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Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible to attend North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) and receive financial aid. This College policy is based upon federal Title IV regulations, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 136 A, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board Policy 2.9.

The College President shall be responsible for the implementation of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy. The Registrar shall be responsible for overseeing that the MnSCU student data system (currently ISRS) is used for monitoring and recording SAP. The Associate Dean of Financial Aid and the Dean of Student Affairs shall be responsible for monitoring SAP in compliance with this policy. At a minimum the SAP policy shall be posted to the NHCC financial aid web pages and printed in the NHCC student planner.

Progress Standards:

North Hennepin Community College shall monitor all credits for all students, whether or not a student receives financial aid. The standards below shall be applied beginning with the student's 6th attempted credit.

  • Qualitative - Grade Point Average (GPA): All students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
  • Quantitative - Completion Rate: All students must maintain a minimum cumulative completion rate of 67%.
  • Maximum Time-Frame: All students are expected to complete their degree/certificate within an acceptable time frame. The maximum time frame for financial aid recipients is 150% of the published credit length of the program. Financial aid recipients may receive aid until their cumulative registered credits equal 150% of the required number of credits needed to complete their degree/certificate. Students pursuing a double major or a second degree are eligible to receive financial aid until their cumulative registered credits equal 150% of the required number of credits for their dual or second program.

Evaluation Period:

Academic progress is evaluated at the end of each term (fall, spring and summer).

Failure to Meet Standards:

  • Probation: Students who do not maintain satisfactory academic progress standards are placed on probation. Students on probation are allowed to register and receive financial aid.
  • Continued Probation: Students on probation who earn a term GPA of at least 2.5 and a term completion rate of 100% continue on probation and are allowed to register and receive financial aid.
  • Suspension: Students on probation who do not meet either the cumulative progress standards or the term continued probation standards are placed on suspension. Suspended students are unable to register and/or receive financial aid until an appeal is approved or satisfactory academic standards are met.
  • Maximum Time Frame: Students who do not meet the maximum time frame standard are immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility.
  • Suspension due to Extraordinary Circumstances: Eligibility for registration and financial aid may be immediately suspended for a student in the event of extraordinary circumstances, such as a student who was previously suspended and whose academic performance falls below acceptable standards during a subsequent term, a student who registers for but does not earn any credits for two consecutive terms, or a student who demonstrates an attendance pattern that abuses the receipt of financial aid either at NHCC or prior institutions. In addition, financial aid eligibility shall be immediately suspended if it is determined that it is not possible for a student to meet the GPA or completion rate requirements before reaching the end of the program for which they are receiving financial aid.

Notification:

Students shall be notified in writing of their probation and/or suspension status as well as the result of all appeals.

Appeals:

Students have the right to appeal their suspension status based on unusual or extenuating circumstances, including, but not limited to death of a relative, or an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student. Appeals require appropriate supporting documentation.

  • Academic Suspension: To appeal academic suspension, students need to complete an Appeal Academic Suspension form. Academic Appeals are reviewed by Counselors and Advisors in accordance with the Bridge to Academic Success Program (BTAS) Program.
  • Financial Aid Suspension: To appeal a financial aid suspension, students need to complete an Appeal Financial Aid Suspension form. Financial aid appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.

Appeals of adverse decisions shall be considered by an Appeals Committee.

Reinstatement:

Academic reinstatement may be separate from financial aid reinstatement. It is possible to regain eligibility to register for classes, but not regain eligibility for financial aid. Neither a period of absence from college, nor paying for classes out-of-pocket is sufficient to reinstate eligibility.

  • Academic Reinstatement : Students on academic suspension may regain eligibility to register only after an academic suspension appeal is approved. Such students remain on academic suspension and subject to the conditions of the appeal.
  • Financial Aid Reinstatement : Students on financial aid suspension may regain eligibility for financial aid only after a financial aid suspension appeal is approved. Such students remain on financial aid suspension and subject to the conditions of the appeal.
  • Return to Academic/Financial Aid Good Standing: Students return to good standing only after achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a cumulative completion rate of 67%. Such students are no longer on suspension and are eligible to register and receive financial aid.

Additional Elements:

  • Treatment of Grades:
      • Attempted, and Not Earned Credits: Letter grades of F, FN (failure for non-attendance), I (incomplete), NC (no credit), W (withdraw), or Z (in progress/unreported) are counted as credits attempted but not successfully completed.
      • Attempted, Earned Credits: Letter grades of A, B, C, D, P (pass), and Honor grades HA and HB are counted as completed credits.
      • Failure for Non-Attendance: An FN may be assigned when students have never attended or are no longer attending or completing class assignments. The FN is used for last date of attendance purposes. Credits for which an FN is received are considered attempted credits but not successfully completed credits. Thus, an FN does not impact GPA but does negatively impact the completion rate and the maximum time frame requirements.
      • Grade Point Average: Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using a grade point value for grades of A, B, C, D, F, and Honor grades HA and HB. Although a P will count as a credit completed, it carries no grade point value.
      • Incomplete Grade: A grade of I (incomplete) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when students have completed most of the course work at a passing level, cannot complete the remaining work on schedule because of illness or other unusual circumstance, and have requested a grade of incomplete. A grade of I is a temporary grade and will automatically become an F grade (or NC in the case of courses numbered below 1000) at the end of the next semester (not including summer session) if the required course work is not completed.
      • Academic Amnesty : Credits for which a student has been granted academic amnesty are excluded from academic progress calculations, but are included in financial aid academic progress calculations.
      • Audited Courses: Audited credits are not funded by financial aid and are excluded from all academic progress calculations.
      • Consortium Credits: Consortium credits are included only in financial aid academic progress calculations.
      • Developmental Credits: Developmental credits (courses below the 1000 level) are included in all academic progress calculations. Students may receive financial aid for developmental credits up to a maximum of 30 credit hours (excluding ESOL). Up to 30 developmental credits shall be excluded from the maximum time-frame calculation.
      • ESOL Credits: ESOL credits are included in all academic progress calculations.
      • Repeated Credits: Students may repeat a class to review course material or improve a grade. Repeated credits are included in the completion rate and maximum time frame calculations. All grades remain on the transcript. Only the highest grade recorded is included in the GPA calculation.
      • Transfer Credits: Transfer credits (earned at another college and accepted by NHCC) are excluded from the GPA and completion rate calculations, but included in the maximum time frame calculation.
      • Withdraws: A W is assigned when a student withdraws from a class after the drop period for the semester has ended. Credits for which a W is received are considered attempted credits but not successfully completed credits. Thus, a W does not impact GPA but does negatively impact the completion rate and the maximum time frame requirements.