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Tuition & Aid

Tuition & Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Executive Summary

All learners are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward graduation. Also, SAP must be maintained in order to remain eligible to receive assistance under the Title IV, HEA programs. SAP sets minimum standards for program completion, course completion, and cumulative grade point average. SAP is measured at the end of each payment period and is checked prior to disbursement of aid.

Policy

All learners are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to remain eligible for graduation and Federal Student Aid.

Evaluation Periods

At each formal SAP evaluation (end of each semester), the College checks:

  • Qualitative Measure (grade based)
  • Quantitative Measure (pace based)
  • Maximum time frame

SAP evaluation coincides with the end of a payment period and is defined as the end of the semester. A learner’s transcript is used to evaluate SAP and is placed in each learner’s file.

Academic Year Definition

Academic year minimums:

  • Academic progress is measured by semester credit hours.
  • Minimum instructional time requirement per semester is 14 weeks plus 1 week of final evaluations.
  • An academic year is defined as 30 weeks.

SAP sets minimum requirements for the following areas: maximum time frame for academic program completion, successful course-completion rate, and cumulative grade point average. These minimum requirements apply to all learners regardless of Federal Student Aid status.

For more information, please see Federal Student Aid and Satisfactory Progress.

Maximum Time Frame

Learners must complete their academic program within a time frame not to exceed 150% of the published program length, measured in credits attempted. This ensures learners can graduate while maintaining Title IV eligibility.

  • For example, in a 120-credit bachelor’s program, a learner may attempt up to 180 credits (120 × 150%) before exceeding the maximum time frame.

Successful Course Completion

Learners must successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credits to maintain SAP. A course is considered successfully completed with a grade of C or higher in undergraduate programs or B- or higher in graduate programs. Pace is calculated by dividing the total number of credits successfully completed by the total number of credits attempted.

Impact of Grades on SAP

  • Incompletes (I): Do not count toward pace or GPA until finalized.
  • Withdrawals (W): Count as attempted but not completed; do not affect GPA.
  • Repeats (R): All attempts count toward pace and time frame; only the most recent grade affects CGPA.
  • Transfer Credits (TC): Count as both attempted and completed for pace and time frame; do not affect GPA.
  • Failed Courses: Count as attempted but not completed; negatively affect GPA and pace.
  • Noncredit, pass/fail, or foundational coursework: Do not affect pace or GPA.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

Learners must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 in undergraduate programs and 3.0 in graduate programs to meet SAP requirements and to graduate. These requirements are detailed in the Satisfactory Academic Progress tables within the specific academic program sections of this Catalog.

Learners who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements will automatically be placed on FSA warning for one semester immediately following a failed SAP evaluation. An FSA warning letter will be sent within fourteen (14) days of the failed SAP evaluation. Learners on FSA warning who do not meet SAP standards for a second consecutive semester will become ineligible for Title IV FSA programs and will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Learners placed on Financial Aid Suspension will be reviewed for eligibility to submit an appeal to keep FSA eligibility. Only documented, extenuating circumstances may be considered in the appeal. If an appeal is approved, the learner will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and may continue receiving Title IV funding for one semester. Learners who require more than one semester to meet SAP standards may remain on probation, provided they fully comply with all additional probation monitoring conditions.

Learners who lose Title IV eligibility may elect to continue their studies at the College on a cash-pay basis. Refer to Academic Remedies, Academic Appeals, and Withdrawal from the College for more information.

A learner that has lost Federal Student Aid eligibility can regain access to Federal Student Aid by either successfully submitting an approved Financial Aid SAP appeal or meeting the general SAP standards again.

View Catalog

Withdrawals

Learners who withdraw prior to completion of the course and wish to reenter the program will return in the same SAP status as at the time of withdrawal.

Learners withdrawing from school will receive credit for all work successfully completed up to the point of withdrawal.

Transfer credits accepted toward the completion of a learner’s program are counted as both hours attempted and hours completed but excluded from program GPA calculation.

Unofficial Withdrawals

If a learner stops attending the College without providing official notification, the date of determination will be assigned by the College but will not be later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the last day of attendance.

The Registrar’s Office will submit a copy of withdrawal paperwork to Financial Aid department and will record information in SIS.

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Available Resources

Appeal Process

The financial aid appeal process allows learners who are not meeting SAP to appeal the College for reinstatement of Title IV aid. Learners can appeal the decision and be placed on financial aid probation. Learners have ten (10) business days after being notified to submit an appeal. Learner appeals are submitted via DocuSign and documentation is submitted via email to FASapAppeals@nightingale.edu. Appeals are reviewed by the SAP appeal committee. A learner may file an appeal based on injury or illness, death of a relative, or other special circumstances.

Learner must provide supporting documents and describe in writing any unusual circumstances that warrant special consideration. Information as to why SAP was not met and what changes have occurred that will allow the learner to meet SAP by the next evaluation period are required.