Students who receive assistance from the Federal Pell Grant Program, Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program, and Alabama Student Assistance Programs (ASAP) are required to make Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the goal of completing their declared degree or certificate programs.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be checked at the end of each semester/term. The progress of students who received federal and state financial aid funds will be measured against the following Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and will be subject to the following policies:
Required Credit Hours, Grade-Point Averages (GPAs), and Required Pace of Completion
Students who are enrolled in an Associate Degree or Certificate Program requiring more than 26 credit hours must meet the following standards:
- After attempting 0-21 credit hours, must earn a 1.50 GPA and complete 58% of the enrolled hours.
- After attempting 22-32 credit hours, must earn a 1.75 GPA and complete 62% of the enrolled hours.
- After attempting 33 or more credit hours, must earn a 2.00 GPA and complete 67% of the enrolled hours.
Students who are enrolled in Certificate Programs with 26 credit hours or less must meet the following standards:
- After attempting 1-17 credit hours, must earn a 1.50 GPA and complete 58% of the enrolled hours.
- After attempting 18 or more credit hours, must earn a 2.00 GPA and complete 67% of the enrolled hours
*All hours attempted, including those in which the student withdrew, will be included in this calculation, even if financial aid was not received.
Financial Aid Warning
According to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, if a student is not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of an academic semester, he/she may be granted a one-semester Financial Aid Warning Period and awarded financial assistance during this Period. At the end of the Financial Aid Warning Period, the student must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for the Financial Aid Warning status to be lifted and to be eligible to continue receiving financial aid.
Financial Aid Suspension (Termination of Aid)
Students who do not successfully establish Satisfactory Academic Progress after the Financial Aid Warning Period will be placed on failing SAP status and become ineligible for any additional financial aid. Students may regain financial aid eligibility based on one of the following criteria:
- The student may enroll in and pass classes while paying tuition and fees out of pocket in order to meet the Financial Aid SAP requirements or
- The student submits a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal stating the extenuating circumstances to justify an exception to the SAP Policy for review by the Director of Financial Aid to determine restoration of federal student aid.
If a student is re-admitted to the College through an academic appeal, financial aid will remain suspended until one of the above criteria is met. The student must bring his/her academic record into compliance with the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements before financial aid can be reinstated.
Appeal Process and Extenuating Circumstances
Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to request reinstatement of federal financial aid due to mitigating circumstances must submit the Financial Aid Appeal Form along with a letter explaining any unusual circumstances that affected academic performance. Supporting documentation is required. Examples of acceptable documentation include:
– Death of an immediate relative (death certificate or obituary)
– Auto accident (police report and/or physician’s note)
– Prolonged illness (statement from a physician)
The appeal must also explain what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements moving forward. Appeals should be addressed to the Director of Financial Aid at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester. Appeals submitted after the deadline are not guaranteed review for the current term and will be considered for the following semester. Notification of the SAP appeal decision will be sent via email to the student's email address.
Upon approval, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation and awarded financial assistance for that period. Academic progress is then monitored to determine whether the student continues to meet the conditions outlined in the appeal approval, which may include maintaining a minimum GPA and successfully completing all attempted coursework. Students who fail to meet the stipulated conditions will become ineligible for financial aid and may submit a new appeal for the following academic year. Any subsequent appeal must be based on new and distinct circumstances.
Students are limited to two SAP appeals during their academic career at Trenholm State Community College, and only one appeal may be submitted per academic year. Appeals cannot be submitted for the same reason as a prior appeal. SAP appeals decisions are final and cannot be appealed further. Retroactive appeals for prior terms are not permitted.
Students whose appeals are denied remain ineligible for federal financial aid until they meet SAP standards. These students may continue enrollment at their own expense.
Repeating Courses
A student receiving Title IV aid may repeat courses; however, the repeated hours will be included in the Financial Aid SAP calculations as hours attempted and hours earned. A federal financial aid recipient cannot repeat a previously passed course more than one (1) time, either as a single course or in a block of courses. For this purpose, “passed” means any grade higher than an “F,” regardless of any program policy requiring a higher grade to be considered passed for the course.
Developmental Courses
A Title IV recipient who has enrolled in a developmental course and failed may not enroll in the same course more than three (3) times and continue to receive financial assistance. If the Title IV recipient enrolls in the same developmental course more than three (3) times, financial aid will not pay for subsequent enrollments in this course. A Title IV recipient may not be paid for more than 30 semester credit hours of developmental work. Developmental courses are counted in the hours attempted and hours earned.
Maximum Time Frame
The maximum time frame allowed to complete a program of study without a financial aid penalty cannot exceed 150% of the published length of a specific program, measured in credit hours attempted in credit-hour programs. Students who have reached the maximum timeframe for their current program of study may file a Financial Aid Appeal to be considered for an extension of additional hours to complete their program of study due to mitigating circumstances. If a student files an appeal due to the Maximum Timeframe, he/she must meet the other two components of Satisfactory Academic Progress (GPA and Completion Rate/PACE).
Certificate Programs
Certificate programs offered at the College that are Title IV eligible are subject to a clock-to-credit hour conversion. For students enrolled in these Title IV-eligible certificate programs, the clock-to-credit-hour conversion may result in reduced Federal Pell Grant awards each semester/term. Short-term Certificate Programs are not Title IV eligible.
Transfer or Readmitted Students
Students who transfer to Trenholm State Community are required to submit an official copy of their academic transcript(s) from all previously attended postsecondary institutions. After the Registrar evaluates all transcripts, transfer credits that apply to the student’s program at the College will be included in the hours attempted and hours earned for future Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations. Please be advised that transfer students’ GPAs are not included in the Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations.
Change of Program of Study
All periods of a student’s enrollment will be counted when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), which includes periods in which the student did not receive Federal Student Aid (FSA). A change of program of study is allowed if the student continues to make Satisfactory Academic Progress.
All credit hours attempted by the student in their previous programs, including transfer credits, will be included in the Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation. A student may receive aid for up to 150% of the normal timeframe for the new program of study.
Class Attendance Policy for Financial Aid
Class attendance is essential to the educational process at Trenholm State Community College. The College subscribes to the philosophy that students will achieve academic success in direct proportion to class attendance. We also subscribe to the belief that the ability to manage one’s attendance and punctuality is a critical component of job-readiness that each student must master. Therefore, students are responsible for attending all classes, being punctual, and performing assignments as prescribed by the instructor and the appropriate course syllabus.
The attendance policy applicable to a specific instructional program may be more restrictive than the College policy and, therefore, has precedence. These policies may be influenced by external agency requirements and will be noted in the individual course syllabus. Faculty are required to verify attendance at a requested time to complete reporting data and comply with federal financial aid regulations, including VA, WIOA, Title IV, Scholarship Recipients, and others.
Return of Title IV Funds
Students who receive Federal Student Aid (FSA) and who fully withdraw, cease attending, or fail to complete the term may be required to repay unearned Title IV Funds awarded for the period of enrollment in which an official or unofficial withdrawal occurred. The term “Title IV Funds” refers to the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV, HEA Program), including the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).
A Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation is required for official and unofficial withdrawals. An official withdrawal is the federal term used when a student begins the official withdrawal process or provides official notification to the school of his/her intent to withdraw. An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student fails to earn a passing grade in at least one attempted course or has a combination of withdrawals and failed courses. Furthermore, students who cease attending or stop participating in classes without completing the formal withdrawal process are considered to have an unofficial withdrawal.
The College must complete an R2T4 calculation and return any unearned Title IV Funds to the Department of Education no later than 45 days after determining a student’s withdrawal or ceased attendance. If a student has completed less than 60% of the term, all federal funds are recalculated, and the difference must be returned to the appropriate Title IV Program. Students are responsible for repayment of any unearned Title IV funds after the R2T4 calculations are processed.
Students who complete over 60% of the term are considered to have earned Title IV aid and are not required to return any Title IV Funds.
Partial Withdrawal
Students who do not completely withdraw from the College but drop a class during the regular drop/add period will be refunded the difference in the tuition paid and the tuition rate applicable to the reduced number of hours, including fees appropriate to the classes dropped. There is no refund due to a student who partially withdraws after the official drop/add period. The last day to drop/add is published in the College calendar and complies with the Alabama Community College System guidelines.
Complete Withdrawal
Students who officially withdraw from all classes for which they are registered before the first day of class for the semester/term will be refunded the full amount of tuition and other refundable fees. The “first day of class” is the first day classes are offered within any term configuration, including, but not limited to, full terms, split terms, mini-terms, and weekend terms. Students who officially withdraw completely on or after the first day of class but prior to the end of the third week of class will be refunded according to the withdrawal date, as follows:
| Total Withdrawal before the official first day of class | 100% refund |
| Total Withdrawal during the first week | 75% refund |
| Total Withdrawal during the second week | 50% refund |
| Total Withdrawal during the third week | 25% refund |
| Total Withdrawal after the end of the third week | 0% REFUND |
An administrative fee not to exceed 5% of tuition and other refundable institutional charges shall be assessed for each withdrawal within the period beginning the first day of class and ending at the end of the third week of class. The first official day of class is indicated on the College calendar as the day that classes begin. There is only one first day of class. This day may not be the first day on which all classes begin. The calendar also indicates the last day to drop/add. For calculating refunds during the fall and spring sixteen-week terms, a “week” is defined as seven calendar days, i.e. the first day of class running seven calendar days (inclusive of Saturday and Sunday). Refunds shorter than sixteen weeks, such as summer terms, mini-terms, split terms, and weekend terms, will reflect a prorated week based on the number of days in the term.
Example:
Classes begin June 14; student withdraws June 17.
Fourth day = 75% Refund due.
| Tuition/fees paid: | $648.00 |
| x .75 | |
| $486.00 | |
| Administrative Fee | -32.40 |
| Round to nearest dollar | $453.60 |
| Refund amount | $454.00 |
Students should be aware that a withdrawal from any or all courses during their enrollment will affect their Satisfactory Academic Progress and impact future financial aid eligibility.
Ineligibility for Refund
Students who are withdrawn by Trenholm State Community College for disciplinary reasons, for non-payment of tuition and fees, or for other similar reasons are not eligible for a refund.
Tuition Assistance (TA) Refund Policy (Funds to be returned to the Department of Defense (DoD)
Complete Withdrawal before and
during weeks 1-2 = 100% return
Refund during week 3-4 = 75% return
Refund during weeks 5 = 50% return
Refund during week 9 = 30% return (60% of the course is completed at 9.6 weeks)
Refund during week 10 or more = No Refund is due