Satisfactory Academic Progress

Step 1: File Your FAFSA Step 2: Watch Your Email Step 3: Get Paid Step 4: Maintain Your Eligibility Financial Aid Forms
Title IV Federal School Code: 003196

As a financial aid recipient, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to remain eligible to receive financial aid. SAP standards apply to all terms you attended regardless of whether or not you received financial aid. Regulations require you to complete your program within the Maximum Attempted Credits Allowed with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Financial Aid SAP standards will help you achieve this goal.

Each term after grades post, we will check your cumulative completion rate and cumulative GPA at Lane and you will be assigned a SAP Status. You must satisfactorily maintain SAP standards to remain eligible for financial aid.

To achieve Good Standing, your cumulative completion rate must be 67% or higher and you must meet the GPA requirement (see below for GPA requirements). Maintaining Good Standing means you are eligible to receive grants, workstudy and loans.

You will receive a Warning Status if your cumulative completion rate is less than 67% and/or you do not meet the GPA requirement. If you are placed in a warning status, you are eligible to receive grants, workstudy and loans. However, you MUST complete your warning or probation term in Good Standing to avoid FA Suspension in the subsequent term.

You will receive FA Suspension following a warning or probation term, your cumulative completion rate is less than 67%, and/or you do not meet the GPA requirement. During a FA Suspension you are not eligible to receive grants, workstudy or loans until your FA Suspension is resolved. Some scholarships and other resources may also be unavailable.

Probation Status means that your SAP Appeal is approved. You are eligible to receive grants, workstudy and loans. However you must complete your probation term in Good Standing to avoid FA Suspension in the subsequent term.

View our complete SAP policy and tables. Note: The NC grade mentioned in this PDF was eliminated as of Winter 2019.

View the SAP calculator.

To determine your completion rate, review your unofficial transcript in ExpressLane. Divide your total institution plus total transfer passed hours by your total institution plus total transfer attempted hours.

Attempted VS Passed Credits: For financial aid SAP Standards, grades of A, B, C, D and P are counted as attempted and passed hours. Grades of * (withdrawal), I, F, NP, U and NC are counted as attempted hours, but not passed. Note: The NC grade was eliminated as of Winter 2019.

Cumulative GPA: Grades of A, B, C, D, and F affect your GPA (includes +/- combinations). Grades of * (withdrawal), I, U, P, NP, or NC and/or transfer and dual enrollment credits do not affect your GPA. Note: The NC grade was eliminated as of Winter 2019.

100% withdrawal or not completing any credits during the term: If you withdraw or stop attending all courses before 60% of the term is over, you may be required to repay money to Lane. For more detail, see Withdrawal Information.

Transfer Credits: Credits accepted by Lane count toward your cumulative completion rate and the  Maximum Attempted Credits Allowed. GPA is not affected.  

Dual Enrollment Program: All Lane funded credits attempted and passed at another institution will be added to your cumulative completion rate beginning summer 2011. GPA is not affected by dual enrollment credits. 

Resolving your FA Suspension: To resolve your FA Suspension, you must submit an appeal. SAP Appeal forms are available online. See our complete SAP policy linked above for further information regarding appeals.

Maximum Attempted Credits Allowed (150% Requirement): Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to define a maximum time frame in which a student must be able to complete his or her program. This time-frame cannot exceed 150% of the published program length and does not count developmental credits.

• a one-year certificate program within 70 attempted credits
• a two-year certificate program within 120 attempted credits
• a two-year associate or transfer program within 135 attempted credits

Unless you already exceed the above limits, we will mail you a Credit Limit Notice when you are 15 credits or less from reaching the limit. The Financial Aid Office may extend your financial aid eligibility under certain circumstances only. Please see the Credit Limit Appeal form for additional information.

All attempted credits count toward this limit, even if you did not receive financial aid or have extenuating reasons for not completing your credits. Additionally, credits earned at other colleges may help complete your degree or certificate; therefore, all credits accepted by Lane are included in the maximum credits allowed.

Developmental Credit Limit: You may be eligible to receive financial aid for 45 quarter credits (or equivalent) to complete developmental courses. This includes coursework taken at all colleges. Per regulation, there is no appeal process to extend past this limit. Developmental credits in excess of 45 may not be included in your enrollment level when determining the amount of financial aid you receive during the term.

Developmental courses currently offered at Lane include all courses numbered 001-099 (unless published as a requirement for your current program); and ENG 116. ESL courses are not considered developmental. Some older developmental courses may not adhere to the current numbering system.