Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal Financial Aid regulations require financial aid recipients make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a degree. In order to be awarded and retain financial aid, recipients must comply with the following three satisfactory academic policy requirements. At the end of every semester, we evaluate the progress toward the degree in accordance to the following criteria.

1. Students must maintain acceptable academic standing as established by the Chadron State College. This pertains to the Academic Probation/Suspension policy which can be found in the 2009-2011 CSC Catalog. If you are placed on academic suspension, you are automatically suspended from future financial aid.

2. Students must successfully complete a certain number of attempted credit hours each semester based on the financial aid status in which they are paid in order to maintain future eligibility. The following graph displays this relationship. This includes summer sessions.

Undergraduates
	New Hours Attempted	AND	Hours Successfully Completed	=	Financial Aid SAP Status
Full-Time	12 credits or more		At least 12		Good Standing
	12 credits or more		At least 6		Probation
	12 credits or more		Less than 6		Suspension
3/4 Time	9 to 11 credits		At least 9		Good Standing
	9 to 11 credits		At least 5		Probation
	9 to 11 credits		Less than 5		Suspension
1/2 Time	6 to 8 credits		At least 6		Good Standing
	6 to 8 credits		At least 3		Probation
	6 to 8 credits		Less than 3		Suspension

Graduates
	New Hours Attempted	AND	Hours Successfully Completed	=	Financial Aid SAP Status
Full-Time	9 credits or more		At least 9		Good Standing
	9 credits or more		At least 6		Probation
	9 credits or more		Less than 6		Suspension
1/2 Time	6 to 8 credits		At least 6		Good Standing
	6 to 8 credits		At least 3		Probation
	6 to 8 credits		Less than 3		Suspension

Grades of A, B, C, D or Pass are successfully completed grades.
Grades of F, W, IP, AU, or I are unsuccessfully completed grades.
Preparation courses (developmental courses) required by Chadron State College are acceptable and qualify for financial aid.
Attempted credit hours are all credit hours attempted, including repeat courses.
Repeats, Correspondence courses with one-year completion (DIS 80), extended open enrollment courses, CLEP tests, professional development courses, or ALP courses do not qualify for financial aid eligibility.
Repeat courses are considered any courses enrolled in for a second or more times. They do not qualify for financial aid eligibility but they do count toward total attempted credit hours.
Students with grades of I or IP that have been successfully completed with a successful grade may request to the Financial Aid Office for a re-evaluation of their satisfactory academic progress status.
Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate courses that do not apply toward their undergraduate degree do not count as attempted or earned hours. Therefore these courses cannot be covered by financial aid.
Graduate students enrolled in undergraduate courses that do not apply toward their graduate degree do not count as attempted or earned hours. Therefore these courses cannot be covered by financial aid.

3. Students may receive financial aid toward their degree up to a maximum timeframe. The following maximum timeframes apply toward the particular program.

1st Undergraduate Bachelors degree. Financial aid recipients may not exceed 187 attempted credit hours toward their first bachelor's degree. Attempted hours is defined as all attempted credit hours in which students enroll that are reflected on students' academic records. Transfer students attempted credit hours include all attempted undergraduate credit hours reflected on all academic transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
Graduate and Specialist degrees. Financial aid recipients may not exceed 125% attempted credit hours toward either a graduate or specialist degree. Attempted hours is defined as all credit hours attempted toward the sought degree and that are reflected on students' academic records. Transfer students attempted credit hours include all attempted graduate credit hours reflected on all transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
2nd Undergraduate Bachelors degree. Financial aid recipients seeking a second bachelor's degree are required to complete a credit evaluation through the appropriate records keeper in order to receive financial aid. Copies of the credit evaluation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office for eligibility determination. Students seeking the second bachelor's degree may not exceed 125% credit hours toward the second Bachelors degree. Click on the appropriate link below to print a credit evaluation form.
- Teaching Credit Evaluation
- Non-Teaching Credit Evaluation
Endorsements/Additional majors. Students seeking to add an endorsement or additional major to their current degree are not eligible for financial aid as these academic criteria are not considered certificate or degree seeking.
Transfer Credit: All attempted credit hours reflected on all transcripts from all previously attended institutions.

All students are notified in writing regarding their continued eligibility requirements or exhaustion of eligibility.

Financial Aid Probation - Students placed on financial aid probation remain eligible for most financial aid programs for their next period of enrollment. However, the next term of enrollment is the probationary period. During the probationary period, students are required to successfully complete 1) at least 12 new credit hours if paid as full time; or 2) at least 9 new credit hours if paid as ¾ time; or 3) at least 6 new credit hours if paid as ½ time or 4) at least 3 credit hours if paid as less than ½ time. Please reference #2 for definitions of for successfully completed and courses that do not count towards attempted credit hours. Failure to successfully complete the attempted enrollment status while on probation will result in Financial Aid Suspension.

Financial Aid Suspension - Students placed on financial aid suspension are ineligible to receive financial aid for the next term of enrollment. To regain financial aid eligibility, students are required to successfully complete at least 50% of the enrollment status of the term, which resulted in financial aid suspension using their own resources.

Financial Aid Appeals - Students may appeal their situation if they believe extenuating circumstances interfered with their ability to maintain satisfactory academic progress. To request consideration for an appeal, students need to write a letter explaining their circumstances to the Financial Aid Office no later than the deadline date provided in the notification. Students are allowed to appeal only once.

Extenuating Circumstances - Extenuating Circumstances may be an injury or illness of a student or a dependent of the student, death of a family member, family difficulties or interpersonal problems with friends.

Academic Suspension - Students placed on academic suspension are automatically placed on financial aid suspension. Students choosing to appeal their academic suspension MUST submit an appeal letter to the Financial Aid Office in addition to the Academic Suspension Appeals Committee.

Academic Amnesty - Students declaring academic amnesty for a semester in which financial aid was received and resulted in an academic or financial aid suspension is not appealable and students will need to meet the conditions of the Financial Aid Suspension to regain their financial aid eligibility.

ALL DECISIONS MADE BY THE SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEALS COMMITTEE ARE FINAL.