Right to Appeal

All students who have been placed on financial aid suspension may appeal through the established institutional SAP appeal process to retain eligibility for Title IV assistance. Students may appeal any component of the SAP standard they have not been able to meet including not meeting the minimum GPA and exceeding the maximum timeframe for program completion.

An appeal must be based upon extenuating circumstances resulting from events such as personal illness or injury, illness or death of a family member, loss of employment, changes in the academic program, or other special circumstances. The student’s appeal must include:

The reasons why the student failed to meet SAP requirements and
What has changed in his or her situation that will allow the student to meet SAP requirements at the next evaluation?

The appeal may be granted if the school:

Determines that the student will be able to meet the appropriate SAP standards by the end of the next payment period (semester); OR
Develops an academic plan for the student that, if followed, will ensure that the student will either be able to meet the appropriate SAP standards by a specific point in time or achieve completion of his or her academic program.

Federal SAP appeals should be reviewed by a college committee who can make an accurate academic assessment of the student’s capability to meet the appropriate SAP standards by the next payment period/semester. If the committee determines that the student should be able to meet the SAP standards by the end of the next semester, the student may be placed on financial aid probation without an academic plan.

If the committee determines that the student will require more than one payment period to meet SAP, it may develop an individual academic plan that outlines a detailed strategy for the student to regain SAP eligibility or attain program completion within a certain probationary time-frame. The plan can be for one payment period/semester or longer. The academic plan should specify conditions that must be met for the period covered by the appeal such as: the specific coursework that must be taken, the minimum GPA that must be attained, and the number of credits that must be successfully completed. An academic plan may take the student to program completion, rather than meeting the institution’s SAP standards at a specific point in time. Program completion, or graduation, should be always regarded as the ultimate attainment of SAP, and the possibility of a student finishing their program of study is a strong argument for a favorable appeal.

Although financial aid personnel may participate in the appeal process, it is not recommended that the Financial Aid Office be the determining office responsible for considering, reviewing, or granting an appeal. It is not recommended that the financial aid personnel put together academic plans. These may be designed, maintained, and tracked by an academic office (e.g., academic counseling, advisement, etc.).

Financial Aid Probation

There is no limit on the number of times a student who is placed on financial aid suspension may follow the SAP appeals procedure. Although a student may file only one appeal per payment period (semester), additional appeals to extend financial aid probation to subsequent semesters are allowed. As in the original appeal, the student would indicate the extenuating circumstances, the reasons why SAP was not achieved, and what has changed that will ensure the student will be able to meet SAP at the next evaluation. If a student fails to meet the conditions of an approved academic plan, he or she may submit an additional appeal to modify or adjust the plan for the subsequent payment period(s) documenting any unusual circumstances that prevented them from meeting the goals established by the original plan. The college may approve or decline the subsequent appeal and may create an updated plan based on the information submitted.

Required Notifications and Monitoring

Colleges must notify students when they are not meeting SAP requirements, explain what steps they must take to regain eligibility, what the appeals process is, whether or not they are required to meet with an academic advisor, what forms need to be completed, etc. Additionally, all elements of the college’s Federal SAP policy should be published on the college’s website and in the college bulletin.

The college is required to track and monitor:

All students who do not meet SAP standards.
All students who file an appeal and are either granted or denied that appeal.
All students who are granted an individual specific academic plan.
All students who are granted “probation” status.

It is recommended that an academic office such as Registrar, Academic Advisement or Counseling be responsible for monitoring the students’ progress during a probationary semester or if they are meeting the conditions of an approved academic plan(s). Documentation of the appeal, the probation, and the academic plan must be retained and available for review by internal and external auditors.

Re-establishing Eligibility

Other than having eligibility restored through filing a successful appeal, a student on financial aid suspension may regain eligibility only by taking action that brings him or her into compliance with the appropriate progress standards. The mere passage of time is insufficient to restore Title IV eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility due to not meeting the SAP standards. Therefore, students may not re-establish eligibility solely by leaving the institution for at least one year because this action, by itself, would not bring the student into compliance for Federal SAP.

Students who choose to remain enrolled without receiving Title IV aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they were on financial aid suspension to determine if they were able to re-attain the appropriate standards.

If a student is on financial aid suspension at the beginning of the academic year for not meeting one or more components of the school’s SAP standards, but meets them at some point later in the academic year, the student may regain Title IV eligibility as follows:

Federal Pell Grant/Campus-based Funds

For Pell Grant and campus-based programs, the student regains eligibility retroactively to the beginning of the most recent payment period during which the student once again met the school’s SAP standards, unless the school’s satisfactory progress policy provides for reinstatement of eligibility at some later point.

Federal Direct Loan and FFEL Programs

For Federal Direct and FFEL program funds, the student regains eligibility for the entire period of enrollment. Again, this period generally coincides with the entire academic year, unless the school’s SAP policy provides for reinstatement of eligibility at some later point.

Treatment of Non-Standard Situations

Readmitted Students

A student not making SAP cannot re-establish eligibility for Title IV program assistance by reenrolling after a one year or longer period of non-reenrollment. Upon readmission after any period of non-reenrollment, the student’s Title IV progress standing must be re-evaluated for SAP under the standard as the record stood at the end of their last term of attendance. If the student has taken any action during the period of non-reenrollment that would bring him or her into compliance with the progress standard (e.g., successfully completing transferable courses at another institution during the period of absence), this should also be factored into the reassessment. If the readmitted student has not taken any such action, or if the action taken is not sufficient to bring the student back into compliance with the progress standard, the student remains on financial aid suspension and must file a successful appeal to re-establish eligibility.

Second Degree Students

Students enrolling for a second baccalaureate, graduate or associate degree shall have their pace of progression status initialized for purposes of SAP measurement by using the number of credits determined to be acceptable toward the degree as both the students’ cumulative attempted credits and cumulative earned credits.

Change of Major

Students who change majors within the same degree or certificate program must complete the degree within the maximum timeframe, unless the institution has allowed for such changes by establishing various timeframes for different programs leading to the degree or by individually re-evaluating the timeframe for these students.

Change of Degree

If a student changes his or her objective and begins pursuing a different degree or certificate, the institution may make the student subject to the maximum timeframe it establishes for the new objective without regard to time spent pursuing the previous degree or certificate. The institution also has the flexibility to develop a policy that is more restrictive and limits the student to an overall timeframe for the completion of his or her studies.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on SAP Processes

Spring 2020

The guidance outlined below pertains to the Spring 2020 semester; while this policy was enacted for Spring 2020, any NC and applicable withdrawal grades from Spring 2020 will be perpetually excluded from the quantitative SAP calculation each subsequent year.

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, CUNY has adjusted the federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for the Spring 2020 semester according to the May 15th, 2020 FSA Electronic Announcement, under Section 3509 of the CARES Act. According to the University-issued policy on Academic Continuity in response to COVID-19, any student who cannot complete any attempted credits for the Spring 2020 as of the onset of the pandemic on March 13th, 2020, will have these credits excluded from the quantitative/pace component on the Federal SAP calculation. Moreover, a student is not required to submit a 2020-2021 SAP appeal to exclude the COVID-19 related withdrawals (as of March 13th, 2020) and NC grades from the quantitative evaluation (Maximum Timeframe and Pace) as a result of a college transitioning to distance learning (for instance, students moved from ground-based instruction to distance learning/closed campus housing/other campus facilities, or experienced other education interruptions during Spring 2020 and Fall 2020). As such, CUNY’s policy considers all Spring 2020 withdrawals (as of March 13th, 2020) from students enrolled in affected programs and NC grades to have been the result of circumstances related to the COVID-19 national emergency.

Fall 2020

For Fall 2020, colleges had the option to exclude withdrawal grades on a case by case basis with documented COVID-19 information from the student. This analysis was completed at the campus level. Fall 2020 NC grades were excluded from the quantitative component (Maximum Timeframe and Pace). The Fall 2020 NC grades and manual withdrawal grade exclusion will continue to be cumulatively excluded from all future SAP evaluations for the student’s enrollment in their academic career.

Spring 2021

NC and withdrawal grades from the Spring 2021 semester were included in the SAP calculation and will continue to be included in all future SAP evaluations for the student’s enrollment in their academic career.

NOTE: the CUNY policy provides guidance for the student to choose a CR/NC grade for A-F grades. Each college may have its discretion of a W-type grade that can be converted to an NC grade and the college should make its policy with documentation. This decision should be treated as an academic appeal.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard for Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary Programs (CTP) at Hostos Community College [CUNY Unlimited—Advanced Credential in Academic and Career Studies]

The process for determining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) within CUNY Unlimited is similar to the process for the college’s degree-seeking students, except that it will be based on the successful completion of credit equivalent units (audited courses, non-credit-bearing courses and nondegree courses) as outlined in the program of study. Formally, each student will meet with their CUNY Unlimited academic advisor prior to the start of the semester to determine an individualized Student Learning Plan. Students will check in informally with their academic advisor throughout the semester. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be determined by the academic advisor with feedback from instructors using the Program Learning Outcomes Rubric and Academic Experience Assessment (see Appendix A)—including attendance requirements—to assess the Student Learning Objectives for each course, as determined within the individualized Student Learning Plan.

Minimum Academic Progress – To be in good academic standing, student coursework must minimally be assessed as “Made Satisfactory Progress” or overall quality of coursework must earn the equivalent of a minimum GPA based on attempted credit equivalent units as follows: for 0-12 credit equivalent units a minimum GPA of 1.50, 13-24 credit equivalent units a minimum GPA of 1.75, for 25 credit equivalent units—upward a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Student Learning Objectives may be assessed for credit equivalent units (audited, non-credit-bearing and nondegree courses) using the Program Learning Outcomes Rubric.

Progress with vocational goals will be assessed based on students’ individualized learning plans and with feedback from employers regarding attendance and individualized employment goals.

Progress with social goals will be self-reported by the student to the CUNY Unlimited program staff and evaluated based on satisfactory completion of service learning activities.

In addition to the academic, vocational, social and career development components of the credential, students will also participate in individualized instruction to support their learning. This may be represented through tutoring, and/or academic coaching. This support may be provided by CUNY Unlimited staff or an outside provider. The CUNY Unlimited academic advisor and program staff will work with students and other involved parties to track this activity.

Maximum Time Frame

CUNY Unlimited students may not attempt more than 150% of the credit equivalent units/clock hours normally required for completion of the credential. The credit equivalent units needed for the credential is 64 credit equivalent units or 2400 clock hours; therefore, a student may attempt no more than 96 credit equivalent units or 3600 clock hours.

Pace of Progression (Completion Rate):

CUNY Unlimited students are required to maintain a pace that will enable them to successfully complete a percentage of all attempted credits each academic year. To maintain “pace” requirements, a CUNY Unlimited student must earn a certain percentage of the total number of credits they attempt according to the table below.

* Attempted credit equivalent units are courses you registered for and did not drop before the last official withdrawal date.

Determining Attempted Credit Equivalent Units and Accumulated Credit Equivalent Units

Attempted credit equivalent units, as defined in this section, pertain to the courses and credit equivalent units that must be included in the quantitative measure of progress to calculate pace of progression and maximum timeframe. The accumulation of attempted credit equivalent units usually reflects the semester course enrollment maintained in a student’s permanent record at the college and will usually reflect a student’s enrollment as of the financial aid census date. Accumulated credit equivalent units should reflect credit equivalent units that the student has earned towards the completion of the CUNY Unlimited credential.

Withdrawals

Since the financial aid census date usually reflects a student’s course load for the term, net of program adjustments, withdrawals as part of the program adjustment period (i.e., “drops”) will not be included as cumulative attempted credit equivalent units. Withdrawals which are recorded on a student’s permanent record will be included as cumulative attempted credit equivalent units and will have an adverse effect on a student’s ability to meet the pace of progression standard. “Starting the 2021 aid year, The City University of New York will be excluding WN grades from the attempted unit calculation for quantitative measurement (pace and time-frame)”. OR As of Summer 2020, CUNY has implemented a new policy which excludes all WN grades from being counted in the quantitative measures of SAP (pace of progression and maximum timeframe. This change in policy pertains to all WN grades retroactively and all future SAP evaluations for the student’s enrollment in the program.

NOTE: Retroactive “non-punitive” administrative withdrawal activity may result in the requirement for the student to repay any assistance received as a result of the student’s enrollment at the time of receipt of the student assistance funds.

Incomplete Grades

Courses with incomplete grades are included as cumulative attempted credit equivalent units. However, these courses cannot be used as credit equivalent units accumulated toward the credential since successful completion is the criterion for positive credit equivalent unit accumulation. If the student fails to meet the pace of progression standard due to the lack of successful completion for incomplete courses, the recording of successful completion within a term which brings the accumulated credit equivalent unit level to the appropriate standard will restore eligibility for the term and subsequent terms within the academic year.

For courses in which the objectives are not completed by the student (for good and sufficient reasons), the instructor, in consultation with the CUNY Unlimited academic advisor and the student, may grant an “incomplete”. The “incomplete” becomes a “FIN” (DID NOT MEET OBJECTIVE due to incomplete) if the course objectives are not completed by the last of day of classes of the semester immediately following the semester in which the “incomplete” grade was assigned.

Repeated Courses

Successfully completed courses can generally be accepted toward credential requirements once. However, each time a student attempts a course, even if that course is part of a forgiveness or amnesty policy whereby credit equivalent units attempted and grades earned in prior semesters are excluded from the GPA, it must be included as part of the cumulative attempted credit equivalent unit record for the measuring of pace of progression. Therefore, repeated courses, regardless of the prior grade, reduce a student’s capacity to meet the pace of progression standard.

NOTE: The regulations allow students to receive Title IV aid for one-time repeat of a previously passed course as long as the student is again receiving equivalent credit for the course. Should a student subsequently fail a previously passed course, any additional attempt of that course cannot be included in the student’s enrollment status for Title IV assistance. There is no regulatory limit on the number of times a student may be paid to retake a failed course, unless the student has also previously passed that course.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer students from colleges inside and outside of CUNY shall have their pace of progression status initialized for purposes of SAP measurement by using the number of credit equivalent units determined to be acceptable toward the credential as both cumulative attempted credit equivalent units and cumulative credit equivalent units earned. For example: a student who completed 60 credit equivalent units at another institution, but the new institution only accepts 40 of those credit equivalent units upon completion of the transfer evaluation, the student would initialize their pace of progression at 40 credit equivalent units.

Financial Aid Suspension

CUNY Unlimited students who do not meet the minimum SAP standards are placed on financial aid suspension and lose their eligibility to receive assistance from all federal student aid programs. Students on financial aid suspension will remain ineligible for Title IV federal student assistance until they take actions that once again bring them into compliance with the appropriate progress standards.

Right to Appeal

An appeal must be based upon extenuating circumstances resulting from events such as, but not limited to, personal illness or injury, illness or death of a family member, loss of employment, changes in the academic program, or other special circumstances. The student’s appeal must include:

· Reasons why the student failed to meet SAP requirements and

· What has changed in his or her situation that will allow the student to demonstrate SAP at the next evaluation

The appeal may be granted if the school:

· Determines that the student will be able to meet the appropriate SAP standards by the end of the next payment period (semester); OR

· Develops an academic plan (i.e. student learning plan) for the student that, if followed, will ensure that the student will either be able to meet the appropriate SAP standards by a specific point in time or achieve completion of his or her academic program.

The individual academic plan should outline a detailed strategy for the student to regain SAP eligibility or attain program completion within a certain probationary time-frame. The plan can be for one payment period/semester or longer. The academic plan should specify conditions that must be met for the period covered by the appeal such as: The specific coursework that must be taken, the minimum GPA or equivalent program learning outcomes that must be attained, and the number of credit equivalent units that must be successfully completed. An academic plan may take the student to program completion, rather than meeting the institution’s SAP standards at a specific point in time. Program completion, or graduation, should be always regarded as the ultimate attainment of SAP, and the possibility of a student finishing their program of study is a strong argument for a favorable appeal.

Financial Aid Probation

A student who has been granted an appeal will be placed on financial aid probation. Students in this status have their eligibility for Title IV program assistance reinstated for one payment period (semester). At the end of the probationary semester, the institution must review the student’s academic progress to determine whether the student has met the appropriate SAP standards or has fulfilled the requirements specified in the student’s academic plan. A student who once again meets the appropriate progress standards after the probationary semester will continue to receive Title IV assistance until the next scheduled progress evaluation. Students who meet all the conditions of their academic plan at the end of the probationary semester will continue to receive Title IV assistance on a monitored, semester by semester basis until the next scheduled progress evaluation. There is no limit on the number of times a student who is placed on financial aid suspension may follow the SAP appeals procedure. Although a student may file only one appeal per payment period (semester), additional appeals to extend financial aid probation to subsequent semesters are allowed. As in the original appeal, the student would indicate the extenuating circumstances, the reasons why SAP was not achieved, and what has changed that will ensure the student will be able to meet SAP at the next evaluation. If a student fails to meet the conditions of an approved academic plan, he or she may submit an additional appeal to modify or adjust the plan for the subsequent payment period(s) documenting any unusual circumstances that prevented them from meeting the goals established by the original plan. The college may approve or decline the subsequent appeal and may create an updated academic plan based on the information submitted.

Re-establishing Eligibility

Other than having eligibility restored through filing a successful appeal, a student on financial aid suspension may regain eligibility only by taking action that brings them into compliance with the appropriate progress standards. The mere passage of time is insufficient to restore Title IV eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility due to not meeting the SAP standards. Therefore, students may not re-establish eligibility solely by leaving the institution for at least one year because this action, by itself, would not bring the student into compliance for Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students who choose to remain enrolled without receiving Title IV aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they were on financial aid suspension to determine if they were able to re-attain appropriate SAP standards.

· Federal Pell Grant/Campus-based Funds: For Pell Grant and campus-based programs, the student regains eligibility retroactively to the beginning of the most recent payment period during which the student once again met the school’s SAP standards, unless the school’s satisfactory progress policy provides for reinstatement of eligibility at some later point.

· Federal Direct Loan and FFEL Programs: For Federal Direct and FFEL program funds, the student regains eligibility for the entire period of enrollment. Again, this period generally coincides with the entire academic year, unless the school’s SAP policy provides for reinstatement of eligibility at some later point.

Change of Major:

Students who change majors within the same credential program must complete the credential within the maximum timeframe, unless the institution has allowed for such changes by establishing various timeframes for different programs leading to the credential or by individually re-evaluating the timeframe for these students.

Change of Degree

If a student changes their objective and begins pursuing a different credential, degree or certificate, the institution may make the student subject to the maximum timeframe it establishes for the new objective without regard to time spent pursuing the previous credential, degree or certificate. The institution also has the flexibility to develop a policy that is more restrictive and limits the student to an overall timeframe for the completion of their studies.

Second Degree Students

Students enrolling for a second eligible credential or associate degree shall have their pace of progression status initialized for purposes of SAP measurement by using the number of credits determined to be acceptable toward the credential or degree as both the students’ cumulative attempted credits and cumulative earned credits.