Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress

According to the United States Department of Education regulations and Missouri Department of Higher Education policy, all students applying for federal and/or state financial assistance (as well as some private, credit-based loans) must meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress in a degree program to receive funding.

Satisfactory progress is measured in terms of qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time standards. All prior coursework at Columbia College is applied to these standards.

Qualitative Measure

The quality of a student's progress is measured by grade point average (cumulative GPA). The minimum cumulative GPA for Financial Aid recipients is the same as the academic standard for Columbia College:

Quantitative Measure

The quantity of a student's progress is measured by the Cumulative Completion Rate (hours earned divided by hours attempted). Students are required to complete 2/3 of attempted hours while at Columbia College. Students who receive an I (incomplete), F (failing), W (withdrawal), or WE (excused withdrawal) for a course in a semester or session will have those courses included in the cumulative attempted hours (for definition of grades please see academic policies, regulations, and procedures in the academic catalog). The Cumulative Completion Rate will be calculated in December and May to determine eligibility for financial aid for the following term. All courses will be included in the Cumulative Completion Rate calculated.

Please note the following:

• Repeated courses will add total hours attempted but not hours completed; the grade will simply be replaced. The new grade will be included in the cumulative GPA calculation, which will be considered when progress is again checked; therefore the repeated course will be included in both qualitative and quantitative calculations.
• Withdrawals, including excused withdrawals, will count toward hours attempted for the Cumulative Completion Rate as well as cumulative GPA.
• Remedial, Enrichment and English as a Second Language courses will count toward the Cumulative Completion Rate as well as cumulative GPA.
• Audit and Pass/Fail courses will count toward the Cumulative Completion Rate.
• Transfer credit (including those received during consortium study) will count in the calculation of both cumulative attempted credit hours and cumulative completed credit hours. Transfer credit will not count toward the Cumulative Completion Rate. Transfer credit does not count in the calculation of GPA.

Maximum Time Measure

Financial Aid recipients must complete an educational program within a time frame no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program. All attempted withdrawn, and/or transferred credits that apply to a students program count toward this maximum time limit. For example, a student pursuing a bachelor's degree requiring 120 credit hours may attempt up to 180 hours before Financial Aid eligibility is suspended (120 x 150% = 180).

Financial Aid recipients that have reached 100% of the published length of the educational program will be notified via CougarMail that they are approaching their maximum time frame. These warnings will continue to be sent each time academic progress is reviewed until a student reaches 150%. At 150% the student will no longer be eligible to receive federal financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of financial aid recipients twice per academic year; once in December and again in May. A student may appeal (see appeal procedures).

Financial Aid Probation and Suspension

Failure to meet the minimum academic progress requirements will result in Financial Aid Probation and Suspension. The first time a student fails to meet the minimum (quantitative or qualitative) requirement, he/she will be placed on financial aid probation. Probation is a warning, in writing via CougarMail, that subsequent failure to meet the minimum requirement will result in financial aid suspension. The second and subsequent time a student fails to meet the minimum requirement will result in loss of financial aid for the following terms of enrollment.

If placed on Financial Aid Suspension, notification will be sent to the student and all forms of Title IV federal and state aid will be withdrawn for the next terms in which the student enrolls. The Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of financial aid recipients twice per academic year; once in December and again in May. Notification of suspension is sent via email to a student's CougarMail address and via postal mail.

Reinstatement

Financial Aid may be reinstated when one of the following conditions has been met:

• The student completes courses in one or more terms at Columbia College with the cumulative GPA at the required standard.

OR

• The student files an appeal and the Campus Hearing Board approves the appeal (see appeal procedures).

It is the student's responsibility to notify the Student Financial Services Office when reinstatement conditions have been met.

Appeal Procedure

Students who have been suspended from financial aid may make a written appeal for reinstatement of eligibility if extenuating circumstances have contributed to their inability to meet the requirements for satisfactory progress. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Death of an immediate family member
• Severe injury or illness of the student or an immediate family member
• Emergency situations such as fire or flood
• Legal separation from spouse or divorce
• Military reassignment or required job transfers or shift changes

Students, who do not meet the above criteria and/or cannot thoroughly document such situations, must reestablish eligibility through reinstatement before any additional federal or state aid will be disbursed.

Students who have extenuating circumstances may appeal using the following procedures:

1. Submit a completed appeal packet to the Student Financial Services Office or by using the online form. (see appeal packet).
2. The completed appeal packet is presented to the Campus Hearing Board for review.
3. The student is notified in writing via CougarMail of the Board's decision and recommendations. The Board's decision is final.