Satisfactory Academic Progress

How it affects your continued enrollment and your financial aid.

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
SAP is the monitoring of a student's academic and financial aid compliance toward completion of a degree at Columbia.

What does SAP have to do with me and what can happen if I am not in compliance?

SAP affects ALL degree-seeking students at Columbia. If a student is not in SAP compliance it will affect their ability to register for future semesters, may include the loss of federal financial aid eligibility and can ultimately lead to dismissal from Columbia.

How do I stay in SAP compliance?

In order to be in SAP compliance students must meet the following criteria each semester:
1) maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00*; and
(2) successfully complete two-thirds of their attempted semester hours; and
(3) do not exceed the maximum time-frame for completion of your degree**
* All students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 at the end of their fourth semester to retain financial aid eligibility regardless of their academic standing.
** 186 credit hours is the maximum a student may enroll for and complete without earning a degree. Students who exceed their maximum time-frame are immediately suspended from receiving federal financial aid.

How do I know if I am not in SAP compliance and what happens?

1. Each semester you are not in SAP compliance you will receive a letter from the College Advising Center informing you of your SAP standing
2. Each semester you are not in SAP compliance you will also be restricted from registering for future semesters and will be required to meet with a college advisor.
3. After the fourth consecutive semester that you are not in SAP compliance you will be dismissed from Columbia College and will be not be allowed to register in subsequent semesters.

How do transfer credits, withdrawals, and repeat courses, etc. affect my SAP compliance?

The chart below outlines these categories and how they affect your SAP compliance.

Repeat Courses/Audited Courses/Consortium Agreements	Transfer Credit
Repeat courses are computed in your cumulative GPA and completion rate.	Transfer credit accepted at CCC is included in your completion rate
Audited courses are not included in your GPA or completion rate computation.	Transfer credit is not included in your cumulative GPA calculation.
	Transfer credit is counted toward your maximum time frame to complete your degree
Grades	Unofficial Withdrawals
(I), (W), (P) are not included in your cumulative GPA calculation but are included in your completion rate.	Failing grades earned due to an unofficial withdrawal (non-attendance) will be calculated in the cumulative GPA and in the completion rate.
(A), (B), (C), (D), (F) (including pluses and minuses) are included in your cumulative GPA calculation and completion rate.	Students may also be subject to the retroactive loss of their federal financial aid due to their non-attendance.

Can you further explain how drops, official withdrawals, and unofficial withdrawals affect my financial aid eligibility?

Course Drops
All courses you drop from your academic record will not be calculated in your financial aid eligibility. For example, a student registers for 6 credit hours and drops one class and ends up with a total of 3 registered credit hours. This student's financial aid eligibility would only be based on 3 registered credit hours.
Official Withdrawals
All courses you officially withdraw from your academic record are calculated in your financial aid eligibility. For example, a student registers for 6 credit hours and withdraws from one course and ends up with a total of 3 registered credit hours. This student would be eligible for 6 hours of financial aid eligibility even though 3 credits were withdrawn.
If you COMPLETELY withdraw from all of your courses you will be subject to a reduction in your total financial aid eligibility. The date of your withdrawal will determine the amount of your reduction. For example, a student registers for 12 credit hours and completely withdraws from the college during the sixth week of the semester. This student would only be eligible for six weeks of financial aid eligibility.
Unofficial Withdrawals
If you do not earn any credit at the end of a given semester and fail to pass any of your coursework and do not officially withdraw you are subject to a reduction in your total financial aid eligibility. The date of your attendance for each course that you received a failing grade determines the amount of your reduction. For example, a student registers for 12 credit hours and receives non-passing grades in all of their courses and did not attend beyond the seventh week of the semester. This student would only be eligible for seven weeks of financial aid eligibility.
Is there an appeal process for SAP?
Yes, students appealing their academic and/or federal financial aid eligibility in relation to their SAP non-compliance must appeal in writing with supporting documentation to the Advising Office. The complete process can take up to 14 business days depending on how quickly the necessary documents are received.
Is there a deadline for appeals and how do I know the results of my appeal?
Appeals must be submitted to the College Advising Center within 120 days after the end of the semester in question. The SAP Committee will notify you by letter within 14 business days of the decision regarding your academic and/or federal financial aid eligibility appeal. This letter will also contain any additional steps you may need to take in order to secure the appeal decision.

How can I re-establish my SAP compliance or be re-admitted?

Where can I obtain the official SAP policy?
Click on Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to view the official policy. It can also be found in the Columbia College Catalog, the Informer Student Handbook, and online through the College Advising Center website.