Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

To keep your financial eligibility, students must maintain certain academic standards, also known as satisfactory academic progress. At HCCC, the satisfactory academic progress is determined annually. The federal regulations require that students must meet or exceed SAP standards in order to be eligible for financial aid. The standards apply to all financial aid applicants and to all college coursework taken, including coursework taken from outside colleges.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Qualitative Measure (Financial Aid GPA). You must maintain a Minimum Cumulative Financial Aid GPA of 2.0 to maintain financial aid assistance eligibility. For the purpose of determining financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress, a financial aid GPA will be calculated – ESL and Academic Foundation grade points/credit hour will be included in the financial aid GPA calculation.

Students must successfully complete 66.67% of hours attempted to maintain financial assistance eligibility. Both Completed and Attempted credits include all Remedial, ESL, and college level credits. Grades Failing (F), Withdraw (W), I, R and NP will be counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits hours will be counted as both attempted and completed hours.

Students must successfully complete their coursework within 150% of the credit hours needed for their current degree to maintain financial assistance eligibility. For example, if a student's degree requires 66 credits, they must complete their program within 99 credits. Once a student has attempted more than 99 credits, they are no longer eligible for financial aid.

SAP Appeal Review and Verification

Each appeal is reviewed on a case by case basis. Submission of an Appeal does not guarantee reinstatement of eligibility for financial aid. In evaluating the merits of the Appeal, HCCC will review the student’s explanation of his/her special circumstances and verify if the explanation is consistent with the past academic records and performance. To ensure students are eligible, HCCC will identify and resolve conflicting information submitted in the Appeal prior to disbursement of Title IV program funds.

How to Appeal Financial Aid SAP

Students who do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards may lose eligibility for financial aid. However, if extenuating circumstances impacted your academic performance, you have the option to submit an appeal for reconsideration of your financial aid eligibility.

Steps to Appeal Financial Aid SAP

Step 1: Review SAP Standards 
Before submitting an appeal, carefully review the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy to understand the eligibility requirements and reasons for SAP ineligibility. 

Step 2: Gather Supporting Documentation 
Prepare a detailed statement explaining the circumstances that affected your academic progress. You should also include supporting documentation, such as: 

  • Medical records
  • Death certificate of an immediate family member
  • Documentation of personal hardship
  • Other relevant supporting materials 

Step 3: Complete the SAP Appeal Form 
Students must log in to their HCCC Student Portal to access and submit the appeal form. 

Access the SAP Appeal Form: https://portal.laserfiche.com/t3504/forms/TbwPZ
(Login required.) 

Step 4: Submit Your Appeal 
After completing the form and attaching all necessary documentation, submit your appeal online. Incomplete appeals or missing documentation may delay processing. 

Step 5: Await Notification 
Once your appeal is reviewed, you will receive an email notification regarding the decision. 

  • If approved, you may be placed on Financial Aid Probation with specific academic conditions.
  • If denied, you will receive guidance on the next steps you can take. 
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Non-Required Courses

Courses that are not required in the student’s academic program are not eligible for federal financial aid.  Required Prerequisite Coursework: If you are required to complete prerequisite or preparatory courses for admission into a program, those coursework are not eligible for federal Pell grant.

Student

Remedial Credit Limitation

The maximum number of remedial credits attempted for which aid may be received is 30 credits. Once you attempt more than 30 remedial credits, aid will only be paid for college level credits (100 level and above). This may result in the reduction on enrollment status for purposes of awarding federal aid. English as a Second Language (ESL) courses do not count against this limit.

Student

Repeated Coursework

Students may no longer receive federal student aid for a previously passed course more than once. For instance, if a student has both passed a course with a “D” grade and failed that same course with an “F” grade, he or she cannot receive federal student aid to pay for that course again.

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Contact Information

Financial Aid Office
Phone: (201) 360-4200 / (201) 360-4214
Text: (201) 744-2767
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HCCC School Code: 012954