Award Information · The Standard Expense Budget · Types of Aid Available · Federal Work Study · Additional Sources of Assistance · The Award Letter · Satisfactory Academic Progress · Withdrawal Information · Transfer Student Information · Disbursement Information · Revision Procedures · Summer Term Students · Sponsored Accounts · Rights and Responsibilities

As a financial aid recipient, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to remain eligible to receive financial aid. Regulations require you to complete your program with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and within the 150% Maximum Credit Limit. Financial Aid SAP standards will help you achieve this goal. Each term after grades post, we will check your completion rate and term GPA. The number of credits you need to complete will depend on your enrollment level at the time your financial aid disburses. 

View our complete SAP policy and tables here. *(.pdf requires Adobe Reader)

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

SAP is an academic standards policy designed to ensure you, as a financial aid recipient, satisfactorily progress toward program completion. The Financial Aid Office is required by law to implement standards that will help you complete your program with a cumulative 2.0 GPA and within the 150% Maximum Credit Limit. View Lane’s Financial Aid SAP policy. *(.pdf requires Adobe Reader)

SAP is checked each term after grades post and is based on how well you did during that term. While the overall goal is to help you meet the cumulative requirement, we only look at how well you did during the term. If you are required to file an appeal, your cumulative progress will be considered at that time and will play a part in our decision.

Financial Aid will review both your term GPA and your term completion rate. As a financial aid recipient, you must earn at least a 2.0 GPA each term AND complete 66.66% of the credits for your enrollment level during the term. If you complete both the term GPA and completion requirement, you are considered to be in Good Standing.

What is the 150% Maximum Credit Limit?

This is the Department of Education’s way of ensuring you finish your program in the most financially responsible way. The 150% limit applies to all undergraduate programs at any school offering federal financial aid. All schools may choose to measure this limit differently. A school which requires full time enrollment will likely measure this by the number of terms you attend; schools such as Lane, where you can enroll at any enrollment level, will likely measure this by the number of credits you attempt.

What is the Developmental Credit Limit?

Not every student is academically prepared to enroll in college level courses for all subject areas, especially math and writing. To ensure that you do not exhaust your eligibility for financial aid before completing your program, the Department of Education set a limit on the number of developmental credits for which you can receive financial aid. The maximum number of developmental credits that can be included in your enrollment level, when determining your awards each term, is 45 quarter credits (or equivalent). This limit applies to your entire lifetime at all schools and cannot be appealed. 

Developmental courses prepare a student for college level courses and typically have a course number less than 100. Do not confuse developmental courses with prerequisite courses. A developmental course can be a prerequisite, but a prerequisite does not have to be a developmental course. To better help you understand the difference, pay close attention to the course number. 

Developmental courses currently being offered at Lane will have a course number less than 100 (except ENG 116). The only other exception is some of our career technical programs which publish that a course numbered below 100 will satisfy a degree requirement. That class is then not counted as developmental, but will count toward the 150% Maximum Credit Limit.

I'm thinking of dropping one or more credits. How will this affect my financial aid?

Before you drop, here are some important things to consider:

• If you drop classes and you have not received all of your financial aid for the term, some of your aid may be canceled or reduced.
• If dropping causes you to go below the 66.66% completion rate, your future financial aid may be in jeopardy. You will be put on Probation or FA suspension.
• If dropping the credits takes you below half-time status, your loan grace period will kick in. You may need to provide verification of enrollment to your lenders once you return to school at least half-time. ·   

Dropping below full time status can affect other areas including veteran’s benefits, scholarships, and whether or not you can continue to be covered under your parents' health or car insurance policy. Check into all of these areas before dropping classes.   

If you drop or stop attending all of your courses before 60% of the term is over (usually around week 8), you will not have earned the full amount of financial aid originally disbursed to you. You may be required to repay to Lane, a portion of the funds you received before registering for any future term.  

What happens if I do not meet SAP standards?

You can either be put on Probation or FA Suspension. It is possible to be put on FA Suspension without ever being put on Probation; it depends on both your term GPA and term completion rate. 

Probation is assigned if you your term GPA is between 1.7 and 1.99, or you complete between 50 and 66.65% of the credits for which you are paid during the term.  While on Probation you are eligible to receive financial aid for one term, but if you do not complete the term in Good Standing, you will be put on FA Suspension. 

FA Suspension is assigned if your term GPA is less than 1.7, or you complete less than 50% of the credits for which you are paid during the term. While on FA Suspension you cannot receive financial aid until your suspension status is resolved. This status cannot be resolved on its own – you must take action.  

How do I know what my enrollment level was at the time my financial aid disbursed? The term completion rate can be a little complicated. At 5pm on Tuesday of the second week of the term, Financial Aid takes a snapshot of your enrollment. Your financial aid is paid out at this enrollment level. You are required to complete 66.66% or more of the minimum credits for your enrollment level.

Example:  The snapshot shows you are enrolled in 11 credits (3/4 time). You need to complete 66.66% of 9 credits.  If you are not certain of your enrollment level for the term, please see an Enrollment Services Advisor for assistance.  

I was suspended from receiving financial aid. How do I get it back?

File an Appeal to Reinstate. Forms are available online at www.lanecc.edu/finaid/forms. There are four options to be reinstated. Choose the option that is best for you.  

I attended Lane many years ago and was suspended. I want to come back. What do I need to do? You are still required to file an Appeal to Reinstate.  Forms are available online at www.lanecc.edu/finaid/forms. If you have questions, please see an Enrollment Service Advisor for assistance. 

What is the best appeal option for me, “Taking Steps…” or “Extenuating Circumstances”?  

Refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards *(.pdf requires Adobe Reader) to help determine if the circumstances that prevented you from achieving SAP are generally approved or denied. If your circumstances are included under the bulleted list for:

• “Examples of circumstances that may be approved” – Then you should appeal by indicating you had extenuating circumstances. It is likely you do not need Back On Course at this time. 
• “Examples of circumstances that may be denied” – You can enroll in Back On Course and appeal by indicating you are taking steps to ensure your future academic success. Note: If you have previously appealed a FA Suspension and indicated you were taking Back On Course, your financial aid cannot be reinstated for this reason again. 

What kind of documentation do I need to turn in with my Appeal to Reinstate?

Any documentation that supports your circumstances and is relevant to the term you did not meet SAP. For most health care issues, you will need to provide a release to return to school from your health care provider. Examples of documents include statements from health care providers, counselors, and/or social workers, police reports, obituaries, or court reports. In most cases, notes from family members or friends are not considered adequate documentation. 

I was suspended from financial aid.  How many credits do I need to pass without financial aid assistance before I can be reinstated?

To find out how many credits you to make up on your own, you should file an Appeal to Reinstate. If your appeal is denied, Lane will notify you of how many credits you need to pass to reinstate your financial aid.  

I cannot finish my program within the 150% Maximum Credit Limit due to extenuating circumstances. Can you make an exception so I can continue to receive financial aid?

If you cannot complete your program within the 150% limit, you cannot continue to receive financial aid regardless of the reason. Any additional credits you need to take due to extenuating circumstances are already built into the credit limit. If 100% represents the number of credits you need to finish your program, then the extra 50% is built in for the extenuating circumstances you may have while pursuing your program. You may be able to receive private alternative loans and/or scholarships or can pay for the remainder of your program on your own. 

I have reached the Developmental Credit Limit but need to take more developmental classes, how will my financial aid be adjusted?

Any developmental credits you need to take in excess of the developmental limit will not be included in your enrollment level when determining your awards. This adjustment will be made on the second Tuesday of the term when we take a snapshot of your enrollment. 

Example:  Tuan previously received financial aid for 45 credits of developmental coursework. He cannot receive financial aid for enrollment in any additional developmental credits. This term, Tuan is enrolled in a total of 9 credits (6 are program requirements and 3 are developmental). Since he cannot receive aid for any additional developmental credits, he will only receive financial aid for 6 credits. 

Developmental courses currently being offered at Lane include all courses numbered 001-099 (unless required for your current program); and ENG 116. ESL courses are not considered developmental. 

I have a cognitive disability that led to the need to take developmental courses in excess of the Developmental Credit Limit. Can I appeal this limit?

Unfortunately you cannot. The Department of Education does not have an appeal process to extend past this limit. 

I have reached the Developmental Credit Limit but need to take more developmental classes, how will my financial aid be adjusted?

Any developmental credits you need to take in excess of the developmental limit will not be included in your enrollment level when determining your awards. This adjustment will be made on the second Tuesday of the term when we take a snapshot of your enrollment. 

Example:  Tuan previously received financial aid for 45 credits of developmental coursework. He cannot receive financial aid for enrollment in any additional developmental credits. This term, Tuan is enrolled in a total of 9 credits (6 are program requirements and 3 are developmental). Since he cannot receive aid for any additional developmental credits, he will only receive financial aid for 6 credits. 

Developmental courses currently being offered at Lane include all courses numbered 001-099 (unless required for your current program); and ENG 116. ESL courses are not considered developmental.