Satisfactory Academic Progress Frequently Asked Questions

The Federal Government mandates that students maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward completion of their degrees/ certificates/ technical diplomas within a reasonable period to be eligible for Title IV financial aid programs (includes Grants, Work-Study, Stafford, PLUS, and Perkins Loans).   

Students must maintain a specific GPA, earn enough credit hours based on the number of credit hours attempted, and not exceed the maximum number of hours allowed for his/her program.  Please review the LCTCS SAP Policy.

Your financial aid SAP status is updated at the end of each semester after final grades are posted. SAP will also be reviewed before aid is initially awarded.

All incoming transfer students are initially coded "TRANS" until the end of the first semester enrolled. 

At the time of the SAP evaluation only transfer credits accepted by the college will be counted (as both attempted and completed hours) in the cumulative GPA, pace of progression, and maximum allowable hours components of the SAP determination.

If mitigating circumstances prevented a student from meeting the SAP requirements, a SAP appeal may be filed.

1. A statement detailing the mitigating circumstances that caused you to perform poorly or not complete your degree in the timeframe allowed and how it affected your performance.

2. A statement explaining the steps you have taken to remove your mitigating circumstances and explain whether the circumstances have been removed. 

This depends on when the appeal is submitted and the volume of appeals received at any given time. 

Please note: During the 3-4 weeks before and during registration, we receive an incredibly large number of appeals which are read in the order in which they are received. 

Yes. All attempted coursework from a prior major will be included in the calculation of the SAP components - GPA, PACE, and Maximum Timeframe.