Del Mar College

Financial Aid Services Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Del Mar College has adopted the following Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (Be advised these standards apply to all financial aid programs unless the terms of a particular program indicate otherwise):

Federal/State Regulations require students to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress at the time they receive financial assistance. All financial aid recipients must be enrolled in a program of study leading to an Associate's degree, a certificate, or is enrolled in a transferable program towards a Baccalaureate Degree. All course work attempted at Del Mar College will be evaluated, regardless of whether the student previously received assistance. All transfer course work will be counted towards the 63/90 hours maximum time frame.

A student's academic progress is evaluated after each long semester and at the end of the summer session. The evaluation includes all coursework attempted for the semester/sessions (Withdrawals, incompletes and “R” grades will be included in determining the total number of hours for which the student enrolled). It also includes all periods of the student's enrollment, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid. (Rapid Track semesters, mini-semesters and Maymesters will be included in the semester in which they began.)

The Progress Standards required are shown below:

Complete the minimum number of hours as stated below:
- Students enrolled for a full-time course load, 12 hours or more, will be required to pass a minimum of nine (9) semesters hours of the courses enrolled.
- Student enrolled for three-quarter time, 9 to 11 hours, will be required to pass a minimum of six (6) semesters hours of the courses enrolled.
- Students enrolled for half-time, 6 to 8 hours during the next enrollment period, will be required to pass six (6) hours of the courses enrolled.
- Students who enroll for less than 6 hours must complete all hours attempted.
Must have a 2.0 or better GPA on the minimum numbers of hours required to pass.
Must maintain an overall 2.0 GPA at the end of the second academic year (4th long semester).
Complete a certificate program of (1) year or less within 63 attempted hours or complete a degree or two (2) year certificate program within 90 attempted hours.

Good Standing

Students who meet the above requirements are considered to be in good standing for financial aid purposes.

FAILURE TO MEET STANDARDS

Financial Aid Probation

Financial aid probation is a warning that the student is jeopardizing future eligibility but can still receive financial aid.
The first time the minimum standard is not met, the student will be placed on financial aid probation.
A cumulative 2.0 GPA must still be maintained for students who have attended four or more longer semesters.

Financial Aid Suspension

Financial aid suspension is a cancellation/denial of awards or disbursements of financial aid.
The second time the minimum standard is not met, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension.
Students placed on Academic Suspension by the Registrars Office will automatically be placed on financial aid suspension. This financial aid status will continue should the student be granted permission to enroll after an Academic Suspension appeal. Students under this status must meet the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards in order to get back on financial aid.
Students placed on enforced scholastic suspension the last time they were enrolled will be on Financial Aid Suspension.
Any student exceeding the 63/90 maximum time frame will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Additional Information:

There is a limit of 30 semester hours of developmental course work that may be eligible for financial aid. Any developmental hours beyond this 30 hour limit will not be eligible for financial aid consideration. All developmental course work will be counted toward the 63/90 maximum time frame.
All repeated course work will count toward the 63/90 attempted semester hour maximum time frame.
Transfer work: All transfer work will be counted towards the maximum time frame. Students will be required to have an appropriate advisor evaluate the transfer hours and certify on the DMC Transfer Credit Evaluation Form (TRCR), the number of transfer hours applicable towards their current educational objective. A signed degree plan must also be submitted along with the TRCR. Financial Aid Services will adjust the total attempted semester hours accordingly.
Transient students (students transferring for the Summer Term only) are not eligible to receive any financial aid from Del Mar College.

Regaining Eligibility

A student may regain eligibility for financial aid by:

Paying for expenses related to enrollment from personal resources until the student has satisfied the minimum Standards of Academic Progress (SAP).
Students placed on financial aid suspension while enrolled for six (6) or more hours must enroll for six (6) or more hours and meet the minimum requirements as stated above.
Students placed on financial aid suspension while enrolled less than six (6) hours may enroll for less than six (6) hours and complete all hours with a 2.0 or better to removed the financial aid suspension status, however, their status will only improve to financial aid probation.
File a written appeal with Financial Aid Services within 10 business days from receipt of the Suspension Letter.

Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Process:

Federal regulations provide for hardship waivers based on the death of a relative, personal injury, illness (self and family) or other extenuating circumstances that prevent the student from making progress.

Students must complete a Financial Aid Appeal Form and a narrative as to the circumstance(s) that prevented SAP and attach supporting documentation such as:

Death Certificate
Letter from a doctor on official letterhead
Other verifiable documents that support the student's claim.
A statement indicating what provisions have been made to ensure the circumstance(s), if any, will not interfere with future progress.

Maximum Time Frame Appeal

A student appealing due to having exceeded the maximum time frame (63/90) must complete the maximum time frame appeal form along with a narrative explaining the reasons why the time frame was exceeded. A signed copy of an up-to-date degree plan along with a degree plan summary sheet must also be submitted to Financial Aid Services.

A student enrolled in a transfer program must submit a degree plan by a university advisor where the student is transferring from. The degree plan must list the accepted DMC hours and the remaining DMC hours required to complete the transfer program.

Financial Aid Services will notify the student of the findings and recommendations within three (3) weeks of submission of the student's financial aid appeal.

Should the appeal be denied, the student has the right to appeal in writing to the Vice President of Student Development within eight (8) business days from the date of the denial letter. The decision of the Vice President will be based solely on the review of the student's record and shall be final.

During the Appeals Process, the student must be prepared to pay for expenses such as tuition, fees, books and supplies and/or other educational related expenses from personal resources.

Ability to Benefit

Financial aid applicants must have a high school diploma or must have successfully completed the General Educational Development (GED) Test to receive student financial aid.
Students who do not have a high school diploma or GED certificate may qualify for financial aid by achieving minimum scores on the COMPASS test offered at The Testing Center as follows:

COMPASS: Reading (62), Writing (32), and Math (25)

Students meeting this criterion must submit copies of their test scores and the Individual Approval form signed by the appropriate dean to the Financial Aid Services before financial aid can be awarded.