Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Applicants

Federal, state and college regulations require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a specific educational program in order to be eligible to receive federal financial aid. The minimum standards at CF consist of three components and are applied uniformly to all Title IV financial aid programs administered by CF:

• Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all courses attempted.
• Students must successfully complete 67% percent of all courses attempted, regardless of when and where the courses were taken, and whether financial assistance was received or not. If you need help in computing your completion rate, please contact the FAO.
  
  Successful completion of a course is defined as having earned a grade of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “S”.
• Students must complete their degree or certificate within 150% of program length (measured in credit hours).

Upon initial enrollment in CF, financial aid recipients are evaluated when a FAFSA is received to evaluate transfer coursework. Students are then evaluated at the end of each semester when grades are posted.

Financial Aid Probation

• Students not meeting or maintaining the GPA or completion ratio will be placed on financial probation for one semester. The student is expected to bring the GPA or completion ratio up to passing standards upon the completion of the next semester of enrollment.
• Students may continue to enroll and attend classes and receive financial aid for the probationary period.

Financial Aid Suspension for Financial Aid Applicants and Recipients:

• Students not meeting or maintaining GPA or completion ratio standards, and/ or exceeded the 150% program limitation will be placed on financial aid suspension and will not receive federal/state financial aid until they meet the standards of academic progress or an appeal is approved.
• Students may continue to enroll and attend classes as long as tuition and all other charges are paid.

Any Student Placed on Financial Aid Suspension Has the Right to Appeal the Suspension:

A student may appeal his/her Academic Progress status. The student should complete the Standards of Academic Progress appeal form provided by the FAO.

Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the suspension notice. No appeal will be approved for a semester that has ended. The appeal must be received and acted upon during the semester for which the appeal is being requested.

Appeals are granted for extenuating circumstances only as defined below:

• Illness/injury of the student or death of a close relative of the student.
• Other extenuating circumstances that will be considered are medical emergencies, accidents, divorce/separation of parents; personal tragedy, natural disaster or other special circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevented the student from meeting the minimum standards. “Not ready for college,” “did not apply myself,” and similar statements of this nature are not considered extenuating circumstances and will not be considered.

• No appeal will be considered without supporting documentation. The student must have proof of his/her situation.
• The Financial Aid office will notify each student in writing of its decision.
• Students whose appeals are approved are placed on financial aid probation for one semester. At the end of each semester, students’ academic records are reviewed and students are returned to satisfactory progress or if still not meeting minimum standards are placed on financial aid suspension.
• The financial aid suspension will remain in place for appeals that are not granted.
  
  Students may appeal the decision of the Appeals Committee by submitting a written request to the Financial Aid Director. Decisions on appeals made by the Director of Financial Aid are final and may not be appealed further.