Compliance with the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Financial aid recipients will be evaluated at least once each academic year in order to determine compliance with the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Alll financial aid recipients must meet SAP for Tidewater Community College. Failure to meet these criteria will result in the loss of the student’s financial aid eligibility. If eligibility for financial aid is suspended, but then the student improves his/her academic performance and begins meeting the standards while paying tuition personally, he/she may be eligible to have financial aid eligibility reinstated.
Requesting Probationary Status for the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The campus Financial Aid Administrator may exercise his/her professional judgment and certify a student for SAP probationary status. This allows the student to continue receiving aid, while detailing specific criteria that he/she must meet in order to continue aid eligibility. Please see the Student Handbook for more information regarding SAP Probation.
Repeated Courses
For the purpose of determining compliance with SAP, repeated courses will follow the general College policy. This policy states that when a course is repeated, only the most recent attempt will be used in the calculation of a student’s cumulative grade point average. While only the most recent attempt is used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA, all previous attempts remain on the academic record and cannot be removed.
Auditing Courses
Students are not eligible to receive financial aid for audited courses. Students who begin in a graded course and then change that course to audited status will lose financial aid eligibility for that course.
Developmental Courses
Students may only receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 credit hours of developmental course work, per federal guidelines. Students who wish to take developmental courses beyond the 30 credit hour maximum will not receive aid for those additional developmental courses.
Transfer Credits
Transfer credits, as well as the total number of
credits the student has attempted at TCC, will be included
in determining the percentage of program completed as it relates to the 150% maximum criteria of SAP.
Changes in Enrollment
Changes in enrollment may impact a student’s eligibility for financial aid.
Students who enroll in classes and then drop by the College’s last day to drop for a tuition refund will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. Any financial aid awarded for the semester will be cancelled. Students who use financial aid for bookstore purchases, then drop classes and have aid cancelled, must return their books to the bookstore for a full refund to the original financial aid source, or pay for these charges personally.
Students who enroll in classes, but are reported by faculty as never attending, will have aid awards cancelled for the semester. Students who use financial aid for bookstore purchases, then never attend and have aid cancelled, must return their books to the bookstore for a full refund to the original financial aid source, or pay for these charges personally.
Students who enroll in classes and then withdraw before the Last Day to Withdraw Without Academic Penalty (60% of semester) are subject to a Return of Title IV Funds calculation. This calculation is mandated by the U.S. Department of Education and is meant to determine the amount of federal financial aid that a student has earned based on the number of days attended. If it is determined that a student has not earned all of the aid he/she received, the student will be responsible for repayment of funds.
Understanding Aid Adjustments
Financial aid awards are made based on anticipated full time enrollment. If you do not enroll full time, aid is adjusted accordingly after the Last Day to Drop for a Tuition Refund (see Academic Calendar for sixteen week courses).
After financial aid adjustments are made based on actual enrollment, you will be notified if you owe an outstanding balance to the College. This notification will be sent via email to your College email address. You will have fourteen days to pay the outstanding balance to the Business Office. If payment is not received by the deadline stated in the email, your classes will begin to drop until payment is received or your financial aid is sufficient to cover charges.
If you are receiving a Federal Pell Grant, you must be enrolled in all intended courses by the Last Day to Drop for a Tuition Refund for the sixteen week semester. No adjustments (increase or decrease) will be made to your Pell Grant award if you change your enrollment after this date. If you add courses late in the semester (dynamic or second-eight week), you may be eligible for state aid or student loans, but there will be no adjustment to your Pell Grant award. This also applies to students who drop a course and then decide to re-enroll after the Last Day to Drop for a Tuition Refund. The only exception to this regulation will be in the case of administrative error. Please also understand that if you are reported for never attending a class, your aid will be canceled for that class and your Pell Grant award finalized. If you gain permission from your faculty member to re-enroll after the Last Day to Drop for a Tuition Refund, your Pell Grant award will not be increased. This procedure adheres to federal regulations as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
