Procedures

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To receive financial aid, the student must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward an eligible (16 credit hours or more) program of study. There are three criteria in the Financial Aid Office’s standards of progress:

1. The maximum length of time for which the student may receive financial aid
2. The number of credit hours the student must earn each semester
3. The minimum grade point average the student must maintain.

Criteria #1

Federal regulations set the maximum time frame in which a student must complete his/her educational program in 150% of the normal length of the educational program using the number of credit hours required to earn the academic credential. A CPCC student is not eligible for financial aid when the cumulative number of credit hours attempted (toward the student’s current program of study) is greater than 150%. This is true whether financial aid was received or the student paid for some classes from his/her resources. Once the student is unable to complete his/her program of student within the maximum time frame, the student’s eligibility for financial aid ends. (Note: A students’ credits, which transfer in from other colleges or universities and count towards the current program, are counted as attempted hours. Also, all CPCC courses attempted, repeated and/or completed (all grades including F, W, and I) in the student’s program of study will be assessed.

Criteria #2

The student must earn passing grades in two-thirds of attempted hours each semester or its equivalent, which is two short sessions. A short session is one-half the length of a full semester. Credit hours attempted and earned during the Summer session will be included in the calculation of Satisfactory Academic Progress, just as for any other term.

For example:

The below will be treated as completed coursework and will be taken into consideration when calculating the number of hours completed. Attempted credit hours include the following whether or not the credit hours were paid for by financial aid.

• Earned hours (grade of A, B, C, D) 
• Incomplete (I) grades 
• A grade of F or a “Withdrawal”

Note: For financial aid purposes, a) students cannot receive financial aid for audited classes and audited classes are not counted as hours attempted; b) classes dropped during the “drop/add period” are excluded from financial aid satisfactory progress determinations; c) when a student enrolls in a class and subsequently switches to another section of the same class, that class is not counted twice when computing the hours attempted.

Federal regulations require a student to have a "C" average once the student has been enrolled in a program of study for two academic years.

Criteria #3

Below is the minimum program grade point average (GPA) the student must maintain: