TVCC is required by law to formulate standards to measure a student’s progress toward completion of a program of study while receiving financial assistance through federal, state or institutional student aid programs by applying both qualitative and quantitative measurements to academic work (34 CFR 668.34). To comply with applicable laws and accreditation standards, TVCC has developed a policy describing Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for both applicants and recipients of student financial aid.

The following SAP policy measurements become effective July 1, 2019. These measurements shall be used to determine student eligibility for all need-based and federal Title IV financial assistance, unless the terms of a particular grant or funding source state otherwise. All current and returning students, after a lapse of one semester or longer, will be re-evaluated under the current SAP policy. Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured at the end of each payment period of enrollment. Some financial aid programs have specific requirements. In those instances, the program requirements will supersede the general SAP policy stated here.

Each financial aid applicant must select a primary program of study with TVCC Advising prior to receiving financial aid payments. A student can receive a retroactive financial aid payment for a prior term within the payment period only if he or she had a program of study selected or a degree program through Advising for that particular payment period of enrollment. Students may not be allowed financial aid funding for multiple program changes for the purpose of extending financial aid eligibility. All previously repeated college-level courses will be counted in the Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations.

Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all previous colleges attended. If you have an unevaluated transcript with a print date that is more than three years old, you must submit a new one for evaluation.

Regulations for federal, state, and institutional aid require that students make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to receive financial aid funding. These requirements take into consideration not only grades and hours but also a cumulative timeframe to receive Title IV student financial aid. This policy applies to all students at Trinity Valley Community College receiving financial aid from the programs identified below. All standards must be met for SAP to be maintained. If a student is applying for federal assistance, SAP will be analyzed and determined, even for periods of enrollment where federal assistance was not received.

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PELL, TPEG, SEOG, Direct Federal Student Loans, WORK STUDY, State Of Texas Exemptions & Waivers

Exception: Hazelwood Act waiver for Spouses and children of service members killed in action, missing in action, or deceased from a service related injury or illness, Foster Care and Adoption Exemptions. Persons receiving these waivers may be exempt from SAP requirements.

Measurement 1: Qualitative Progress

A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale or higher must be attained by the end of the student’s first semester of enrollment at TVCC. This average must be maintained at the end of each subsequent semester for a student to continue to receive financial aid. Students who do not meet this minimum CGPA requirement will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one payment period of enrollment. If a GPA of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale or higher is not reached by the end of the warning period, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

GPA Calculator Tool

Measurement 2: Quantitative Progress (Pace of Progress 67%)

To avoid exceeding the maximum timeframe required to complete a program of study using financial aid, students are expected to maintain a specific completion rate that is known as the “pace of progress.” At the end of each period of enrollment, students must have a cumulative passing rate of at least 67% of all classes attempted. Grades of W, WX, E, F and I will be counted as hours attempted but will not be counted as hours successfully passed. Repeating a course will be counted in the completion rate and against the overall maximum timeframe required to complete the program of study. With the exception of those students who exceed the maximum timeframe, students who do not maintain the minimum 67% pace of progress will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one period of enrollment. If a 67% cumulative pace of progress is not reached by the end of the warning period, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

 

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FINANCIAL AID WARNING

Financial Aid Warning is a status assigned to students who were previously meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy standards, but who do not, now, meet those criteria.  Financial Aid
Warning is an alert to inform you that if the SAP policy standards are not met during the warning semester, you will no longer be eligible for future financial aid. You can receive financial aid while on Financial Aid Warning.

The SAP status is checked at the end of each semester, including summer. At the end of your Financial Aid Warning semester, your SAP status will be re-evaluated to determine if the requirements of the SAP policy have been met. You must be meeting the SAP policy requirements to continue to receive financial aid. Otherwise, you will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to receive financial aid. If the overall SAP policy requirements are met at the end of the warning semester, your SAP status will be updated to making satisfactory academic progress.

 

FINANCIAL AID SUSPENSION

Financial Aid Suspension is a status assigned to students who fail to meet the minimum SAP policy requirements. In this case, financial aid will be suspended until minimum standards are met or until a student’s appeal approved. Students are placed on suspension for failing to meet one or more of the above listed criteria. Students cannot receive financial aid while on suspension, and students will be responsible for all payment of tuition/fees without the assistance of financial aid.

Students on Financial Aid Suspension due to exceeding the exceeding the maximum timeframe, are no longer eligible to receive financial aid. Federal regulations also state that students become ineligible for financial aid whenever it becomes mathematically impossible to complete a degree program within the maximum time frame available for financial aid. In these scenarios, students can only regain eligibility for aid when a student appeal is approved.  

 

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEAL

Students placed on financial aid suspension due to lack of SAP may appeal the denial of financial aid if they have DOCUMENTED EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. Students must complete an “Appeal Form – SAP” and submit it along with required documentation regarding his/her situation to the Financial Aid Office. All required documentation must be submitted with the appeal. Completed Appeals must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office at least 4 weeks prior to the first day of the next term.   

If an appeal is approved for financial aid reinstatement, students will be placed on financial aid probation and will receive only one probationary period of financial aid. Students then must meet all three SAP requirements at the end of the semester to continue to receive financial aid. If students do not meet the terms of probation, eligibility for financial aid will cease, all remaining aid will be cancelled and SAP status will be updated to Appeal Terminated.  Once a student has been placed on Appeal Terminated, the only way to regain eligibility, is to make up the deficiencies that placed them on suspension to meet SAP requirements, while paying for their classes out of pocket. 

 

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150% Max Timeframe APPEAL

Quantitative Progress (Maximum Timeframe 150%)

A student may apply for and, if eligible, receive financial aid for attempted credit hours that do not exceed 150% of the minimum number of hours required to complete the student’s primary program of study. All hours attempted toward the completion of a program of study will be counted regardless of whether financial aid was received or not. Credit hours transferred to TVCC are counted when calculating the 150% maximum timeframe. Once SAP is calculated, students who have attempted 150% of the minimum number of credit hours needed to complete their primary program of study will be placed on Financial Aid 150% Max Timeframe Suspension. Students who are placed on Financial Aid 150% Max Timeframe Suspension may have exhausted their financial aid eligibility to complete the program and may not receive financial aid benefits to complete their primary program of study.

Examples:

Example 1:  For a student completing an associate degree program that requires 60 hours, the student must complete the degree within 90 attempted hours. The student will lose eligibility for additional financial aid to complete the program after 90 attempted hours.

Example 2:  For a student completing a certificate program that requires 32 hours, the student must complete the certificate within 48 attempted hours. The student will lose eligibility for additional financial aid to complete the program after 48 attempted hours.

*Financial attempted hours include all courses listed on a student’s transcript, counting other institutions attended, including classes with grades of W, F, FD, I, IP, repeated courses, and college preparatory courses.

Students that are close to reaching the 150% Max Timeframe SAP policy, will be placed on a 150% Max Timeframe Warning status. While on the 150% Max Timeframe Warning, students are allowed to receive financial aid. 

 

EFFECTIVE FALL 2021:

Students that go on 150% Max Timeframe Warning status and will not graduate in the semester they are on 150% Max Timeframe Warning, will have the opportunity to apply for a one-time appeal.  This appeal must be submitted to the financial aid office 6 weeks before the end of the semester or 6 weeks before the next semester starts.  Late appeals will not be accepted. 

Examples:

Example 1:  At the end of the spring semester the student goes on 150% Max Timeframe Warning.  If the student will not graduate at the end of summer classes and plans to attend summer classes, they must have a 150% Max Timeframe Appeal submitted to the Financial Aid Office 6 weeks before the next semester (fall) starts.  Do not wait until you are placed on 150% Max Timeframe suspension to submit an appeal.  It will be denied and you will lose your financial aid.  

Example 2: At the end of the fall semester the student goes on 150% Max Timeframe Warning.  If the student will not graduate at the end of fall classes and plans to attend spring classes, they must have a 150% Max Timeframe Appeal submitted to the Financial Aid Office 6 weeks before the semester (fall) is over.  Do not wait until you are placed on 150% Max Timeframe suspension to submit an appeal. It will be denied and you will lose your financial aid.   

 

 

Reminder notices will go to your My Carinal Connect account and your TVCC email.   Please make sure you have access to your My Cardinal Connect.  If not, contact our IT department.

 

The appeal for the 150% Max timeframe will only be considered for the student’s current primary program of study.  If the appeal is approved, students will be required to have a current degree audit on file and will only be allowed to take the reminding classes on that degree audit and receive continued financial aid.  The students must complete, sign, and return the 150% Max Timeframe Academic SAP contract.  The student will be allowed financial aid for the remainder of the program as long as the guidelines of the Academic SAP contract are met.  Only current Trinity Valley students are eligible to apply for a 150% Maximum Timeframe appeal.  

Many financial aid suspensions have an appeal deadline. Students who miss the appeal deadline will have to regain eligibility by making up their deficit through means other than financial aid. To make up a deficit students must satisfactory complete enough classes at TVCC to improve their Pace and/or GPA to the required level. Students SAP status is re-evaluated after each semester. 

Need to file an appeal now?  Head over to our Financial Aid Forms to begin.

Financial Aid Forms

 

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Regaining Eligibility

1. A student who loses eligibility for federal aid because he did not meet the pace of progress requirement must complete, at his own expense, classes until his pace has reached 67%. He must also have a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or better.

2. A student who loses eligibility because he did not meet the GPA requirement must bring his cumulative GPA up to 2.0, at his own expense, before regaining eligibility.

Students are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office when they believe they have met the requirements to regain eligibility for Title IV assistance. Summer semesters may be used to regain eligibility between Spring and Fall Semesters.

 

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TEOG SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Students must maintain the following requirements in order to maintain financial aid eligibility and avoid suspension consequences:

• Initial and First year students must meet TVCC’s SAP Policy
• Second year

♦ Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
♦Must maintain a 75% completion rate of all attempted* hours.

*Financial attempted hours include all courses listed on a student’s transcript, counting other institutions attended, including classes with grades of W, F, FD, I, IP, repeated courses, and college preparatory courses.

Each recipient’s maximum timeframe must be monitored to ensure compliance. The maximum timeframe for receiving the grant is the first of:

• 4 years from the start of the semester in which the student received the first award through the program;
• 75 Semester Credit Hours (SCH's)attempted while receiving the grant; or
• Completion of an associate degree.

Beginning with awards for the 2015-2016 academic year, a student's eligibility for TEOG ends once he or she has attempted 75 SCH's or the equivalent, unless the student is granted a hardship extension.