To be eligible for Federal Student Aid (financial aid), applicants must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards and be enrolled in a qualifying certificate or degree program. Our policy is designed to encourage students to improve their academic performance and to meet graduation requirements. SAP statuses include Good Academic Status, Financial Aid Warning, Financial Aid Denial, Academic Plan Warning, and Academic Plan Denial. 

All official, academic transcripts, including credits transferred from a different school, will be reviewed to determine SAP standards whether or not financial aid was received. All official college transcipts must be on record with the Office of the Registrar regardless of whether a student earned credit at the prior institution(s). 

All grades (A, B, C, D, P, CR, XF, F, I, W, WN) will be included in the review, excluding, non-accepted credits and lowest grades on a repeated course. Grades include:

Courses approved for academic amnesty or renewal will be included in SAP calculations. All grades will calculate as attempted financial aid hours. Developmental (remedial) courses will be counted in 67% completion rate and in career cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). Audit and non-credit classes are not considered for financial aid and not included in GPA or completion rate calculations.

Evaluation of SAP

• To ensure students are meeting SAP, a current student’s progress will be evaluated at the end of each semester (fall, spring & summer); and
• Transfer students' SAP will be evaluated at the end of their first semester with ICC, except if ICC becomes aware that the student has exceeded their maximum timeframe allows (150% of degree/certificate requirement), the student may not receive Federal Student Aid without successfully submitting an appeal by the required deadline. 

Measuring SAP

Students must maintain a career cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater

• Successfully completed grades include: A, B, C, D, P, and CR;
• Unsuccessfully completed grades includes: XF, X, I, IP; and
• W and WN are not calculated into the student's career cumulative GPA.

Student must have at a completion rate of 67% or more (number of completed hours / number of cumulative hours); percentages are not rounded

• Successfully completed grades include: A, B, C, D, P, and CR; and
• Unsuccessfully completed grades include: XF, X, I, IP, W, and WN.

Maximum time frame (time to complete) is 150% of the degree/certificate criteria. E.g., an Associate Degree requiring 64 credit hours must be completed within 96 credit hours.

Results of SAP

A student not meeting SAP may be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Financial Aid Denial, Financial Aid Warning for Academic Plan, or Financial Aid Denial for Academic Plan. See below for additional information for each status.

Students who are not meeting financial aid SAP standards are notified of their ineligibility for Title IV aid by e-mail to their personal and ICC email address. Students are also sent notive via regular USPS mail. Finally, students are notified via their Pirate Portal "stop" notices. Notifications of Title IV ineligibility include information on the SAP appeal process and how the student may re-establish his or her eligibility to receive Title IV aid and information, what the student must submit regarding why he or she did not meet SAP, and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow her to meet SAP during the next evaluation.

Student may (and are encouraged to) appeal a Financial Aid Denial status.

Probation

Students whose appeal is approved are considered to be on probation for the following term of enrollment and must meet a minimum GPA of 2.0 and completion rate of 67% in the term of probation. Failing to meet the terms of Financial Aid Probation will result in the student returning to Financial Aid Denial.

Students are not eligible to appeal the requirements of any ICC or ICC Foundation scholarship. Scholarship criteria are evaluated every term of enrollment and if a student does not meet the criteria at the beginning of the term, their scholarship is forfeit for that term. 

Regaining Eligibility

A student not making SAP may re-establish eligibility on his or her own. Other than when an appeal is granted, a student can regain eligibility only by taking action that brings her into compliance with components of the SAP standards.  

The student is responsible for contacting the financial aid office to request an evaluation of the transcript to determine eligibility status.

Financial Aid Denial

Submitting an Appeal

• Complete the online appeal form
  • Address your appeal to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.
  • Explain in detail the reason(s) you did not meet satisfactory academic progress.
  • Give a detailed explanation for how you plan to correct your academic progress deficiencies and prevent this from happening again.
  • List the details of any extenuating circumstance(s) the Committee should be aware and attach supporting documents.
  • This is also an opportunity for you to include letters of support from professors, physicians, etc., if appropriate.
  • All official college transcripts must be on file with the Registrar by the appeal deadline for the semester the appeal is being submitted.
• Submit by the appropriate deadline. Appeals are due by the third calendar day for each term/session.
  • See the Deadlines tab on this page.
• Students completing an appeal of their denial status in a subsequent term must state a basis and set of circumstances for appeal different from the prior basis(es) submitted under prior appeal(s)

Academic Plan Denial

Students who have been plan on financial aid denial for academic plan will be required to submit an academic plan along with their appeal for financial aid. Academic plans outline a course-by-course plan for degree completion and a timeframe in which the academic plan will be completed. Academic plans must be completed with your advisor. For financial aid to be reinstated, the Office of Student Financial Aid must approve your Academic Plan.

Federal Student Aid will only be calculated based on those courses outlined in the academic plan and subject to your financial aid enrollment stats (full-time, three-quarter time, half time, less-than-half time).

Submitting an Academic Plan Appeal:

• Meet with your Academic Advisor/Success Coach to create your academic plan
• Complete the online appeal form
  • Address your letter to the financial Aid Appeal Committee.
  • Your letter of appeal should state your degree intentions, projected graduation time frame and how you plan to meet satisfactory academic progress.
  • Your letter of appeal should also state your educational goals and professional intentions.
  • If you are appealing to change an academic plan, explain why this change is being requested.
  • All official college transcripts must be on file with the Registrar by the appeal deadline for the semester the appeal is being submitted.
• Follow your Academic Plan
  • Taking courses not approved on your Academic Plan will invalidate your plan and make you ineligible for any Federal Student Aid.
  • If you need to change your academic plan, you must resubmit the appeal form.
• Submit the Academic Plan by the appropriate deadline. Academic Plan appeals are due the first day of courses for each term/session.

Probation

A student whose financial aid denial is overturned by the appeal process will be placed on financial aid probation for next semester. Students placed on financial aid probation will regain eligibility of Federal Student Aid for the next semester of enrollment. At the end of each semester that the student is on probation academic performance will be evaluated. At that time, one of the following actions will occur:

• If the student has achieved a career cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater and 67% completion rate and not attempted 96 or more credit hours will be reinstated to good academic standing.
• If the student has successfully followed the terms of her academic plan and appeal but cannot yet be returned to good academic standing, the student will remain on financial aid probation.
• If the student earns a semester GPA of 2.0 but cannot yet be returned to good academic standing based on not meeting a 2.0 or greater, will remain on financial aid probation.

If neither of the above conditions have been met, the student will be placed back on financial aid denial.

Students are not eligible to appeal the requirements of any ICC or ICC Foundation scholarship. Scholarship criteria are evaluated every term of enrollment and if a student does not meet the criteria at the beginning of the term, their scholarship is forfeit for that term. 

Review of Appeals

All appeals are assigned a risk score based on:

• GPA
• Completion Rate
• Total Attempted Hours
• Hours to Degree/Certificate Completion
• Number of Attended Colleges
• Number of Major Changes
• Number of Warnings/Denials
• Total Pell Lifetime Usage
• Total Direct Loan Usage

Students assessed the lowest score may be approved by the Director of Financial Aid. If denied by the Director, the student's appeal is automatically advanced to the OSFA Cabinet-Level Supervisor for review. If denied by the OSFA Cabinet-Level Supervisor, the student's appeal is automatically advanced to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

Students assessed a medium score may be approved by the OSFA Cabinet-Level Supervisor. If denied by the OSFA Cabinet-Level Supervisor, the student's appeal is automatically advanced to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

Students assessed the highest score may be approved or denied by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee. If denied by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, the decision is final and no further review is permitted. 

Appeals are due by the third calendar day of each term/session of enrollment for which a student is appealing.

• Summer 2024 Deadline for First/Full Session courses: Wednesday, June 5th
• Summer 2024 Deadline for Second Session courses: Wednesday, July 10th
• Fall 2024 Deadline for First/Full Session courses: Friday, August 16th
• Fall 2024 Deadline for Second Session courses: Wednesday, October 16th