The U.S. Department of Education mandates the establishment and enforcement of a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all institutions participating in Federal Title IV aid programs. Federal Title IV aid programs include Pell Grant, SEOG, Direct Student/Parent Loans, and Work Study. The regulations require the measurement of cumulative GPA, rate of progression, and maximum time frame. A change of program does not reset the SAP calculation.
EWC students are making SAP if they consistently:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.
- Complete 66.67% of attempted credits.*
- Do not meet or exceed 150% of the average degree/certificate length at EWC. Defined as:
- 53 credits (Certificate programs)
- 98 for AA, AS, AAS seeking students (Associate degree programs)
- 114 for Cosmetology degree seekers
*Attempted credits are any credits for which the student enrolled, whether or not the student received federal financial aid. Attempted credits include withdrawn, incomplete, failed, remedial, and repeated coursework.
Transferred credits accepted by EWC are included in the cumulative credits attempted and completed.
The table below illustrates how graded courses impact Financial Aid SAP.
| GRADE | Cumulative GPA | Attempted Credit | Completed Credit |
| A – F | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| S, U | No | Yes | Yes |
| X (Incomplete)** | No | Yes | No |
| Repeats | Most Recent Grade | Yes | Yes |
| W | No | Yes | No |
| Transferred and accepted by EWC | No | Yes | Yes |
** When completed OR the student receives an F grade due to failure to complete the coursework as required, the new grade is used to calculate SAP when calculated at the end of the Spring semester. The updated letter grade is treated per the table above when SAP is recalculated.
If a student is enrolled in courses that do not count toward their degree, those courses cannot be used to determine financial aid enrollment status unless they are eligible remedial courses.
Remedial/developmental credit courses are considered below college level, but may be needed as prerequisites for required courses within a program. Students may receive Federal Title IV aid funding for a maximum of 30 credits of remedial/developmental coursework.
Remedial/developmental courses count toward attempted credits and are included in the pass rate and maximum time frame SAP measurements. If a letter grade A – F is received, the grade is included in the GPA calculation. If a pass/fail, S or U, grade is received, the grade is not included in the GPA calculation per the above chart.
Students may not receive Federal Title IV aid for non-credit courses or for any courses taken for audit. Audited and non-credit courses are not included in the SAP calculations.
All students enrolled in TIV eligible coursework are monitored for financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP) at the end of each spring semester. Students who reach or exceed the maximum time frame and/or have less than a 2.00 cumulative GPA and/or have less than a 66.667% completion rate are no longer eligible for federal Title IV financial aid and any state or institutional awards that requires SAP.
Students with Title IV aid are notified via email they are not eligible for federal financial aid. The email includes information about how to regain eligibility and the appeal process.
Transfer students with transfer credits that total the average credits needed to complete a degree or certificate (35 certificate, 65 degree, 76 Cosmetology) must submit a SAP Appeal when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received to complete the financial aid process. This is done to ensure that the student’s credits required for the degree/certificate can be completed within the maximum time frame. Students who cannot are placed on Probation with an Academic Plan for the estimated number of terms to complete the degree/certificate.
Students who lost eligibility or have a probation status are monitored at the end of each academic term of enrollment to determine if they are now making SAP OR adhering to the terms of their probation. Students with a FAFSA on file are notified via email of their newly calculated SAP status. The student’s most recent SAP status is also viewable on the EWC Website under the tab MyEWC then Self Service and on the Financial Aid tab.
Appeal Process
Students have the right to appeal their SAP status if they have mitigating or unusual circumstances, they believe prevented them from maintaining or achieving SAP. Mitigating circumstances include, but are not limited to: illness, death in the family, family emergency, catastrophic incidences, divorce, births, etc. The student may submit a letter of appeal (SAP Appeal Form) and relevant supporting third-party documentation to the Financial Aid Office for review. Appeals without appropriate third-party documentation (death certificate, hospital bill, etc.) will be denied.
Appeals may be submitted:
- In Person: Financial Aid Office – EWC Student Services – Activities Center
- By Mail:
ATTN: Financial Aid Office
3200 West C Street
Torrington WY 82240 - By Fax: 307-532-8222
- By Email: financialaid@ewc.wy.edu
If the appeal is denied, the student may regain financial aid eligibility by meeting the SAP requirements in the student’s next semester of enrollment. The student will remain on ineligible status for future terms until the SAP requirements are met. Students with an ineligible status who are also exceeding the maximum time frame credit allowance cannot regain Title IV financial aid eligibility without an appeal.
If the appeal is approved and it is possible for the student to meet the SAP requirements within one semester of attendance, the student is placed on Probation. Students on Probation are eligible for financial aid for one semester. If at the end of the semester the student is not meeting the SAP requirements, the student is not eligible for financial aid beginning the next semester of attendance.
If the appeal is approved and it is not possible for the student to meet the SAP requirements within one semester of attendance, the student is placed on Probation with an Academic Plan. Students who fail to meet SAP at the end of the semester but meet the terms of their Academic Plan will continue on Probation with an Academic Plan status. Students with a Probation with an Academic Plan status are eligible for financial aid. The student will be monitored at the end of each semester and will be moved to Good Standing if the student meets SAP before the Academic Plan expires. The student will continue on Probation with an Academic Plan for the number of terms included on the Academic plan until the Academic Plan expires.
Students on Probation with an Academic Plan who fail to meet SAP at the end of the semester AND fail to meet the requirements of their Academic Plan are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Students may also appeal for an extension due to meeting or extending the maximum time frame. Mitigating circumstances may include changing of the academic program. A student’s appeal for an extension must include an Academic Plan. If approved, the student will receive an Extension SAP status. Students with an Extension status must adhere strictly to the Academic Plan. Deviation from the Academic Plan will put the student on Maximum Time Frame SAP status and the student will not be eligible for Federal Title IV financial aid.
PLEASE NOTE: The Financial Aid SAP policy may differ from the academic standing policy of Eastern Wyoming College. While a student may be considered in “good standing” with EWC, they may not necessarily be making Financial Aid SAP.
Questions about the Financial Aid SAP Policy should be directed to the Financial Aid Office: financalaid@ewc.wy.edu or 307-532-8224.