financIal aid - Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the Los Angeles Community College District established the following Standards of Academic Progress. These Standards apply to all students who apply for and receive aid from the following programs:

a) Federal Pell Grant.
b) Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).
c) Federal Work Study (FWS).
d) Federal Perkins Loan.
e) Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)
f) Federal Direct Student Loan (FDSL)
g) Cal Grant B and C.

Note: The Board of Financial Assistance Program (BFAP), established to help students pay the California Community College enrollment fee, is specifically omitted from the above list. An eligible student enrolled at one of the nine Los Angeles Community College District campuses who applies for the enrollment fee will be granted the assistance irrespective of his/her status under these academic provisions.
Federal regulations require that the standards applied to the students receiving financial aid also apply to those students when they were not receiving aid.

Previous coursework earned at any college within the Los Angeles Community College District will be reviewed for compliance with the standards put forth in this policy.
After initial eligibility is established, subsequent satisfactory academic progress review will consider only academic performance at the institution providing aid with the exception of the 72 unit limit. For students aided under a consortium agreement, consortium classes will be included during satisfactory progress review by the home school (the college that processes the student's aid).
General Requirements


Students receiving financial aid must be enrolled in a course of study for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate or other recognized educational credential offered by colleges within the Los Angeles Community College District.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Defined
Completion of the number of units for which the student was paid the previous academic year, minus a 3-unit leeway (See Determining Enrollment Status below).

• Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA the 2 previous active semesters of attendance.
• Completion of fewer than 72 units at the beginning of the academic year.
• Marks indicated as W, INC, or NCR are less than 50% per semester and cumulatively.

Determining Enrollment Status
In determining whether or not a student is making satisfactory progress, the student's enrollment status is defined as follows:

A. If the student receives a full-time Pell Grant or Cal Grant, the student's enrollment status is full-time.
B. If the student receives a 3/4 time Pell Grant or Cal Grant, the student's enrollment status is 3/4 time.
C. If the student receives a 1/2 time Pell Grant or Cal Grant, the Student's enrollment status is 1/2 time.
D. If the student receives only a Federal Stafford Loan and/or a Federal Perkins Loan, the student's enrollment status is 1/2.
E. If the student receives only Federal Works Study, the student must maintain enrollment while employed.

By the end of each academic year, financial aid students complete the units for which they received aid minus a 3-unit leeway:

A. Full-time students, who are responsible for 24 units per academic year must complete at least 21 units per year.
B. 3/4 time students, who are responsible for 18 units per academic year, must complete at least 15 units per year.
C. 1/2 time students, who are responsible for 12 units per academic year, must complete at least 9 units per year.
D. Less than 1/2 time students are responsible for completion of all units enrolled in when the first disbursement was made. The 3-unit leeway does not apply to these students.
In all enrollment status categories, the student must maintain a 2.0 (C average) cumulative grade point average (GPA).
In the determination of enrollment status, it is permissible for a student to count units being taken at another college. A consortium agreement must be made between the two schools with one school designated as the primary school (from which the student receives financial aid) and the other school as the secondary school. If the student is enrolled at a community college and a four (4) year school, the four year school must be the primary school.
In determining whether or not a student is making satisfactory
progress, the student's enrollment status is defined as follows:


Maximum Time Length
Students attending for the purpose of obtaining an Associate in Arts Degree (AA), an Associate in Science Degree (AS), a Certificate, or completion of requirements for transfer to a four year college, are allowed 72 units in which to complete their objective. Attending full time, a student is expected to complete his/her objective in three years. Attending part time, a student is expected to complete his/her objective in six years. Exceptions will be made only when the requirements of a student's objective cause the student to exceed the Maximum Time Limit.

Short Length Certificate Programs
Some certificate objectives at the Los Angeles Community Colleges may be completed in less time than that required for the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Transfer objectives. The following list shows the normal completion time and maximum time for certificate programs of varying length:


Units required for the Normal Maximum
Certificate Program Length Length
10 to 24 2 semesters 3 semesters
25 to 36 3 semesters 4 semesters
37 to 48 4 semesters 5 semesters

To be eligible for financial aid, a program must be at least 6 months in length. Students enrolled in a certificate program may continue to qualify for financial aid for 72 units, 6 full-time semesters, or the equivalent, if they are planning to obtain an A.A. or A.S. degree or to transfer to a four-year school in addition to obtaining the certificate.

Grading Policy, Course Limitations
In the application of these standards for progress, the Financial Aid Office will follow the policies of the college as described in the college catalog. In particular:
A. In calculating units completed, only those classes passed with an A, B, C, D or CR will be counted as completed classes.
B. Classes in which the student receives grades of F, NC, INC, IP and W will not be counted as completed classes.
C. The student may not receive credit for a class for which he/she previously received an A, B, C, or CR unless the catalog specifically says that the class may be repeated for credit.
D. Students may receive financial aid for ITV classes taken in conjunction with regular classes within the Los Angeles Community College District. ITV classes cannot exceed 50% of total units. They will not be considered for payment until completed and grades are posted.

Financial Aid Probation and Disqualification
Academic progress for financial aid students will be determined prior to the first disbursement of aid for each academic year and prior to the first disbursement of aid after a probationary semester.

Probation
A student who failed to meet the standards at any college in the Los Angeles Community College District is on probation at all colleges within the Los Angeles Community College District. At the point of initial review, if applicants have one semester in which progress was substandard, they will be placed on probation. A student who fails to meet the standards of satisfactory progress may be permitted additional aided probationary semesters in which to meet the standards - i.e., students on probation who have made measurable improvement but who have failed to achieve the minimum standards of satisfactory progress, may be granted additional aided probationary semesters. This will be done utilizing professional judgement on a case by case basis. Students will be notified by mail of their probationary status.