SATISFACTORY STUDENT PROGRESS AND ACADEMIC PROBATION
Valor Christian College is required to establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their educational program. This section is in alignment with Federal Regulations 668.16 (e); 668.34. Standards for measuring SAP apply to students receiving Title IV and HEA program funding and to those students who are not receiving any form of financial assistance. Furthermore, all SAP standards apply to every student enrolled in all programs regardless of part-time or full-time status. Please note that there are cases where more than one standard may apply. When more than one standard is applicable, the student must meet the more stringent standard to comply.
SAP Standards for Title IV and Non-Title IV Students
There are two components to Satisfactory Academic Progress: (1) Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and (2) Completion Ratio (Pace). To maintain SAP, the minimum requirements for both components must be met or exceeded.
Valor Christian College requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to graduate.
The College has established an academic policy, which includes a graduated Cumulative GPA that allows a student to achieve the minimum requirement. The minimum cumulative grade point average is determined by the number of semester hours attempted. For a student to maintain SAP, they must maintain no less than a minimum GPA that corresponds with the appropriate number of attempted credit hours, see below:
Valor Christian College Cumulative GPA Standards
Per the above scale, non-title IV students who fail to earn the necessary cumulative grade point average will be placed on academic warning (“limited load” students). Students on academic warning will have until the end of the following semester to remove their warning status, or they will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation who earn below a 2.0 term GPA for the third consecutive semester will be academically dismissed. Following an academic dismissal, a student may be readmitted based on one of the following:
Valor Christian College Cumulative Pace Standards
There is a government-mandated maximum timeframe in which students can complete their educational program and still be eligible for Title IV and HEA program funding. The maximum period to finish a certificate or degree program cannot exceed 150 percent of the published length of the educational program, as measured in credit hours. To ensure that students enrolled at varying enrollment levels (full-time, part-time, half-time, and less-than- half-time) are meeting the Cumulative Pace Standard, a Cumulative Completion Ratio of 67% is required. The Completion Ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of completed hours by the number of attempted hours. Transfer courses are included in the Cumulative Completion Ratio calculation as completed and attempted courses. Remedial/developmental courses are not calculated in the student’s Cumulative Completion Ratio.
Financial Aid Warning
A complete academic report of all students’ grades will be evaluated after each financial aid payment period by the academic and financial offices. Based on the evaluation one of the following four actions will be taken:
Appeal of the Denial of Financial Aid
Valor Christian College is aware that a student may experience unusual and/or unexpected circumstances that are beyond the student’s control, which may result in academic performance that does not reflect the desire and academic abilities of the student. Such circumstances may include the death of a parent or spouse, severe prolonged illness, catastrophic events, and unavoidable/unforeseen demands for travel or overtime by one’s employer.
The student whose failure to meet the minimum GPA, Pace, or the conditions of an Academic Plan as a direct result of such an event may appeal the denial of financial aid due to the circumstance that was beyond the student’s control. The appeal must be presented to the Financial Aid Office in writing with documentation. The Financial Aid Committee will review the appeal and determine if it warrants overriding the denial of financial aid. All decisions by the Financial Aid Committee are final and will be communicated to the student by the Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is successful, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible for financial aid.
Students may also appeal a subsequent denial for failure to meet the required conditions while on Financial Aid Probation or for failure to meet the terms of an Academic Plan but the appeal cannot be due to the same circumstance or event nor can it be for a similar circumstance or event. In addition to the above appeals, a student may also appeal the denial of financial aid due to a determination that the student cannot meet the maximum completion period of 150% of the published length of the program.
Financial Aid Probation
When students are placed on Financial Aid Probation due to a successful appeal of the denial of financial aid for failure to meet SAP requirements, one of two options will be utilized:
Financial Aid Suspension/Dismissal
When a student fails to regain compliance with SAP after the Financial Aid Warning, does not appeal the Denial of Financial Aid, or the student’s appeal for the Denial of Financial Aid is not approved, the student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension, which means that the student cannot receive Title IV or HEA program funding from the College. However, the student can still attend the College for one subsequent semester. At that time, a student is given the option to meet with an academic officer to set up another Academic Plan to get them back on track. At the close of the semester in which the student is on Financial Aid Suspension, the student’s grades and Academic Plan are once again evaluated. If the student did not meet SAP requirements but did meet the student’s Academic Plan, the student may continue to attend the College. However, the student cannot receive Title IV or HEA program funds. If the student met SAP and Pace requirements, the student may appeal their Financial Aid Suspension to the Financial Aid Committee. If the student did not meet the student’s academic plan or SAP and Pace requirements, the student will be dismissed from the College. The Provost will notify the student of their dismissal in writing.
Valor Christian College is required to establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their educational program. This section is in alignment with Federal Regulations 668.16 (e); 668.34. Standards for measuring SAP apply to students receiving Title IV and HEA program funding and to those students who are not receiving any form of financial assistance. Furthermore, all SAP standards apply to every student enrolled in all programs regardless of part-time or full-time status. Please note that there are cases where more than one standard may apply. When more than one standard is applicable, the student must meet the more stringent standard to comply.
SAP Standards for Title IV and Non-Title IV Students
There are two components to Satisfactory Academic Progress: (1) Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and (2) Completion Ratio (Pace). To maintain SAP, the minimum requirements for both components must be met or exceeded.
Valor Christian College requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to graduate.
The College has established an academic policy, which includes a graduated Cumulative GPA that allows a student to achieve the minimum requirement. The minimum cumulative grade point average is determined by the number of semester hours attempted. For a student to maintain SAP, they must maintain no less than a minimum GPA that corresponds with the appropriate number of attempted credit hours, see below:
Valor Christian College Cumulative GPA Standards
1 - 29.5 semester hours 1.80 cumulative GPAGrades for transfer courses are not included in the Cumulative GPA calculation.
30 - 44.5 semester hours 1.90 cumulative GPA
45 - 59.5 semester hours 2.0 cumulative GPA
60 semester hours and thereafter 2.0 cumulative GPA
Per the above scale, non-title IV students who fail to earn the necessary cumulative grade point average will be placed on academic warning (“limited load” students). Students on academic warning will have until the end of the following semester to remove their warning status, or they will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation who earn below a 2.0 term GPA for the third consecutive semester will be academically dismissed. Following an academic dismissal, a student may be readmitted based on one of the following:
- Having taken college courses at an accredited institution during the suspension and can demonstrate improved academic performance. These courses may be transferred in, but will not adjust Valor’s cumulative grade point average calculation;
- Having been absent from Valor for one semester. A student may submit a written request to return which will be reviewed by the Provost. Students will still return with the same financial aid status at their time of dismissal. Students will meet with the Provost to determine the appropriate courses and schedule for the student to be successful. Repeating courses and working with Valor support services may be mandated by the Provost. All students are expected to maintain compliance with SAP. Students cannot hold a campus leadership position or participate in VCC platform ministry while on academic warning or probation.
Valor Christian College Cumulative Pace Standards
There is a government-mandated maximum timeframe in which students can complete their educational program and still be eligible for Title IV and HEA program funding. The maximum period to finish a certificate or degree program cannot exceed 150 percent of the published length of the educational program, as measured in credit hours. To ensure that students enrolled at varying enrollment levels (full-time, part-time, half-time, and less-than- half-time) are meeting the Cumulative Pace Standard, a Cumulative Completion Ratio of 67% is required. The Completion Ratio can be calculated by dividing the number of completed hours by the number of attempted hours. Transfer courses are included in the Cumulative Completion Ratio calculation as completed and attempted courses. Remedial/developmental courses are not calculated in the student’s Cumulative Completion Ratio.
Financial Aid Warning
A complete academic report of all students’ grades will be evaluated after each financial aid payment period by the academic and financial offices. Based on the evaluation one of the following four actions will be taken:
- Students who have not met SAP requirements, whose grades are such that they can regain compliance with SAP by the end of the subsequent semester, and who are not already on Financial Aid Warning will receive a Financial Aid Warning letter and will be able to continue to receive Title IV and HEA program funds for the subsequent semester;
- Students whose grades are such that they cannot regain SAP by the end of the subsequent Financial Aid Warning semester will be sent a Denial of Financial Aid letter notifying them that they are no longer eligible for financial aid due to their failure to meet the minimum SAP standard;
- Students who have failed to meet SAP at the end of their semester on Financial Aid Warning will be sent a Denial of Financial Aid letter notifying them that they are no longer eligible for financial aid due to their failure to meet the minimum SAP standard;
- Students who were already on Financial Aid Warning and who have regained compliance with SAP will be sent a letter notifying them that they are no longer on Financial Aid Warning.
Appeal of the Denial of Financial Aid
Valor Christian College is aware that a student may experience unusual and/or unexpected circumstances that are beyond the student’s control, which may result in academic performance that does not reflect the desire and academic abilities of the student. Such circumstances may include the death of a parent or spouse, severe prolonged illness, catastrophic events, and unavoidable/unforeseen demands for travel or overtime by one’s employer.
The student whose failure to meet the minimum GPA, Pace, or the conditions of an Academic Plan as a direct result of such an event may appeal the denial of financial aid due to the circumstance that was beyond the student’s control. The appeal must be presented to the Financial Aid Office in writing with documentation. The Financial Aid Committee will review the appeal and determine if it warrants overriding the denial of financial aid. All decisions by the Financial Aid Committee are final and will be communicated to the student by the Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is successful, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible for financial aid.
Students may also appeal a subsequent denial for failure to meet the required conditions while on Financial Aid Probation or for failure to meet the terms of an Academic Plan but the appeal cannot be due to the same circumstance or event nor can it be for a similar circumstance or event. In addition to the above appeals, a student may also appeal the denial of financial aid due to a determination that the student cannot meet the maximum completion period of 150% of the published length of the program.
Financial Aid Probation
When students are placed on Financial Aid Probation due to a successful appeal of the denial of financial aid for failure to meet SAP requirements, one of two options will be utilized:
- If the student can regain compliance with SAP by the end of the semester, the student will be required to enroll in the number of courses necessary to regain compliance by the end of the semester;
- If the student cannot regain compliance with SAP by the end of the semester, the student will be required to set up an Academic Plan that will allow the student to regain compliance with SAP at a specified date.
- If the student regains compliance with the SAP requirements, the student will be sent a letter notifying the student that the student is no longer on Financial Aid Probation,
- If the student does not regain compliance with SAP requirements, the student will be sent the Denial of Financial Aid letter and will not be able to receive Title IV or HEA program funding from the College.
- Probation is for one term/payment period only. If students are placed on probation with an academic plan, and at the end of that term they are meeting the requirements of the academic plan, then they no longer are considered on probation.
- If the student fails to meet the conditions of the student’s Academic Plan, the student will be sent the Denial of Financial Aid letter and will not be able to receive Title IV or HEA program funding from the College.
Financial Aid Suspension/Dismissal
When a student fails to regain compliance with SAP after the Financial Aid Warning, does not appeal the Denial of Financial Aid, or the student’s appeal for the Denial of Financial Aid is not approved, the student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension, which means that the student cannot receive Title IV or HEA program funding from the College. However, the student can still attend the College for one subsequent semester. At that time, a student is given the option to meet with an academic officer to set up another Academic Plan to get them back on track. At the close of the semester in which the student is on Financial Aid Suspension, the student’s grades and Academic Plan are once again evaluated. If the student did not meet SAP requirements but did meet the student’s Academic Plan, the student may continue to attend the College. However, the student cannot receive Title IV or HEA program funds. If the student met SAP and Pace requirements, the student may appeal their Financial Aid Suspension to the Financial Aid Committee. If the student did not meet the student’s academic plan or SAP and Pace requirements, the student will be dismissed from the College. The Provost will notify the student of their dismissal in writing.