Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

QUALITATIVE MEASURE

Grade Point Average (Cumulative GPA)

All students are required to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. All credits are included in the calculations. Determining satisfactory progress begins with the first credit. Grades of A, B, C, D, F and FN will be included in the GPA calculation.

QUANTITATIVE MEASURE

Required Completion Percentage (Rate or Pace)

All students are required to complete a minimum of 67% of cumulative registered credits. All credits are included in the calculations. Determining financial aid satisfactory progress begins with the first credit. At the end of each semester, the College shall compare the number of credits the student successfully completed to the number of credits the student attempted to determine whether the student is progressing at a rate that will allow completion of the program within the maximum time frame. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, and P are included in the calculation of cumulative credit completion percentage as courses successfully completed. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of I, IP, NC, W, F and FN will be treated as credits attempted but not successfully completed. Blank (Z) grades will be treated as credits attempted but not successfully completed. Audited courses (AU) are not counted into the calculation.

Maximum Time Frame

Students are expected to complete their degree/diploma/certificate (program) within an acceptable period of time. Financial aid recipients may continue to receive aid through 150% of Attempted Credits required for their program(s), excluding the first 30 developmental credits. If students are pursuing multiple programs, their Maximum Time Frame will be based on their longest program (the program with the most credits). This table lists program lengths, in credits, and the corresponding Maximum Time Frame – maximum number of credits – (150% credit limit) they can attempt before being suspended from Financial Aid:

EVALUATION PERIOD

Each student’s cumulative Qualitative (i.e. grade point average) and Quantitative (i.e. completion rate) academic performance and maximum time frame status are evaluated following every term. Students in a program that is one semester in length will have their academic performance evaluated at the half‑way point in their program.

FAILURE TO MEET STANDARDS

Warning

1. Warning status. If at the end of the evaluation period a student has not met either the grade point average standard or required completion percentage standard, that student can register for classes and retain their financial aid eligibility under a warning status for one evaluation period. Students will receive a letter indicating their Warning Status, with information on college resources, which they can utilize to avoid being placed on suspension status at the end their second semester.
2. Reinstatement of students on warning status. If at the end of the warning period a student who has been on warning status has met both the cumulative grade point average (2.0 or higher) and cumulative completion percentage status (67% or higher), the student is no longer in a warning status.

Suspension of Students on Warning Status

If at the end of the warning period a student who has been on warning status has not met both the cumulative grade point average (2.0 or higher) and cumulative completion percentage standards (67% or higher), the student will be suspended immediately.

Suspension of Students for Other Reason

1. Suspension for maximum time frame failure. A student exceeding the Maximum Time Frame is immediately suspended from financial aid but may still enroll in classes. (Maximum time frame explanation is explained at top of page).
2. Suspension for extraordinary circumstances. A student may be immediately suspended from classes and/or financial aid in the event of extraordinary circumstances. Extraordinary circumstances may include, but are not limited to, acts of plagiarism; cheating on a test; any act of violence; assault; theft; harassing students, staff, or instructors; disrupting class; student behavior; attendance patterns provide evidence of abuse of the receipt of financial aid; and other circumstances.
3. Suspension for inability to meet program requirements within the maximum time frame. If at the end of any evaluation period it is not possible for a student to raise their GPA or course completion percentage to meet the standards before the student would reach the end of the program for which they are receiving financial aid, their financial aid eligibility will be suspended immediately.

APPEALS AND PROBATION

Appeals – Qualitative and Quantitative

A suspended student has the right to appeal based on extraordinary circumstances (death of family member, student’s injury, illness, etc.) There is no time limit on appealing. To appeal, the student must:

1. Complete an Academic Appeal (Petition forms are available in the Records Office at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College);
2. Write an explanation of the circumstances that affected academic progress on the Petition form. Include supporting documentation if applicable. Also explain what has changed that would allow the student to be successful in their next term;
3. Attend a Student Success Seminar to identify issues and barriers blocking academic success;
4. Meet with an Academic Advisor/Counselor and develop an Academic Plan;
5. Submit the Petition form and Academic Plan to the Records Office at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College;
6. Appeals will be reviewed by an Appeal Committee comprised of the Dean of Students or designee, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the Financial Aid Director or designee;
7. If an appeal is denied, the student has the right to appeal the decision to the President of the College. If an appeal is approved, the student is placed on Probationary status.

Probationary status – Qualitative and Quantitative

A student who has successfully appealed their suspension status shall be placed on probation for one evaluation period. If at the end of the next evaluation period, a student on probation status:

1. Has met the cumulative grade point average (2.0 or higher) and completion percentage standards (67% or higher), the student shall be taken off probation and returned to good standing, or
2. Has not met the cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards, but has met all of the conditions specified in their petition and academic contract/plan, the student will remain on a probation status, and shall be able to register for classes and retain their financial aid eligibility for one subsequent evaluation period, (i.e. a new petition is not required if conditions of petition and academic plan are met), or
3. Has not met the cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards and has also not met the conditions specified in their petition and academic contract/plan, the student shall be re-suspended immediately upon completion of the evaluation and must appeal their suspension.

Appeals – Maximum Time Frame

A student whose financial aid is suspended due to Maximum Time Frame has the right to appeal based on extraordinary circumstances. There is no time limit on appealing. To appeal, the student must:

1. Submit to the Financial Aid Office a written explanation of why the student has attempted so many credits but hasn’t completed their program(s);
2. Have an academic advisor/counselor submit to the Financial Aid Office an academic plan listing the specific classes needed to complete each program. This is a separate process that is not related to the Academic Appeal process;
3. Maximum Time Frame Appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Director or Financial Aid Specialist;
4. If an appeal is denied, the student has the right to appeal the decision to an Appeal Committee comprised of the President of the College and the Dean of Students or designee.

Probationary status – Maximum Time Frame

Once a Maximum Time Frame appeal is approved, only the classes identified on the Academic Plan from their advisor will be financial aid eligible.

NOTIFICATION OF STATUS AND APPEAL RESULTS

Status

1. Notification of warning. The Records Office shall notify a student in writing any time the student is placed in a warning status and shall inform the student of the conditions of that warning status.
2. Notification of suspension. The Records Office shall notify a student in writing any time a student is placed in a suspension status due to not meeting the Qualitative and/or Quantitative standards, and the Financial Aid Office shall notify a student if they have not met the Maximum Time Frame. Both shall inform the student of their right to appeal the respective suspensions.
3. Notification of probation. The Records Office shall notify a student in writing any time a student is placed in a probationary status and shall include the standards the student is expected to meet or the academic plan the student is expected to complete in order to register for classes and/or retain financial aid eligibility at the end of the next evaluation period.

Appeals

1. Notification of Appeal results. The Records Office shall notify a student in writing of the result of a Qualitative and/or Quantitative appeal, and the Financial Aid Office shall notify a student in writing the result of a Maximum Time Frame appeal.

REINSTATEMENT

Qualitative and Quantitative, and Maximum Time Frame: A student suspended from enrollment and/or financial aid for not meeting any of the requirements and/or standards of this policy may re‑enroll and/or receive financial aid only after receiving approval of the appropriate appeal(s).

TREATMENT OF GRADES AND CREDITS, DEFINITIONS AND CONDITIONS

Grades of A, B, C, D and F are included in the GPA calculation. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, and P are included in the calculation of cumulative credit completion percentage as courses successfully completed. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of I, IP, N, NC, W, F, FN, and Z will be treated as credits attempted but not successfully completed. Audited courses (AU) are not counted into the calculation.

1. Academic Amnesty. FDLTCC does not grant Academic Amnesty.
2. Academic Plan. A set of specific requirements that a student is required to follow, and/or a list of classes that the student needs to complete or retake in order to meet program graduation requirements, and/or the minimum term GPA the student must achieve to make satisfactory academic progress in order to be reinstated to full financial aid eligibility and meet graduation requirements.
3. Audited classes/Enrichment. Classes audited, taken for no‑credit, or taken only for personal enrichment with no intention of seeking a degree or diploma are not eligible for Financial Aid and are not included in satisfactory progress measurements.
4. Change in Major. The qualitative and quantitative standards are a cumulative measure and are not affected by a change in major. Regarding Maximum Time Frame, we will calculate the Maximum Time Frame based on 150% of Attempted Credits (including transfer and repeat credits) required for the new degree, diploma, or certificate program. Up to 30 remedial/developmental credits must be excluded from the maximum time frame calculation.
5. Completion Percentage (Rate or Pace). Calculated using letter grade of A, B, C, D, S, and P as courses successfully completed.
6. Consortium/Joint Program Credits. Credits accepted for purposes of processing financial aid are included in the cumulative GPA, completion percentage, and Maximum Time Frame calculations.
7. Credit Life. Occupational course credits, including prerequisites, earned more than five years prior to admission into a specific program need the program coordinator’s approval to fulfill current program requirements. Certain occupational areas may have more stringent requirements. These requirements are detailed in the specific academic program’s description in this catalog. If the program coordinator requires a course to be repeated to meet the current program requirements, a “Request to Repeat a Course” form must be completed at the time of registration. This form is available in the Records Office. Both the old and new grade will remain on the student’s transcript, but the most recent grade earned will be the student’s official grade and calculated into the overall GPA. No course or grade will be removed from the transcript.
8. Developmental Coursework. Courses numbered below college level 0-999 designed to prepare students for study at the postsecondary level.
9. FN (failed-never attended) grades. A grade given when a student has never attended a class. FN’s are included when evaluating grade point average, percent completion and maximum time frame. FN’s are not eligible for financial aid.
10. Grade Point Average (GPA). Calculated using a grade point value for grades of A, B, C, D, F, and FN (failed‑never attended), based on 4.0 A to F grading scale. Although a P or S will count as a credit earned, P and S grades carry no grade point value. Grade point average is calculated by dividing grade point average points by grade point average credits.
11. Incompletes. Temporary grade assigned only in exceptional circumstances, with approval of the instructor, where the student has completed the majority of the coursework. “I” grades automatically become F grades (or NC in the case of courses numbered below 1000) at the end of the next semester if requirements to complete coursework have not been met.
12. PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Option), Concurrent Enrollment, and College in the High School credits. These credits are included in the calculation and evaluation of the Qualitative, Quantitative, and Maximum Time Frame requirements.
13. Remedial/Developmental Credits. Remedial/Developmental coursework (below 1000 level) is included in the GPA. Any remedial courses completed prior to August 2021 are included in the completion percentage measurement, but any remedial courses taken beginning or after August 2021 are excluded from the completion percentage measurement. Up to 30 remedial/developmental credits must be excluded from the maximum time-frame calculation.
14. Repeat Credits. Repeated courses, whether they are for additional credit, grade improvement, or expiration of credit life, are included in the quantitative (completion rate) and maximum timeframe calculations. Only the highest grade earned, however, will be used to calculate the GPA. Regardless of how many times a student is approved to repeat a class, a student shall not be permitted to receive financial aid for more than one repetition of a previously passed course.
15. Repeating a course for additional credit. A student may enroll in some courses more than once. Courses in this category are specified in the course description section in this catalog. The maximum number of credits allowable is stated in the course description. For each enrollment, the student receives credit hours and a grade.\
16. Repeating a course for improvement of grade. Students who received a C, D, F, FN, or NC may repeat the courses in which they received these grades. A student may repeat a course only once. Additional repeats are allowed only if successfully petitioned. A “Request to Repeat a Course” form is available in the Records Office and must be completed at the time of registration. Both the old and new grade will remain on the student’s transcript, but the highest grade earned will be the student’s official grade for the course and calculated into the overall GPA. No course or grade will be removed from the transcript. Courses in which a student has received a grade of A or B are not eligible to be repeated. Each time a course is taken, the credits are included in the quantitative (completion rate) and maximum timeframe calculations on the student’s transcript.
17. Second Major. The qualitative and quantitative standards are a cumulative measure and are not affected by pursuing more than one major. Regarding Maximum Time Frame, we will calculate the Maximum Time Frame based on 150% of Attempted Credits (including transfer and repeat credits) required for the major that requires the most credits. Up to 30 remedial/developmental credits must be excluded from the maximum time frame calculation.
18. Summer Session. Except for Incompletes, Summer Session is treated the same as any other term in all aspects of this policy. (Incompletes from Summer Session must be completed by the end of the following Fall Semester).
19. Transfer Credits. Credits earned at another college that meet degree requirements are not included when calculating grade point average but are included when calculating percentage of completion (i.e. completion rate) and Maximum Time Frame. A 2.0 Minnesota Transfer Curriculum grade point average that includes all transfer course grades as well as Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College course grades is required for recognition of a student’s completion of the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with or without completing an associate degree. This grade point average calculation will be made in the general education requirement section of a student’s degree audit.
20. Withdrawals (W’s). Withdrawing from a course before the end of the term. W’s are included when evaluating a student’s percent completion, but not when determining grade point average. W’s are included in the Maximum Time Frame calculation.
21. “Z” grades. A temporary grade listed on the transcript until the instructor turns in the final grade to the Registrar. Z’s are included when evaluating a student’s percent completion, but not when determining their GPA.

Students have primary responsibility for their own academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty. Students are encouraged to keep a file of their grades and transcripts, and regularly review their online student account.

Minnesota State Board Policy is available here.

Click here for a PDF of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Policy updated December 15, 2021. This policy is subject to change.