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Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

All degree/certificate seeking students of the College of Southern Idaho must meet the following standards in order to establish and maintain eligibility for Federal Financial Aid and certain scholarships. The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are monitored and enforced in all periods of enrollment. The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are evaluated and students are notified of their current SAP standing at the conclusion of each period of enrollment.

GPA Requirement

  • Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 (computed using a 4.00 scale). Cumulative GPA includes all coursework receiving a letter grade (including remedial coursework) a student has taken. This GPA appears on the CSI transcript as "Career Totals". CSI cumulative GPA does not include transfer coursework. 
    Please Note: Some financial aid and scholarship awards have higher GPA requirements.

Pace of Completion

  • Students must progress toward completion of their declared degree/certificate while maintaining a minimum 67% completion rate. The completion rate is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credit hours a student has successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours a student has attempted. Remedial courses (classes with course numbers below 100) are excluded from the completion rate calculation.

Maximum Timeframe Requirement

  • Students must be able to complete their declared degree/certificate program within 150% of the published number of credit hours required to complete the program. For example, if the published length of an Associate of Arts degree is 64 credit hours; students must be able to complete their degree within 96 attempted credit hours.
    • The maximum timeframe calculation is performed as follows:

      All CSI/CWI credit hours attempted (including repeated credits) plus (+)
      All credit hours transferred* from other colleges/universities minus (-)
      All remedial credit hours attempted (course numbers less than 100) equals (=)
      The TOTAL number of credit hours used to determine current progress toward degree/certificate. 
      *All transfer credit hours accepted by the college are counted as both attempted and completed credits and are included in the maximum timeframe calculation (see "Appeals & Reinstatement").
  • If a SAP review makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically finish his/her declared degree/certificate program within the maximum time frame, the student is placed on "Suspension" (see "Notifications", "Appeals & Reinstatement").
  • Students who change declared degree/certificate programs prior to completion may do so, however, all attempted credits in all degree programs that count towards the student’s declared degree/certificate, including elective credits, will be included in the maximum timeframe calculation (see "Appeals & Reinstatement").
  • Students who have previously completed the requirements for a degree/certificate at CSI/CWI and who wish to earn an additional degree/certificate may do so, however, all attempted credits that fill degree requirements, including elective credits, will be counted (see "Appeals & Reinstatement").

Notifications

The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are evaluated and students are notified of their current SAP standing at the conclusion of each period of enrollment. Please Note:If a SAP review makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically finish his/her declared degree/certificate program within the maximum time frame, regardless of status ("Good Standing", "Warning", or "Probation"), the student will be placed on "Suspension" (see "Appeals & Reinstatement").

 "Good Standing"

  • Students who are meeting all of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, are not in a period of "Warning", "Suspension", or "Probation" are in good standing and no additional enrollment, advising, or academic contract/plan requirements are specified.

"Warning"

  • Students who have been in "Good Standing" and who have met the maximum timeframe standard but have not met either the minimum cumulative GPA or minimum completion rate standards are placed on "Warning" and strongly encouraged to meet with their major advisor to develop a plan for academic success. A "Warning" does not prevent a student from receiving Federal Financial Aid or scholarships. A "Warning" is intended to alert students to a current deficiency in their academic progress and to make them aware that they have one semester to meet or exceed the minimum requirements. Continued lack of progress will ultimately lead to "Suspension. " If a SAP review makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically finish his/her declared degree/certificate program within the maximum time frame, the student is placed on "Suspension. "

"Suspension"

  • If a SAP review makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically finish his/her declared degree/certificate program within the maximum time frame, the student is placed on "Suspension."
  • Students who have not met one or more of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress while on "Warning" will be placed on "Suspension."
  • Students who have been placed on "Suspension" may appeal. Appeals are reviewed and either approved or denied - submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval.
  • Without an approved appeal, students who have been placed on "Suspension" are NOT eligible for Federal Financial Aid and certain scholarships. SAP appeal forms and instructions are available online at https://www.csi.edu/financial-aid.aspx.

"Probation"

  • Students who have been placed on "Suspension" and have successfully appealed are placed on "Probation." Students placed on "Probation" regain eligibility for Federal Financial Aid and certain scholarships; if the student is placed on an academic contract/plan leading to graduation that, if followed, ensures that the student will be able to meet all of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress by a specific point in time.
  • Students who again begin meeting all of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress while on "Probation" will be placed in "Good Standing" at the conclusion of the period of enrollment or contract period. Progress in an academic contract/plan is measured at the end of each period of enrollment. Students who do not meet all of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress while on "Probation" and/or who do not follow their approved academic contract/plan will again be placed on "Suspension." Following your plan means you must complete ALL classes listed on your plan with a passing grade AND not drop or withdraw from any classes on your plan.
  • Students who are suspended while on Probation will have an opportunity to appeal. Student will need to fill out the suspension appeal form and submit it to the financial aid office. The appeal committee will be evaluating semester GPA and semester completion rate.

Appeals to Regain Eligibility for Federal Financial Aid

  • SAP Appeals must include:
    • completed SAP appeal form
    • written statement from the student addressing why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress, and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation; and
    • supporting documentation of extenuating circumstances (required for all appeals where the student was suspended while on Warning status or Maximum Timeframe; third party verification of extenuating circumstances not required for students suspended while on Probation status but may be included when applicable).
  • SAP appeals are submitted to the Financial Aid Office
  • SAP appeals are reviewed and approved/denied by Financial Aid staff
  • Step One ~ Students appealing must submit their completed SAP appeal, written statement, and documentation of extenuating circumstances (as applicable, see below).
    1. Students suspended while on Warning status or Maximum Timeframe must include with their appeal documentation of extenuating circumstances which led to academic difficulties.
      • Extenuating circumstances are those over which the student has no control and may include death in the student’s immediate family, hospitalization, accidents, and illness.
      • The Financial Aid Office will review the statement and documentation to determine if the extenuating circumstances have merit.
      • If the extenuating circumstances are deemed to have merit, the student will be granted the ability to complete step two of the appeal. If it is determined that the extenuating circumstances and/or documentation is not acceptable the appeal will be denied. Incomplete appeals/documentation will not be considered.
    1. Although students suspended while on Probation status are not required to include third party documentation of extenuating circumstances with their appeals, they will need to include a statement/explanation of the extenuating circumstances.
      • Extenuating circumstances include those listed above and may include others (less restrictive standard than above).
      • Semester level GPA and semester level completion rate will be evaluated in addition to cumulative GPA and overall completion rate.
        • Students on Probation status whose semester GPA was greater than 2.0 and semester completion was greater than 67%, will be asked to explain why they were not able to complete all the courses on their approved academic plan and/or why they were not able to earn the grades they initially projected.
        • Students on Probation status who were initially suspended for not meeting the GPA standard and their semester GPA was not greater than 2.0 or their overall completion rate went below 67%, should include an explanation of extenuating circumstances with their appeals. When applicable, third party documentation of the extenuating circumstances may be included in order to strengthen the appeal, but it is not required.
        • Students on Probation status who were initially suspended for not meeting the 67% completion rate standard and their semester completion rate was not greater than 67% or their cumulative GPA went below 2.0, should include an explanation of extenuating circumstances with their appeals. When applicable, third party documentation of the extenuating circumstances may be included in order to strengthen the appeal, but it is not required.
        • Students on Probation status who were initially suspended for not meeting both the GPA standard and the completion standard, and their semester GPA was not greater than 2.0 ortheir semester completion rate was not greater than 67%, should include an explanation of extenuating circumstances with their appeals. When applicable, third party documentation of the extenuating circumstances may be included in order to strengthen the appeal, but it is not required.
  • Step Two ~ The appeal requires that students complete an academic contract/plan with their major advisor. Academic plans will be developed in MyCSI. Approval/denial of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal will depend on the students’ academic plan and their ability to meet the terms of Satisfactory Academic Progress (www.csi.edu/SAP). Please note that receiving initial approval of extenuating circumstances does not guarantee that the appeal will be approved.
  • Students who are placed on "Suspension" as a result of "Incomplete (I)" or missing grades may also appeal using the standard appeal form and procedure.
  • In order for an appeal to be approved, students must be placed on an academic contract/plan that, if followed, will ensure that the student will be able to meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress by a specific point in time.
  • When considering an appeal:
    • Transfer credit hours that do not fulfill graduation requirements in the student’s current major are excluded from the maximum timeframe calculation.
    • All attempted credit hours from a prior degree/certificate that can fill graduation requirements (including elective credit hours) in the additional degree/certificate must be counted. All other non-remedial attempted credits that do not fill graduation requirements (including elective credits) in the additional degree/certificate program are excluded from the maximum time frame calculation.
    • Appeals while on Probation - Semester level GPA and semester level completion rate will be evaluated in addition to cumulative GPA and overall completion rate.
  • Students who successfully appeal are placed on "Probation" (see "Notifications").

Terms and Definitions

Grading Symbols

  • The following are credits successfully completed for SAP purposes: "A", "B", "C", "D", "P".
  • While successfully completed for SAP purposes, "D" may not fulfill specific program and/or graduation requirements.
  • The following are NOT credits successfully completed: "F" = Failure, "NC" = No Credit Granted, "NP" = No Pass, "I" = Incomplete, "W" = Withdrawal, "WIP" = Work In Progress, "AU" = Audit.

Cumulative GPA

  • Includes all coursework receiving a letter grade (including remedial coursework) a student has taken. This GPA appears on the CSI transcript as "Career Totals". CSI cumulative GPA does not include transfer coursework.

Repeat, Incomplete, Open-Ended, and Audit Courses

  • Courses previously passed with a grade of "C", "B", or "A" may not be repeated with the assistance of Federal Financial Aid. Courses previously passed with a "D” may be repeated one time with the assistance of Federal Financial Aid (see also "Repeating Courses" in the College Catalog).
  • A course previously assigned a grade considered NOT successfully completed (see “Grading Symbols”) may be repeated with the assistance of financial aid, subject to the college’s academic restrictions on repeats (see “Repeating Courses” in the college catalog).
  • Incompletes "I" must be arranged with instructors and must be completed as indicated by the instructor and in accordance with the policy listed in the catalog.
  • Courses extended beyond the published end of the period of enrollment in which they were originally scheduled are NOT credit hours successfully completed.
  • Audits "AU" must be declared by the due date published in the catalog, and they are not counted either as attempted or completed credits, and are NOT eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

Non-Credit and Remedial Courses

  • Non-credit, community education, and adult basic education (ABE),courses which do not satisfy graduation requirements in the student’s declared degree/certificate program, are not counted either as attempted or completed credits.

Remedial courses (credit bearing courses numbered below 100) do count as both attempted and completed credits although remedial credits are excluded from the pace of completion and maximum timeframe evaluation. 
Please Note: Federal Financial Aid recipients may receive aid for a maximum of 30 attempted remedial credit hours.