Standards of Academic Progress

• Academic Appeals
• Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid
• First-time Applicants for Financial Aid
• Exceptions / Appeals / Reinstatement
• Summary
• Financial Aid Categories of Enrollment
• Return of Title IV Funds
• Standards of Academic Progress for VA and or National Guard Educational Benefits 

The College uses your current semester GPA and your cumulative GPA to determine your academic progress. The cumulative average refers to all the courses numbered 100 and higher taken at CCTC. Notice that both averages are important. Try to always remain in good standing. Following is a chart to help you determine if you meet the standards of academic progress necessary to stay in good standing. The best approach is to maintain a “C” (2.0) or better average each and every semester. If you are not in good standing, the college faculty and staff believe that if you take fewer hours the next semester, you may be more successful.

Standards of Academic Progress Chart

Current term and cumulative GPAs are calculated at the end of each semester and are used to determine your academic status. Student Records will notify you via myCCTC e-mail if you have been placed on academic warning, probation or suspension.

If you are on academic warning or probation, you are limited to registering for a maximum of thirteen (13) credit hours, which will give you full-time status. If you pre-registered for more than 13 hours, you must reduce your hours to less than 13 by the deadline stated in your notification e-mail or you will be dropped from all classes. If you are on academic suspension, you will not be permitted to register for classes for the semester following suspension. If you pre-registered, you will be dropped from all classes. You may re-enroll after one full semester of suspension; however, you must see an admissions coordinator before you can register. During your first semester back following suspension, you will be on return from suspension status and may register for no more than seven (7) credit hours.

Academic Appeals

If you wish to appeal your suspension status or maximum enrollment hour limit, you must submit an Academic Appeal Form (available on the College’s website) and appropriate documentation to Student Records no later than the appeal deadline which is the close of business on the Thursday before the semester begins. Acceptable reasons for an appeal include extenuating circumstances which are beyond your control such as: personal illness, family difficulties, and death or serious illness of a family member. Examples of documentation include: letter from physician, obituary, divorce decree, and other verifiable documentation.

The Academic Appeals Committee will review each appeal and make a decision based on professional judgement and documentation provided. Student Records will notify the student of the committee’s decision via myCCTC e-mail. A student who appeals and is permitted to register for classes must take the classes recommended by the committee. If both of the student’s term and cumulative grade point averages are below a 2.0 for the appealed semester, the student will be suspended for two semesters with no appeal permitted.

Academic warning, probation, and suspension are separate and independent of financial aid warning, probation, and suspension just as the academic appeal process is separate from the financial aid appeal process. Academic appeals must be submitted to Student Records. The Standards of Progress for Financial Aid are covered in the paragraphs that follow. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@cctech.edu if you have questions concerning Financial Aid warning, probation, or suspension or the financial aid appeal process.

Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid

To remain eligible for financial aid at Central Carolina Technical College, a student must make reasonable academic progress toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. Satisfactory Academic Progress is a federal government requirement and is measured by a number of factors including the following:

Cumulative Grade-Point Average (Qualitative Measure)

• A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 (C) or better to remain eligible for financial aid.
• At the end of the first semester in which a student’s cumulative GPA is less than 2.00, the student will be placed on Warning. Financial aid will be continued during Warning.
• If the cumulative GPA falls below a 2.00 (C) during the probationary period, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

Cumulative Credit Hours (Quantitative Measure)

• A student must successfully pass 67% of the cumulative hours attempted including DVS and transfer hours.
• Students who do not pass at least 67% of their cumulative hours will be placed on Warning; any time a student fails to pass 67% of attempted hours thereafter, he/she is subject to suspension from federal financial aid.
• If a student receives a W, I, WA, or an F, the student does not pass the hours. These grades factor into the 67% completion requirement.

Maximum Program Hours (Quantitative Measure)

• A student may only receive financial aid for a limited number of credit hours. Eligibility for federal financial aid is terminated after a student has attempted 150% of the hours required for his or her program required hours.
• The attempted hours include all course work taken at CCTC (including DVS) and transfer credits accepted by the college.
• The Maximum Program Hours measure is program specific.
• A student transferring from another institution will have all credits accepted by CCTC considered toward the 150% maximum hours.
• Students who are within 15 credit hours of the maximum allowed by their program of study will be placed on Danger status, and should contact the aid office if they will need more hours to complete the program of study.

First-time Applicants for Financial Aid

There is a possibility that a student may be ineligible for aid, based on academic progress, even before the student applies. (CCTC looks at a student’s complete enrollment history to establish eligibility regardless of the student’s past application.)

Exceptions / Appeals / Reinstatement

Exceptions to this policy will be reviewed based on an appeals process under the umbrella of professional judgment. Students with documented appeals may be given exceptions on a case-by-case basis. A written appeal must be submitted and approved for reinstatement.

• A student on financial aid suspension may appeal by completing a Financial Aid Appeal Form, (available on the college’s web site) indicating reasons why he or she did not meet the requirements.
• Acceptable reasons for appeal include circumstances which the student could not have foreseen at the beginning of the term, and which are completely beyond the control of the student such as: personal illness, family difficulties, and death or serious illness of a family member. The student must provide appropriate documentation supporting the appeal. Incomplete appeal documents will be returned to the student, unprocessed.
• Appeals deadline will be posted prior to the beginning of each term, and notification of suspension sent to students. Appeals must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office in writing and accompanied by appropriate documentation no later than the published deadline for the semester in which the student is requesting aid. Late appeals will be processed for the following academic term.
• Students are limited to two financial aid appeals at Central Carolina Technical College.
• Initially, the appeal will be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid and/or the Satisfactory Progress Coordinator to determine the merit of the appeal. If appropriate, the appeal will be forwarded to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.
• Appeal decisions will be made within one week of the appeal deadline. Students will be notified via myCCTC e-mail.
• Students may have their financial aid reinstated with the approval of an appeal. Students reinstated by appeal will have to adhere to prescribed guidelines established by the Director of Financial Aid or the Appeal Committee.
• All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee are final. Students whose appeals are denied must regain eligibility prior to receiving additional financial assistance.

Summary

• It is the student’s responsibility to monitor his/her status for Satisfactory Academic Progress. This can be done using the student’s myCCTC account. The status is updated at the end of each semester, once grades are finalized in Student Records.
• At the end of each semester the Financial Aid Office will review the GPA, earned credit hours, and maximum hours, and notify students on Warning, Danger and Suspension as quickly as possible via myCCTC email; students who are suspended will also be notified via the US Postal Service.
• Students on Warning Status will be required to meet with his/her Academic Advisor to complete a Student Progress Plan (SPP) before being eligible to submit an SAP Appeal Form, should they change to Suspension Status.
• Students on suspension will be ineligible for all Title IV financial aid, including loans.

Financial Aid Categories of Enrollment are:

• Full-time student - enrolled for 12 or more credit hours per semester.
• Three-quarter time student - enrolled for 9 to 11 credit hours per semester.
• Half-time student - enrolled for 6 to 8 credit hours per semester.
• Less-than half-time student - enrolled for 5 or less credit hours per semester.

Return of Title IV Funds

If you receive financial aid and completely withdraw from the College, you are subject to the return of Title IV funds policy. The amount to be returned is based on the percentage of enrollment completed for the semester and the amount of financial aid assistance considered earned. Funds are returned to the appropriate programs in the following order: unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans; subsidized Federal Direct Loans; Federal Pell Grant; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant; other Title IV Assistance. The College and the student are both responsible to return unearned financial aid assistance to the appropriate program(s). Information on returned funds is available in the Financial Aid Office. Students who do not repay the required amount will be ineligible for aid until repayment has been made.

Standards of Academic Progress for VA and or National Guard Educational Benefits

Academic progress will be measured at the end of each evaluation period. Failure by a student to maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 and/or have a less than 67% pass rate for any evaluation period will result in that student being placed on academic probation (warning) for the next enrolled term per Federal and CCTC Standards of Academic Progress.

Failure by the student to attain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 during the probation term and/or obtaining a less than 67% pass rate will result in academic suspension (termination of student/Veteran’s benefits) for one term; the next enrolled term. The interruption will be reported to the Veterans Administration (VA) using VA Form 22-1999b or the applicable National Guard educational benefit administrator. Student must obtain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher during the suspension term (next enrolled term) and obtain a pass rate of 67% or higher to be considered for reinstatement of VA educational benefits. VA/CAP educational benefits will not be paid during a suspension term.

Veterans/students who obtain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA and a 67% pass rate during their suspension term are eligible to be considered for reinstatement of VA educational benefits. Veterans/students who fail to attain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 during the return term (after suspension) and/or less than 67% pass rate will be placed on academic dismissal for 2 terms; next 2 enrolled terms. Reinstatement after dismissal will be granted only if mitigating circumstances exist and are presented/documented with appeal. VA/CAP educational benefits will not be paid during dismissal terms.

Mitigating Circumstances: Mitigating circumstances are those which directly hinder pursuit of a course and which are judged to be beyond the student’s control.

Pass rate is computed based on attempted hours and hours receiving a passing grade. Receiving a “W”, “I”, “WA”, or an “F” for a class is considered a grade and used in computing a student’s pass rate.