / Standards of Academic Progress

Standards of Academic Progress

Federal regulations (HEA Sec. 484(c)) require that Delta College monitor the satisfactory academic progress of all students regardless of whether they have received financial aid in previous semesters. SAP standards for financial aid recipients are the same as or stricter than Delta College’s academic standards for students in the same programs. These financial aid requirements are separate from students' academic requirements. To maintain eligibility for federal student aid, as well as most state aid programs, there are three distinct criteria that must be monitored and met.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

SAP will be monitored at the end of each semester. A student's eligibility for future financial aid may be affected for the next semester if SAP standards are not met.

  • Qualitative standard: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) 2.0, which is calculated from all attempted classes that earn GPA points. Incompletes, withdrawals, transfer credits, and pass/no credit classes are excluded from GPA calculation.
  • Quantitative standard: Must meet both Pace and Maximum time frame.
    • Pace: Complete and pass a minimum of 66.66% of cumulative attempted hours.
    • Maximum time frame standard: The number of attempted credits in which a student is expected to finish a program cannot exceed 150 percent of the published length of the program (this includes credit hours transferred to Delta College). Total credit hour limits apply whether or not the student has actually received financial aid for the entire time at Delta College (for example, if your program requires 62 credits minimum x 150% = 93 credit hours total attempted).

Pace measurement

Pace is measured by the following scale:

Pace = Cumulative number of hours (credit hours) that you have successfully completed/cumulative number of credit hours that you have attempted.

NOTE: All college-level attempted hours are included in the pace calculation to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) including:

  • Successful completion of a course with a passing grade.
  • Repeated, incomplete (I grade), Pass/No Credit (P/NC grade), failed (F grade), and transfer credit hours.
  • Withdrawn credit hours (W/WI grade).
  • Developmental courses
  • Credit hours attempted for which the student did not receive financial aid.

Change of grade

Courses that were graded at the end of the semester, but which are changed later by the instructor due to an appeal or error may impact the GPA as well as the pace calculation. These grades will be reassessed at the next evaluation point of SAP, or the student can appeal their SAP status to be reviewed.

Courses that move from an incomplete status to completed will be reassessed at the next evaluation point of SAP, or the student can appeal their SAP status to be reviewed.

Audit courses receive no credit and do not influence grade point average. They are not counted in attempted credits and are not eligible for financial aid.

Additional considerations

If a student elects to double major, complete more than one degree and/or start a degree then change majors, all credits previously attempted will count towards SAP.

Transfer credits from a previous school count toward credit hour limits.

Academic Fresh Start Policy is not considered when calculating GPA and completion rate/pace for SAP requirements.

Dropping or withdrawing from courses

Reducing a student's enrollment may have serious consequences.

  • Students who withdraw from all classes in a semester may be required to return some or all financial aid paid to their student account.
  • Dropping or withdrawing from classes after the refund period may negatively impact the student's 66.66% completion rate and the credits included in total attempted hours.

If a student is considering dropping class(es)/withdrawing they should contact the Delta College Financial Aid Office to determine how this may impact their current and future financial aid eligibility.

Review procedures

The Financial Aid Office reviews all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for students at the end of each semester. Students who receive financial aid and fail to meet one or more SAP standards will be notified through their Delta email account and Financial Aid Self-Service portal.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status

Satisfactory

  • The student met all standards for financial aid.
  • The student is eligible for financial aid.

Warning 

  • The first semester a student falls below with the 66.66% completion rate, or the 2.00 cumulative GPA; and the overall attempted credits do not exceed 150% of the program length.
  • The student is eligible for financial aid, however, must meet SAP standards at the end of the following semester of warning.

Unsatisfactory (Low Completion Rate/Low GPA/ Reached Maximum Program Length) 

  • The student has not met one or more of the standards after being on a warning semester.
  • Is not eligible for financial aid.
  • May regain eligibility for financial aid if the student is either:
    • Able to bring their academic record within the standards (bring cumulative GPA to meet required standard, or is able to bring completion percentage to 66.66%) or
    • Completes a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal process, and the appeal is approved.

Probation 

  • The student has not met one of more of the standards for SAP and is not eligible for warning status; has completed an appeal which has been approved on the condition that all standards of SAP will be met by the end of the semester.
  • Student is eligible for financial aid for the semester of probation.

Academic plan 

  • The student has not met one or more of the standards and is not eligible for warning status; has completed an appeal which has been approved.
  • Student is eligible for financial aid for the semester in which the appeal was approved.
  • Will maintain eligibility for future semesters if the student follows their academic plan or meets the overall SAP standards by the end of the semester.

Regaining financial aid eligibility

A student can regain eligibility by successfully completing the following with a semester(s) without the benefit of financial aid:

  1. Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and
  2. Complete 66.66% of attempted cumulative credits.

Delta College
Financial Aid Office
1961 Delta Road
University Center, MI 48710
Phone:  989.686.9080
Fax:  989.667.2202
Email:  financialaid@delta.edu 
Website: Financial Aid