Satisfactory Academic Progress
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUED FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress in the program of study they are pursuing in order to receive financial aid. At DMACC, a student must earn and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. The student must also earn a minimum number of credits per year to continue receiving aid. Financial aid includes all federal and state grants, college work-study and loans, including the Federal Direct Student Loans. Academic records will be reviewed every semester.

Financial Aid Academic Progress Standards
Financial Aid Academic Progress Standards are established to encourage students to successfully complete courses and progress satisfactorily toward program completion.
Students shall maintain the following academic standards to continue receiving financial aid:

1. Qualitative Measurement:
   a. During the first term a student is enrolled and receiving financial aid at DMACC he/she must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
   b. Subsequent terms will require the student to earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
   c. Acceptable grades to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA are: A (superior), B (above average), C (average), P (pass), T (credit by testing). A grade of D (below average) will be acceptable only from the standpoint that it is figured into the cumulative GPA.
   d. If a student receives an I (incomplete), W (withdraw or dropped), X (repeats), or F (failing), he/she may receive financial aid as long as the student completes the required minimum hours for each calendar year and maintains a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
   
2. Quantitative Measurement:
   a. If receiving aid as a full-time student (registered for 12 or more credits), a minimum of 8 credits must be earned each regular semester (16 credits per calendar year).
   b. If receiving aid as a 3/4 time student (registered for 9, 10, or 11 credits), a minimum of 6 credits must be earned each regular semester (12 credits per calendar year).
   c. If receiving aid as a 1/2 time student (registered for 6, 7, or 8 credits), a minimum of 4 credits must be earned each regular semester (8 credits per calendar year).
   d. Minimum credits not earned will result in deficit credits. The number of deficit credits must be eliminated the next term of enrollment.
   e. Summer credits earned will be included when totaling minimum credits completed for each calendar year.
   
3. Warning Status
   Students will be placed on Warning Status if either the qualitative or quantitative criteria are not met. During the next term of enrollment the student must increase his/her grade point average to a cumulative 2.0 GPA if the qualitative measurement was not met. If the student does not earn the minimum required credits, he/she must earn the deficit credits the next term that he/she is enrolled in addition to the minimum credits required by the next term. (Example: if a full-time student is deficient by 4 hours fall semester, a total of 4 + 8 credits with an appropriate GPA
   must be maintained spring semester).
   
4. Cancellation of Eligibility
   The second consecutive term a student fails to meet one or more of the minimum progress standards, he/she will have his/her eligibility for financial aid cancelled.
   
5. Regaining Eligibility
   To regain eligibility for financial aid, the student will be required to regain a cumulative 2.0 GPA at his/her own expense. If the student did not earn the minimum credits for which he/she received aid, the student must earn the number of deficit credits, as indicated in point 3 above, at his/her own expense. If the student is re-enrolling after an absence of one or more terms and has had financial aid cancelled, the minimum qualitative and quantitative standards to regain eligibility must be met. If he/she feels extenuating circumstances prevented these standards from being maintained, an appeal may be made in writing to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. If the student is reinstated for financial aid as a result of an appeal, attendance and compliance with the committee’s instruction letter will be monitored. If the student is reported as not attending classes, or complying with the terms of the appeal, any subsequent financial aid will be cancelled.
   
6. Transfer Students
   Students transferring to DMACC may have credits accepted at DMACC but accepted credits will not be figured into the cumulative GPA. Students will be held responsible only for academic progress made at DMACC.
   
7. Appeals of Cancellation of Eligibility
   A student may submit a written appeal documenting extenuating circumstances that prevented him/her from meeting minimum standards. Appeal forms will be mailed with the cancellation letters. The deadline for a written appeal will be indicated on the appeal form included with the letter of cancellation. Additional forms are available at the Financial Aid Office, Ankeny Campus; and the Business Offices at the Boone, Carroll, Newton, Urban and West campuses.
   A student may be required to meet with an academic counselor before aid is finalized. Following the Appeal Committee’s meeting, staff will attempt to call all affected students concerning the Committee’s decision. In addition, a written summary of the Committee’s decision will be mailed to the individual student.
   
8. Duration of Eligibility
   Students who have earned two (2) Associate Degrees at DMACC will need to seek the advice of an academic counselor before receiving further financial aid. Students who have earned 150% of the number of credits required to graduate in their program will need to seek the advice of an academic counselor before receiving further financial aid. (Example: the student’s program requires 64 credits for completion; the student has earned 96 credits without completing the program, he/she will need to seek advice from an academic counselor).
   NOTE: The student’s program of study may require more credit hours than the minimums stated by this policy.

Never Attending Process (10th day — NA)
Prior to the 10th day of class, instructors are provided class lists and must identify students who have Never Attended their class. Students will receive a letter indicating the classes that were reported. Students are instructed that if they have been reported in error, they need to obtain their instructor’s signature and submit the signed letter to the Information Center by the deadline provided. If the letter is not returned, the student is dropped from those reported classes and the student’s financial aid is adjusted accordingly. If a balance is then due, a letter is sent to the student indicating the amount and a due date.

Quit Attending Process (mid-term — QA)
Instructors are asked to report students who have quit attending. A letter is sent to the students showing what classes have been reported as QA. They must obtain the instructor’s signature and submit the signed letter to the FAO. If all instructors report a student as QA, a Return to Title IV calculation is completed. The student is dropped from his classes and receives a letter telling him of any amount he may owe to the college or Department of Education and the methods of repayment. Those students who are reported in some, but not all, of their classes as QA should consider dropping those courses in order to avoid getting a failing grade.

Leave of Absence
A leave of absence may be granted to a student who leaves DMACC for military reasons or for jury duty. Only one leave per academic year will be allowed. The student must return by the end of the leave of absence or the student is treated as a withdrawal.

Return of Financial Aid Title IV Funds
If any amount of tuition is paid with funds from a Title IV Program and the student withdraws during the established refund period, the Title IV program funds will be adjusted and any unearned aid will be returned in the following order: Loans: Federal Unsubsidized, Federal Subsidized and Federal Plus. Grants: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Other Title IV programs. Under federal law DMACC must return the funds as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after DMACC determines the student’s withdrawal date.

A student’s financial aid is based on the number of classes the student is enrolled in and the number of days the student is enrolled in classes. When a student initiates a withdrawal from one or more classes the amount of financial aid the student is eligible to receive is affected. The Return of Title IV funds to the federal government is based on a calculation which determines how much aid the student is eligible to receive and how much the student is no longer eligible for, because he/she is no longer enrolled in school. This calculation is applicable until the student has completed more than 60 percent of the semester. Once the student has completed more than 60 percent of the semester, all financial aid is considered earned.

For example:
If a student completed 10 percent of the semester, the student will have earned 10 percent of the financial assistance awarded for the semester. Any aid above and beyond the 10 percent is considered unearned and must be returned to the federal government.

Who Is Responsible for Returning the Unearned Funds?
As prescribed by federal law DMACC is required to return the lesser of:

• The unearned amount of the financial aid; or
• An amount equal to the student’s total institutional charges for the semester, multiplied by the percentage of unearned aid.

As prescribed by federal law the amount the student must return is:

• The unearned amount of Title IV assistance minus any funds DMACC returned.

If the student is required to repay unearned loan funds, these funds will be repaid in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, through scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time. If the student is required to repay unearned Pell and/or SEOG Grant funds, the law provides that the student is only required to return 50 percent of the unearned grant. Any unearned grant money must be repaid by either making arrangements with DMACC or with the U.S. Department of Education.

Example:
Penny Allowance is a returning student from Des Moines who was disappointed to have to withdraw from DMACC during the semester, particularly since she is doing very well in the twelve credit hours she is taking. Penny has to withdraw for personal reasons.

Penny was awarded the following financial aid, which was credited to her student account:
Federal Direct Student Loan ............................$1,261
Federal Pell Grant ............................................2,000
Federal SEOG.....................................................250
Total Financial Aid Awarded ............................ $3,511

Penny completed only 11 days of classes or 10 percent of the semester. Penny’s tuition and fee charges for the full semester are $1,206. To determine how much money must be returned by
DMACC and Penny the financial aid staff must first determine how much financial aid Penny did not earn.

Since Penny only attended 10 percent of the semester, she only earned 10 percent of her financial aid. Therefore, the unearned percent of her financial aid
is 90 percent.
Total Financial Aid Awarded.............................$3,511
Multiply Percent of Unearned Aid......................X .90
Amount of Unearned Aid............................$3,159.90
Per federal requirements, DMACC and Penny must repay a total of $3,159.90. DMACC is required to return the lesser of the unearned amount of financial aid, or the amount of total institutional charges multiplied by the percent of unearned aid.

In this example DMACC would be required to pay back the amount of institutional charges, because it is the lesser amount.
Total Institutional Charges .............................$1,206
Multiply Percent of Unearned Aid......................X .90
Amount to be Repaid ...............................$1,085.40

Penny is required to return the remaining unearned amount.
Total Unearned Aid ...................................$3,159.90
Subtract Percent of Unearned Aid.................1,085.40
Amount Penny Must Repay .......................$2,074.50

Amount and Order of Repayment
In the example, both DMACC and Penny must return loan funds. After completing the calculations and following the repayment guidelines it was determined that DMACC should repay $1,085.40 to Penny’s loan. Penny will be required to repay $175.60 to the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, through a repayment plan in accordance with the terms of her promissory note. In addition, based on the calculations, $1,898.90 of Penny’s Pell Grant was unearned. As DMACC has already paid the total amount it owes to the loan program, Penny is responsible for paying back the unearned Pell Grant. However, because the unearned Pell Grant money is to be repaid by Penny (the student), only 50 percent of the unearned grant must be repaid.
Unearned Pell Grant .................................$1,898.90 X .50 = $ 949.45

Title IV Grant Overpayment
If a student is required to repay an unearned grant (overpayment), the student will remain eligible for Title IV aid up to 45 days after the student has been notified of the overpayment. The student may resolve the overpayment by repaying the overpayment in full to DMACC, by making satisfactory repayment arrangements with DMACC, or by making satisfactory repayment arrangements with the U.S. Department of Education.

Outstanding Balance on DMACC Account
If a student withdraws from DMACC prior to completing 60 percent of the semester, the student is responsible for paying any outstanding tuition and fee charges that remain after DMACC has repaid any unearned financial aid to the federal government.

Example:
Penny’s tuition and fee charges for the term are $1,206. Because Penny withdrew during the third week of classes (11 days), her tuition refund is calculated at 50 percent. DMACC refunded (adjusted) Penny’s tuition bill to $603.00. Because Penny only earned 10 percent of her financial aid, only $351.10 of her DMACC bill was covered. Penny still owes DMACC $251.90. She will need to make payment arrangements with the DMACC Student Accounts Office.

Post Withdrawal Disbursement
The federal law provides that if a student did not receive all of his/her earned financial assistance prior to leaving school DMACC may credit a student’s account for any outstanding institutional charges. However, DMACC must seek the student’s written permission within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal date to do so.

Questions Concerning Return of Financial Aid Title IV Funds
Contact the DMACC Financial Aid Office by calling 1-800-362-2127, ext. 6282. As the regulations governing Return of Title IV aid are subject to change, refer to the Financial Aid website for up-to-date information.