Financial aid applicants are required to meet satisfactory academic progress as established by Macomb Community College, based on Federal regulations.  This policy is separate from the College’s general probation policy.

Policy

To maintain satisfactory academic progress, a student must comply with all three requirements of this policy.  Satisfactory academic progress status is calculated at the end of each semester.

              I.      Total Attempted Credit Hours

Students cannot receive financial aid if they have attempted more than 93 credit hours.  Attempted credit hours include all classes with an earned letter grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D or D- and P classes with an unearned grade of E, “W” for withdrawal, “I” for incomplete, “R” for repeated classes or “F” for fail.  All attempted credit hours are counted in the 93 attempted credit hour total including classes for which a student paid with his/her own money and classes transferred in from other colleges or universities.

Attempted Credit Hours include the following, whether or not paid for by financial aid:

·    Classes with an earned letter grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or P

·    Classes with an unearned letter grade of E, W, I, or F

·    Repeated classes

·    Classes transferred from other colleges or universities

·    Classes paid with student’s own money

Note:  Students cannot receive financial aid for audited classes.

            II.      Credit Hours to be Completed

Each semester a student must complete 67% of total attempted credit hours to be satisfactory.  For example, a student enrolled for 16 credit hours must complete 67% of the credit hours, which is 11 credit hours (67% x 16 = 11).  The chart below provides students with guidelines for credit hours to be completed.

          III.      Must maintain 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA)

A student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average or above, each semester.

          IV.      Important information you need to know

A.      INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

Students who apply for financial aid and have credits already accumulated at Macomb Community College must have successfully earned, with a 2.0 grade point average or above, 67% of all credit hours attempted.  A student cannot have attempted more than 93 credit hours.  All credits, even if paid from a student’s own resources, will be included.  When a student does not complete 67% of all credit hours attempted with a 2.0 GPA or better, he/she will be placed on probation.  A student can receive financial aid while on probation.

Students with transfer credits from other institutions will not have the grade point average or percentage of attempted credit hours analyzed, but will have the total number of transfer credits counted in the total number of attempted credit hours.  For example, if a student has 50 transfer credits, he/she is only allowed to receive financial aid for 43 attempted credit hours at Macomb Community College (50 + 43 = 93 maximum hours).  A student will be denied financial aid when he/she has attempted more than 93 credit hours.

B.      PROBATION

Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress will be placed on probation for the semester they next enroll for classes.  Probation is a warning to a student that he/she must maintain satisfactory academic progress for the probationary semester.  If a student does maintain satisfactory academic progress while on probation, he/she will be off probation the next semester.  When a student does not maintain satisfactory academic progress while on probation, he/she will be denied aid for any future semesters.

C.      DENIED AID

Denied aid means a student must pay for future classes at Macomb Community College at his/her own expense.

D.      REINSTATEMENT

A student denied aid could receive financial aid again by completing at least 6 credit hours at Macomb Community College with a 2.0 semester grade point average. The student must register for these classes and pay the tuition with their own funds. If the student does not take all 6 credits in one semester, he/she must contact the Financial Aid Office when the reinstatement criteria have been met.  Classes taken at institutions other than Macomb Community College do not count towards reinstatement.  If a student has been reinstated once and fails to complete at least 67% of classes attempted with a 2.0 or better GPA, the student will not be placed on probation, but will be denied financial aid.  A student may not be reinstated more than two times at Macomb Community College.  Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress during the second reinstatement will result in termination of financial aid.

E.      APPEAL PROCESS

Students may not make satisfactory academic progress due to extenuating or special circumstances.  Macomb Community College has an appeal process in which a student can explain, in writing, any special circumstances.  Documentation explaining the reason for the unsatisfactory academic performance must be submitted with the appeal.  A committee, on a case-by-case basis, reviews each appeal. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement.  If an appeal is approved, the committee may impose enrollment restrictions on the student for the best chance of academic success.  Appeal forms may be requested from the Macomb Community College Financial Aid Office only after notification of denial of aid.

Approved by President’s Council

April 8, 2009