Standards of Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress

Download as PDF

Student’s performance is measured using three components: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Maximum Time Frame.

  1. Qualitative Standard (Cumulative GPA): Qualitative standard refers to a student’s cumulative grade point average. A student is considered to be in good academic standing if he/she maintains a minimum GPA at the conclusion of each semester. Grades for remedial courses are not calculated in the student’s GPA, but will be included in the qualitative assessment of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
  2. Quantitative Standard (Pace of Progress): Quantitative standard refers to the successful completion of credits towards the student’s degree or certificate. Pace is determined by comparing the number of attempted credit hours with the credit hours successfully completed (passed).

Attempted Credit Hours include:

  • Earned hours – Grade of A-D and courses with a grade of S, U, or P
  • Repeated courses – all attempts
  • Remedial Coursework – Grade with an * after it
  • Withdrawal (W) or a Complete Withdrawal (R)
  • Failure (F)
  • Incomplete (I)
  • No Grade/No Credit (N)
  • Audited courses (T)
  • All accepted transfer credits, consortium agreement credits and SUNY Cross Registration credits that count towards the degree program

Completed (Passed Credits) include:

  • Passed hours – Grade of A-D and courses with a grade of S, P
  • Repeated courses – one attempt
  • Remedial Coursework – Grade of A-D with an * after it. These completed remedial credits are only applicable to assessing federal SAP eligibility. They will not show as earned credits towards a degree program on the official transcript.
  • All accepted transfer credits, consortium agreement credits, and SUNY Cross Registration credits that count towards the degree program.

Minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Federal Financial Aid

Attempted Credit Hours Minimum GPA Cumulative Completion GPA
0-11.5 0.75 50%
12-18.5 1.00 55%
19-36.5 1.5 67%
37-54.5 1.75 67%
55-93 2.0 67%
94 or more 150% reached-not eligible for aid

Maximum Time Frame: Undergraduate students may receive aid for a maximum of 150% of the degree program requirements.*

  • Certificate Program – The average length of a Certificate Program at Corning Community College is 32 credits. The maximum time frame for most Corning Community College students to receive aid while enrolled in a certificate program is 48 attempted Credit hours.
  • Associate Degree Program – The average length of an Associate Degree Program at Corning Community College is 62 credits. The maximum time frame for most Corning Community College students to receive aid while enrolled in an associates program is 93 attempted Credit hours.

* Total hours and specific course requirements required for graduation are published in the College Catalog, which can be found on the College's website.

Status: Good Standing for Federal Aid Eligibility

Students who have met all three components of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) are deemed to be in Good Standing for continued federal financial aid eligibility for the next semester.

Status: Federal Aid Warning or Probation

Federal Aid Warning

The first time that a student who has been in Good Standing does not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements they will be placed on Federal Aid Warning and will maintain federal financial aid eligibility for their next semester of enrollment. To maintain federal aid eligibility for future semesters the student must return to “Good Standing” by the end of their federal aid warning semester. 

A student who does not meet the Cumulative GPA and Pace at the conclusion of the Federal Aid Warning Semester is notified by the Financial Aid Office that he/she is not making SAP for Financial Aid and is ineligible for federal aid. The student is also notified of the Appeal Process.

A student may have more than one Federal Aid Warning Semester; however, they may not be consecutive.

Federal Aid Probation

Students who fail to return to Good Standing at the end of the Federal Aid Warning semester will not be eligible for further federal financial aid (regardless of whether or not the student received federal financial aid while on “financial aid warning”).

The student would have two options for the next semester of attendance:

  1. The student may attend without federal financial aid in an effort to return to Good Standing on their own.
  2. They may appeal for reinstatement of their federal financial aid. If approved they would be placed on Federal Aid Probation. Approval of appeals is not automatic and would be based on the student‘s academic plan as outlined in their appeal and the ability to return to “Good Standing” by the next semester or within a reasonable time-frame. If a student is not mathematically able to return to satisfactory progress within one semester, they must have an Academic Plan. Students on financial aid probation who do not meet SAP requirements or the requirements of their academic plan will become ineligible for federal financial aid.

Status: Suspension from College and Federal Aid Eligibility

Students who are placed on “Suspension” may appeal for reinstatement of their federal financial aid. Students may submit to the Enrollment Advisement Center a copy of the appeal form that is submitted to the Educational Standards and Policies Committee to appeal their suspension.

This should not be construed to assume that federal financial aid eligibility will automatically be reinstated even if the College approves the student’s reinstatement to “Probation” status. However, if the College does reinstate a student who is on “Suspension” to “Probation” status, then the Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the student’s appeal and notify the student of their decision regarding reinstatement of federal financial aid. The decision will be based on the student’s academic plan and ability to return to “Good Standing” by the next semester or within a reasonable timeframe.