Financial Aid Standards of Progress

All Central Wyoming College students who receive financial aid must satisfy the following standards of progress to remain eligible for financial assistance.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Title IV Federal regulations require an institution to establish a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)  policy for all students receiving federal and state funding, such as Federal Pell Grant, SEOG, TRIO, Federal Work Study, TEACH Grants, Direct Subsidized & Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Parent PLUS  Loan and Veterans benefits. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress both prior to and  while receiving federal student aid (this includes dual/concurrent credits). Review of SAP will take place  at the end of each payment period for all enrolled degree-seeking students who receive financial aid. (The institution abides by the SAP process for all degree-seeking students, regardless of whether the  student receives Title IV or not.) All repeat coursework is included in attempted and completed credits  as outlined below. All coursework, including coursework for which a college has offered academic amnesty, must be included in the review process. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements:

1)   Grade Point Average (GPA): Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Student grades of A, B, C, D, and F are included in the GPA calculation. Grades of I (incomplete), Z (audit), W (withdrawal), or WI (withdrawal by instructor), X (incomplete), U (unsatisfactory), and S (satisfactory) are not counted in the GPA.

2)  Completion Rate: Students are expected to complete two-thirds (66.67%) of all attempted credits.  Student grades of A, B, C, D, F, U, and S, are counted in attempted credits. Student grades of A, B, C, D, and S are counted in completed credits. Grades of F, U, and W are counted in attempted credits but 0 credits are completed. A grade of Z (audit) is not counted in attempted or completed credits. If a student has transfer equivalency (TE) credits, all TE credits will be counted in both attempted and completed credits.

3)  Incomplete Grades: Once grades of I (Incomplete) are completed and converted into grades of A, B, C, D, or F, they  will be included in the next scheduled SAP evaluation. 

4)  Maximum Time Frame: Students must be able to complete their program of study within 150%  of the published program length. For example, if a student’s published program length is 60 credits,  then 60 x 150% = 90 total credits (this includes TE credits that apply to the student’s program). All  CWC credits are included whether or not the student received aid when the credit hours were  attempted/completed. A student is ineligible for Federal Aid when it becomes ‘mathematically  impossible’ to complete their program within 150% of their published program length. This may affect  students who have changed their program of study or are pursuing more than one program. Students are highly encouraged to not change their program more than three times while at CWC due to the negative impacts this can have on their federal financial aid eligibility. Students are notified via email to their Central Wyoming College email address for any SAP status other than satisfactory. They may also review their SAP status on their MyCentral portal at any time. 

• Warning Status: If a student fails to meet one but not both SAP requirements of a (cumulative 2.0 GPA and 66.67% completion rate/pace of progression) AND the student can successfully make progress toward reaching satisfactory standing by the end of the next term, then the student is placed on warning status. The student is able to receive all eligible forms of financial aid while on a warning status. If the student does not rehabilitate back into  satisfactory standing the student will be placed in an unsatisfactory SAP status. The student is ineligible to receive all federal financial aid funding, and Veterans benefits at that time. The student may appeal/petition if there were documentable mitigating circumstances that contributed to the  student's inability to make satisfactory progress while in the warning status. 
• Unsatisfactory Status:  If a student does not meet GPA and pace of progression (or also referred to  as completion rate), they are placed in an unsatisfactory SAP status. Students are no longer eligible to receive federal aid or Veterans benefits. The student may appeal/petition if there were  documentable mitigating circumstances that contributed to the student's inability to make  satisfactory progress while in the warning status. Students are notified via email to their Central Wyoming College email address for any SAP status  other than satisfactory. They may also review their SAP status on their MyCentral portal at any  time. 
• Appeal/Petition to Regain Eligibility: If a student fails to meet SAP (unsatisfactory or maximum  time frame) and they have extenuating circumstances ‘beyond the student’s control’, and are able  to provide documentation, they may submit a written appeal/petition to regain eligibility. The  appeal/petition along with supporting documentation must be submitted to Rustler Central  according to the deadline on the appeal/petition form for consideration. 
• Changes in Degrees/Programs: Changing degrees or programs does not restart the 150% maximum time frame. The SAP calculation will be based on the largest active program when determining their Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each term. Students are highly encouraged to not change their program more than three times while at CWC due to the negative impacts this can have on their federal financial aid eligibility.
• Appeals/Petitions: If a student fails to meet SAP (unsatisfactory or maximum time frame), Students may appeal/petition to the Financial Aid office.  A student may only petition/appeal if the student experienced ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ that prevented the student from meeting standards.  Common ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ include illness to the student, death in the family, or other significant extenuating circumstances. Appeal/Petition forms can be obtained from the Financial Aid office and are due no later than two weeks prior to the start of the semester for which the student is appealing/petitioning to receive continued Federal Aid. Just because a student submits a petition/appeal does not guarantee the petition will be approved to reinstate/extend financial aid.
  
   
  Appeals must contain the following: 
  1. An explanation of why they failed to meet the required SAP standards. 
  2. What has changed in the student’s situation, and what support systems or measures have or will be implemented to allow them to meet the SAP requirements at the next SAP evaluation. 
  3.Supporting documentation of the extenuating circumstance(s). 

Appeals/Petitions received by the deadline will be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid, as well  as the Vice President of Student Affairs, and a determination will be made. This determination is final and cannot be re-appealed/petitioned. Students who received denied appeals/petitions will  be unable to receive Federal funding at CWC until (and unless) they are able to bring their GPA  and/or completion rate back to satisfactory standards. This means the student would need to pay  for all expenses incurred at CWC either out-of-pocket or through other means than Federal  Financial Aid after receipt of a denied appeal/petition. Separate from financial aid, the student may fall under the Academic Probation policy at this time as well and should discuss with their success coach if they are able to re-enroll the following semester (see Academic Probation policy)

• Approved Appeals/Petitions: Students who received Approved Appeals/Petitions will be notified  via phone and email by the Financial Aid office. Students will be placed on either probation or a  Student Education Plan (SEP). The student is placed on probation when they are able to regain  satisfactory status in one term. The student is eligible to receive funding for that term. If a student  is not able to regain satisfactory standing in one term, they are placed on a Student Education Plan (SEP). If a student meets the requirements set forth, they may remain on the SEP until such time  as they are back in satisfactory SAP status or have completed the program(s) as outlined,  whichever occurs first. The notification will provide full guidance, next steps and expectations, as  well as requirements that the student must meet while on the SEP. Failure to maintain the  agreement established in the Student Education Plan will result in the suspension of Federal funding  for all subsequent semesters. This suspension is final and may not be re-petitioned/appealed.