Knowledge for the Real World

Current Students



OFA - Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students who received financial aid from Southeastern Technical College must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress, as outlined below.

Students are responsible for maintaining an acceptable level of progress regarding quality and quantity of work. Progress will be reviewed no less than once each quarter. Records are reviewed after grades are posted at the end of each quarter.

Grade Point Average Requirements:

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. If a student's GPA falls below the minimum, his/her financial aid is endangered. A student will be put on probation for the quarter following the term the student fails to earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The student has the next quarter of attendance to earn the minimum GPA. The student may receive financial aid while on probation. At the end of the probationary period, if the cumulative GPA is a 2.0 or higher, the student is taken off probation. If the cumulative 2.0 is not achieved, then the student will be put on financial aid suspension during the following quarter of attendance. The student will not receive financial aid while on suspension. Total hours attempted consists of hours taken at STC. Transfer credits are not included in the computation of the cumulative GPA for financial aid, but are considered when determining a student's HOPE Scholarship eligibility.

** Completion Rate:

Students must complete 67% of course work attempted quarterly. Failure to complete this minimum percentage will result in a student being put on probation during the following quarter of attendance. If the student fails to complete 67% of the course work attempted during the probationary quarter, they will be placed on suspension during their next quarter.

** Maximum Time Frame:

Full time students must complete their educational objective within the maximum time frame of one and a half (150%) times the length of the program in which they are enrolled. This means that once a student has attempted one and half times the minimum number of credit hours necessary for completing program requirements, they will be ineligible to receive financial aid. Students who are enrolled less that half time will be prorated accordingly.

** If a course is repeated, all hours attempted will be counted for purposes of the 67% completion rate and maximum time frame requirements and all grades will be used in calculating the minimum GPA of 2.0.

Withdrawals:

Grades of W (withdrew) and WP (withdrew passing) are not used in calculating a student's GPA, but are counted as course work attempted. WF (withdrew failing) is counted as an F. IP's (in-progress) are used in the completion rate calculation; however, students will be allowed to complete the in-progress work the next quarter and once a grade has been assigned, will be reevaluated.

Learning Support Work:

Learning Support courses will be covered by Title IV assistance if the student is enrolled as a provisional admit student in an eligible program at Southeastern Technical College and the learning support course is required by the school. State Aid only can be used to cover 095 and 096 learning support coursework.

Federal and State financial aid can be awarded for a maximum of 45 hours of learning support coursework. Learning Support courses are graded on an A* through F* scale. A grade of A*, B*, or C* will be considered satisfactory completion of a learning support course. A grade of D* or F* is considered unsatisfactory. Grades received for learning support courses are counted in HOPE Scholarship GPA calculation. All learning support courses are included in the 67% hours attempted completion rate.

Transfer Students:

Transfer students accepted by Southeastern Technical College (STC), but not previously at STC, will be classified as maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress for the first quarter enrolled. After the first quarter, the student's grades will be measured in accordance with the College's Satisfactory Academic requirements. Students who previously attended STC, transferred to another school, then returned to STC, will have all of their course work reviewed. (Only a grade of C or better will transfer.)

Termination of Financial Aid:

Financial aid will be terminated when a student is determined by the Office of Financial Aid to be ineligible, if the office has evidence that the student has falsified information on the application materials, or if federal or state funds are not provided to meet the award.

Appeals Process:

Students have the right to appeal a finding that they are not making satisfactory progress if they feel that there are extenuating circumstances, which have prevented them from meeting the specified requirements. Students will need to complete an Appeal of Financial Aid Suspension form. The appeals must specifically address the extenuating circumstances, include supporting documentation and must be filed with the Office of Financial Aid. An appeal form may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid or the financial aid section of the STC Web site.

All satisfactory academic progress appeals will be reviewed. The Office of Financial Aid will notify the student of the decision made regarding the appeal. All decisions made are final.

Reinstatement of Aid:

A student who has been terminated from aid due to a lack of satisfactory academic progress must pay for credit hours attempted the term the student returns and must meet satisfactory academic progress requirements to be eligible to receive any further financial aid in future terms.

Withdrawal from School:

Any student receiving financial aid must report to the Office of Financial Aid upon withdrawal from school. Financial Aid adjustments/payments must be calculated according to federal and state regulations.

Commercial Truck Driving Program and Financial Aid:

Because of the high cost of the Commercial Truck Driving program, the HOPE Grant will only pay the full cost of the program once. If a student does not complete the program and wishes to retake it, the HOPE grant will only cover 50% of the cost during the second term attended in the program.

Notification:

The Office of Financial Aid will notify a student through the College's official means of communication if he/she is in violation of the aforementioned standards of satisfactory academic progress and of the termination of their eligibility to receive financial aid.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS REQUIREMENTS (HOPE):

HOPE will cover all required course work as outlined in standards for certificate, diploma, and degree programs, including learning support courses. The existing institutional requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Title IV programs will be applied, for: