Academic Status

Academic Achievement Standards

1. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of "C" (2.0) must be achieved to graduate with an associate degree or certificate. 
2. A student making Satisfactory Progress is defined as:
   1. Satisfactory/No Conditions - A student whose cumulative GPA satisfies the Academic Status Scale.
3. A student making Unsatisfactory Progress is defined as:
   1. Academic Caution - A student whose cumulative GPA satisfies the Academic Status Scale but is below 2.0 and the credit hours attempted are less than 45.
   2. Academic Probation - A student who has attempted 13 or more credit hours and whose cumulative GPA is below the required GPA as indicated on the Academic Status Scale. 
   3. Academic Suspension - A student who has been on probation for at least two academic semesters or who has not met the conditions of their Academic Improvement Plan. 

Table for Determining Academic Status 

Following is the table for determining your academic status at Delta College. To use the table: 1) locate on your academic transcript your cumulative grade point average and the total number of credits attempted; 2) find the corresponding credits attempted in the left-hand column of the table; and 3) read across the page to your right until you locate the column which includes your current cumulative grade point average. This column heading indicates whether you are making Satisfactory Progress or are on Academic Caution or Academic Probation. 

Academic Status Scale

Procedures for Academic Caution, Probation, and Suspension 

*Office procedures are subject to change as needed.

I. Academic Caution: 

Following each semester, students placed on Academic Caution will be notified of their status by the Registrar. Caution students are required to develop an academic success plan with a Student Success Advisor once per academic year. Students are encouraged to utilize a Success Plan Webinar to assist them in understanding their Academic Caution status and submitting an academic success plan to their advisor to approve. An approved plan must be on file before students will be allowed to register. 

II. Academic Probation: 

Following each semester,  students placed on Academic Probation will be notified of their status by the Registrar. Probation students are required to develop an academic success plan with a Student Success Advisor once per academic year. Students are encouraged to utilize a Success Plan Webinar to assist them in understanding their Academic Probation status and submitting an academic success plan to their advisor to approve. An approved plan must be on file before students will be allowed to register.

III. Academic Suspension: 

Students on Academic Probation for at least two semesters, who have not met the conditions of their academic success plan, may be placed on suspension and will be notified of their status by the Registrar's Office. They may be denied enrollment for two consecutive semesters and may also be dropped from classes in which they have already registered for upcoming semesters. 

1. Students placed on suspension who may have mitigating circumstances² may appeal their suspension to the Registrar or his/her designee. If the appeal is successful, an academic success plan will be required prior to registration. 
2. Students who wish to enroll following two semesters on suspension will be required to meet with an assigned Student Success Advisor and have a new academic success plan on file in the Registrar’s Office prior to registering. 

Academic Success Plan

An academic success plan is an agreement that specifies actions to be taken by the student. The academic success plan replaces the Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) and Educational Support Plans referred to on this page. It includes such things as: 

• Specific course selection that will provide for maximum success.
• Number of credits to attempt that semester (based on data presented by student) and approved by their advisor.
• Resources and recommendations for maximizing student success.

²Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigating circumstances are documented conditions beyond the reasonable control of the student that will have a long-term effect. Students considering an appeal must first consult with their Student Success Advisor.

Academic Fresh Start Policy

Students may submit an “Academic Fresh Start Appeal” to the Registrar to have their grade point average recomputed.  Students are required to meet with a Delta College Counselor or Academic Advisor before submitting an Academic Fresh Start Appeal.  The student will develop an Educational Support Plan with the assistance of the Counselor or Academic Advisor. The Educational Support Plan will become a part of the Fresh Start Appeal and must be followed by the student upon approval of the Academic Fresh Start Appeal. Students receiving state or federal financial aid will be required to consult with a Financial Aid Advisor as a part of the Academic Fresh Start Appeal process as Financial Aid appeals policies have distinct guidelines and are separate from Academic Fresh Start Appeal policies.

1. All courses taken at Delta College will remain on the student’s permanent records/transcripts. Students may request Fresh start on all courses with a grade below a C. These grades will become NC grades without credit on a student’s transcript.
2. Students may be granted an Academic Fresh Start Appeal only once. The cumulative grade point average and Academic Achievement policy conditions will be computed using only the satisfactory grades prior to that Fresh Start application and all grades earned from the point of the Fresh Start Application forward. Students must consult with a Counselor or Academic Advisor to develop an Educational Support Plan to be submitted with the application.

Course previously used for an earned credential cannot be changed by the Academic Fresh Start Appeal policy.

Board Action  BA5381– April 6, 2021
Board Action 4972 – November 13, 2012
Amended by Board Action 3677 – November 14, 1995
Amended by Board Action 3467 – December 14, 1993
Board Action 2530 - May 13, 1986

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations (HEA Sec.484(c)) require that Delta College monitor the satisfactory academic progress of all students regardless of whether they have received financial aid in previous semesters. SAP standards for financial aid recipients are the same as or stricter than Delta College’s academic standards for students in the same programs. These financial aid requirements are separate from a student’s academic requirements. To maintain eligiblity for federal student aid, as well as most state aid programs, there are three distinct criteria that must be monitored and met.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

SAP will be monitored at the end of each semester. A student’s eligibility for future financial aid may be affected for the next semester if SAP standards are not met.

• Qualitative standard: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) 2.0, which is calculated from all attempted classes that earn GPA points. Incompletes, withdrawals, transfer credits, and pass/no credit classes are excluded from GPA calculation.
• Quantitative standard: Must meet both Pace and Maximum time frame.
  • Pace: Complete and pass a minimum of 66.66% of cumulative attempted hours. 
  • Maximum time frame standard: The number of attempted credits in which a student is expected to finish a program cannot exceed 150 percent of the published length of the program (this includes credit hours transferred to Delta College).  Total credit hour limits apply whether or not the student has actually received financial aid for the entire time at Delta College (for example: if your program requires 62 credits minimum x 150% = 93 credit hours total attempted).

Pace Measurement

Pace is measured by the following scale:

Pace - cumulative number of hours (credit hours) that you have successfully completed/cumulative number of credit hours that you have attempted.

NOTE: All college-level attempted hours are included in the pace calculation to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) including:

• Successful completion of a course with a passing grade
• Repeated, incomplete (I grade), Pass/No Credit (P/NC grade), failed (F grade), and transfer credit hours
• Withdrawn credit hours (W, WI grade)
• Developmental courses
• Credit hours attempted for which the student did not receive financial aid

Change of  Grade

Courses that were graded at the end of the semester, but which are changed later by the instructor due to an appeal or error may impact the GPA as well as the pace calculation. These grades will be reassessed at the next evaluation point of SAP, or the student can appeal their SAP status to be reviewed.

Courses that move from an incomplete status to completed will be reassessed at the next evaluation point of SAP, or the student can appeal their SAP status to be reviewed.

Audit courses receive no credit and do not influence grade point average. They are not counted in attempted credits and are not eligible for financial aid.

Additional Considerations

If a student elects to double major, complete more than one degree and/or start a degree then change majors, all credits previously attempted will count toward SAP.

Transfer credits from a previous school count toward credit hour limits.

Academic Fresh Start Policy is not considered when calculating GPA and completion rate/pace for SAP requirements.

Dropping or Withdrawing from Courses

Reducing a student’s enrollment may have serious consequences.

• Students who withdraw from all classes in a semester may be required to return some or all financial aid paid to their student account.
• Dropping or withdrawing from classes after the refund period may negatively impact the student’s 66.66% completion rate and the credits included in total attempted hours.

If a student is considering dropping class(es)/withdrawing, they should contact the Delta College Financial Aid Office to determine how this may impact their current and future financial aid eligibility.

Review Procedures

The Financial Aid Office reviews all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for students at the end of each semester. Students who receive financial aid and fail to meet one or more SAP standards will be notified through their Delta email account and Financial Aid Self-Service portal.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Status

Satisfactory

• The student met all standards for financial aid
• The student is eligible for financial aid

Warning

• The first semester a student falls below the 66.66% completion rate, or the 2.00 cumulative GPA; and the overall attempted credits do not exceed 150%  of the program length
• The student is eligible for financial aid; however, must meet SAP standards at the end of the following semester of warning

Unsatisfactory (Low Completion Rate/Low GPA/Reached Maximum Program Length)

• The student has not met one or more of the standards after being on a warning semester
• Is not eligible for financial aid
• May regain eligibility for financial aid if the student is either:
  • Able to bring their academic record within the standards (bring cumulative GPA to meet required standard, or is able to bring completion percentage to 66.66%) or
  • Completes a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal process, and the appeal is approved

Probation

• The student has not met one or more of the standards for SAP and is not eligible for warning status; has completed an appeal which has been approved on the condition that all standards of SAP will be met by the end of the semester
• Student is eligible for financial aid for the semester of probation

Academic Plan

• The student has not met one or more of the standards and is not eligible for warning status; has completed an appeal which has been approved
• Student is eligible for financial aid for the semester in which the appeal was approved
• Will maintain eligiblity for future semesters if the student follows their academic plan or meets the overall SAP standards by the end of the semester

Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility

A student can regain eligibility by successfully completing the following semester(s) without the benefit of financial aid:

1. Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and
2. Complete 66.66% of attempted cumulative credits

Appeal Process

If the student has received a financial aid denial notification, the student may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility based on mitigating circumstances. Appeals will be accepted through the ninth calendar day (100% refund period) of each semester. Any appeal submitted after this date will be considered for the following semester.

Examples of appealable extenuating circumstances may include: death/illness of an immediate family member, illness of the student, or other emergency/catastrophic event(s).

All appeals must:

• Be submitted using the Delta College Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal available in the student’s Delta College Self-Service Missing Documents
• Include the required documentation and upload through your financial aid Self Service

In most cases, a decision will be made within 7-10 business days of receiving an appeal request and the appropriate documentation. The appeal is reviewed by a Financial Aid Appeal Committee. Students are notified of appeal decisions through their Delta College email.

If an appeal for a student previously denied aid is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester and may continue to receive federal student aid for one semester. Students will confirm on the appeal form that if approved, they will only take classes that are required for their declared program of study. Any classes enrolled/attempted not required for their program of study may result in a loss of financial aid eligibility. If at the conclusion of the Financial Aid Probation semester, Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are not met, as outlined or according to the student’s academic plan, the student will once again be notified of their unsatisfactory status and be ineligible for future federal student aid.

Denied Appeals

If an appeal is denied, students may submit a second appeal that must include information/documentation beyond what was included in the first appeal. All second appeals will be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid or a designee whose decision will be final.

Students should be prepared to seek other funding options if the appeal is not approved. Students may regain federal aid eligibility by completing the requirements listed under Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility.

Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid within the conditions of the federal regulations.

If for any reason the Delta College Financial Aid Office fails to provide an intended notification, this does not relieve the student from the obligation of continuing to maintain satisfactory academic progress or from any other requirements of the financial aid program.

SAP is publicly available on the Delta College website and is accessible to prospective and enrolled students.

Enrolled students receive annual notification of financial aid policies, including SAP, and instructions on how to access this information. Paper copies are available upon request.