SAP Measurements

Measurements that apply to ​SAP Holds

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students are required to have a minimum term (semester) GPA above 0.0 and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in order to remain in good standing.   

• Your GPA may range from 0.0 to a 4.0. Grades of ‘D’ and ‘F’ negatively impact your GPA.
• The cumulative GPA includes remedial courses as well as college-level courses.
• Not factored in the GPA:
  • Pass/Fail courses
  • No-Show Withdrawals (NSW)
  • Withdrawals (WTH)
  • Administrative Withdrawals (ADW)
  • Incompletes (I)

Note: The "I" grade can negatively impact the GPA if it is not resolved by midterm of the following semester (not including the summer term) with a grade of "C" or higher. If the completed course requirements are not received by the instructor by the deadline, the "I" grade will automaticall​ be converted to an "F" grade.
 

Timeframe to Complete Degree                  ​   

Financial aid regulations require you earn enough credits each semester to successfully complete your degree/program within 150% of the length of your academic program.    

• Once a student has reached 75% of the program’s published length in attempted credit hours, a Timeframe Alert (TFA) indicator will be placed on the student’s academic record to alert the student that he or she is reaching the limit of financial aid eligibility for his or her program.
• Once a student has attempted 150% of the number of credit hours required for his or her program, a Financial Aid Hold (FAH) will be placed to prevent further financial aid disbursements until the student successfully appeals the hold.
• Students can only receive financial aid for up to 30 attempted hours of remedial coursework
• All accepted transfer hours from other colleges are added to the student’s attempted hours at City Colleges of Chicago.

Pace – Course Completion Rate

You must successfully complete at least 67% of all cumulative course credit hours you attempt. Completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of credit attempted into number completed.    

• Pace is cumulative in nature and takes into account all hours that you registered for, not just the ones that you complete
• The following are excluded in the calculation of attempted hours
  • Courses dropped within the refund period
  • Foundational Studies courses
• The following are included in the calculation of attempted hours and negatively impact course completion rate:
  • Student-initiated withdrawals (WTH)
  • Administrative withdrawals (ADW)
  • Incompletes ("I")
  • Failing grades
  • Repeated classes
  • Remedial Classes
  • Transfer Credit  

Warning

Students who do not achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA), and/or PACE standards will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. The following applies to students with warning:   

• You are strongly recommended to meet with your college advisor to develop a success plan prior to registering for the next term (semester) and to take the necessary steps to prevent an SAP Hold.
• A student whose GPA or PACE does not reach the minimum standard by the end of the warning term will be placed on SAP Hold and must submit an appeal.

Probation

Students who successfully appeal their hold will have their financial aid eligibility reinstated. It is important to meet with your advisor throughout the semester to ensure you are on track to good standing.

Preventing a SAP Hold

Students should work with their college advisor to establish a success plan or attend a Student Success workshop, if available at their college. The following are recommendations to help prevent an SAP Hold:  

• Achieve and maintain good academic standing (2.00 GPA and higher).
• Complete and excel in all of your courses (67% percent at minimum).
• Maintain a strong semester-by-semester plan in your Planner in your Student Portal.
• Make progress toward degree completion. Go to My.CCC.edu and click on Academic Plan.
• Allow for a minimum of 2 hours of study for every hour you are in the classroom.
• Utilize all available tutoring and academic support services.