The Department of Education - Federal Student Aid program requires that schools maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies in order to ensure that students are progressing successfully through an academic program as a condition of receiving financial aid. This means a school must calculate and monitor a student's grade point average (GPA) and completion rate percentages. If a student cannot meet SAP standards, they risk losing financial aid eligibility at Gateway Technical College.
SAP is Updated After Qualifying Events
A student's financial aid SAP status is calculated after different qualifying events. This can include the receipt of a student's FAFSA, acceptance into a financial aid eligible program of study, as well as at the end of each semester (payment period) if a student has submitted a FAFSA and attempted coursework. Students that have not met the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) criteria as outlined in this document are notified via their student email account.
Student SAP Status and Updates Found on My Gateway
Students can find their SAP Status by logging in their My Gateway account and clicking through the Financial Aid card. For complete information related to Gateway Technical College's Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, please visit gtc.edu/financial-aid. This policy is subject to change at any time, should the Department of Education federal regulations require it.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Criteria
To maintain financial aid eligibility at Gateway Technical College, students must meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) criteria as outlined below. SAP requirements are measured using both term and cumulative results.
- Minimum 2.0 Term Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Minimum 67% Term Completion Rate
- Term completion rate is calculated using the credits completed divided by credits attempted.
- Minimum 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Cumulative GPA is calculated on all credits attempted at Gateway.
- Minimum 67% Cumulative Completion Rate
- Completion rates are calculated using all credits completed at Gateway and transferred to Gateway divided by total credits attempted.
- Cannot be Meeting the 150% Duration Limit (M150%)
- More information is found in the SAP Status - M150 section.
Academic Record and Financial Aid Office SAP Calculations Are Different
The way a college calculates a student's academic record is different from the measurements used to determine financial aid eligibility. For example, a college may not include a course withdrawal on an official academic transcript, but a Withdraw (W) will impact SAP GPA and completion rate calculations that impact financial aid eligibility.
In most instances, a student's complete Gateway Technical College academic record is used to determine if each student meets SAP requirements as outlined in this document.
Unlike a student's Academic GPA and/or completion rate, most of all attempted coursework is included in calculations involving SAP for financial aid eligibility. This means that courses with a final grade of F, U, W, WF or WP, DX, D-X, D+X or FX are included in these calculations as non- completions with zero grade points (which is the same as receiving a final grade of "F" in a course).
All credits transferred to Gateway Technical College, including those attempted without the use of financial aid, are included in Gateway SAP cumulative completion rate calculations. This means transferred courses count as attempted and completed credits, but they do not impact SAP GPA calculations.
Remedial and Developmental Courses
Remedial and developmental courses are also included in SAP calculations. All repeated courses (R) are included as the final grade or status that were earned for each attempt. Earning a better letter grade for retaking a course will not delete or replace the first attempt from being included in SAP updates.
Grades of Incomplete (I) are excluded from SAP calculations until such a time that a final grade is issued. An Incomplete grade has no impact on that semester's SAP calculations. Once a final grade is issued and the Incomplete is replaced with a letter grade, the results will be included in the next cumulative result of any and all subsequent SAP calculations.
Pass / Fail Grades
Courses with grades of Pass (P) or Fail (F) are included when calculating term and cumulative completion rates. Pass or Fail grades have no impact when calculating semester or cumulative GPA results.
NG - No Grade Policy
A grade of NG (No Grade) is given if a student drops a course during the add/drop period. Courses resulting in an NG grade are not included in SAP calculations. The NG policy was updated effective September 27, 2021. Before this date, NG grades were/are included in SAP calculations and processed as a non-completion with zero grade points (the same as an earned F).
Financial Aid Statuses
The Gateway Technical College Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy resembles a three strike process. While a student is meeting all SAP requirements, they remain in a Satisfactory (SAT) SAP status.
Students meeting all SAP requirements remain in Satisfactory (SAT) status. The first time a student does not meet a SAP requirement, their SAP status is escalated to Financial Aid Warning (FAW) status.
Financial Aid Warning (FAW)
Students failing to meet SAP criteria will automatically be placed in Financial Aid Warning (FAW) status. Students in FAW status remain eligible to receive financial aid the following term(s). Students in FAW status are not restricted in the number of credits they may take, but they must meet all SAP criteria as outlined above in all future terms to avoid being placed in Suspension - Need Appeal (SNA) status.
Suspension – Need Appeal (SNA)
Students in Financial Aid Warning status who fail to meet all satisfactory academic progress criteria will be placed in Suspension - Need Appeal (SNA) status. Students in Suspension - Need Appeal status may complete a SAP Appeal Plan form and appeal to have their aid eligibility reinstated. Students in SNA status choosing not to file an SAP Appeal Plan form must meet all satisfactory academic progress criteria listed in order to be eligible to receive any further financial aid. If a students SAP Appeal Plan is approved, they are placed in Approved Appeal Plan (AAP) status.
Please note that if a student is SNA meeting all SAP requirements at the end of a term with no prior approved SAP appeal on file, the SAP status is moved from SNA back to FAW. The student can appeal in future if needed.
Approved Appeal Plan (AAP) - SAP Appeal Approved
Students who submit the SAP Appeal Plan and get approved are placed in SAP - Approved Appeal Plan (AAP) status. These students must follow the terms of their approved SAP Appeal Plan. These term requirements include:
- Achieving a minimum 2.0 term Grade Point Average (GPA) in all future terms
- Achieving a minimum 67% term completion rate in all future terms
- Taking only courses required to complete the current active program listed on the
- Approved SAP Appeal Plan form
- Any and all other criteria as outlined on the SAP Appeal Plan Form
Students are not allowed to be approved for an SAP Appeal Plan more than once. Students in Approved Appeal Plan (AAP) status are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic or faculty advisor to ensure that they are only taking required coursework. Students in the Approved Appeal Plan status that do not meet the AAP SAP criteria outlined above will be placed in Financial Aid Suspension (FAS) status.
Financial Aid Suspension (FAS)
Students are placed into Financial Aid Suspension (FAS) status if they fail to meet the following requirements:
- The student completed a SAP Appeal Plan and it is denied.
- The student had an Approved SAP Appeal Plan (AAP), but they did not meet the term SAP requirements going forward.
Students in the Financial Aid Suspension (FAS) status are not eligible to receive financial aid and are not eligible to appeal. Students in FAS status may regain financial aid eligibility if they complete financial aid eligible coursework with alternate funding sources and meet all SAP criteria. Students that meet this criteria will be sent an SAP reinstatement notification email and will be eligible to receive aid the following term. Students that have had their financial aid eligibility reinstated as a result of meeting SAP requirements and do not meet all SAP criteria in any subsequent term will immediately be placed back in FAS status.
Duration of Financial Aid Eligibility - Meeting the 150% Rule (M150%)
Students that have attempted 150% of the published credits for their current active program, as listed on their program curriculum requirement sheet, will immediately become ineligible for financial aid and will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension - Meeting the 150% Rule (FASM150) status.
All credits that a student has transferred to Gateway Technical College, as well all credits attempted at Gateway Technical College, count toward the 150% limit. All attempted credits are included in this calculation regardless of:
- Program status
- Program(s) being pursued
- Financial aid received/not received
- Length of time since the credits were attempted
The maximum duration of financial aid eligibility is calculated by taking the number of credits required to complete the current, active program requiring the most credits and multiplying that by 150% (1.5). For example, a program requiring 70 credits to complete would have a maximum duration of eligibility of 105 credits. This is because 70 credits x 150% (1.5) equals a maximum of 105 credits.
The maximum duration of eligibility for students active in more than one program is calculated using the active program requiring the most credits to complete. It is not calculated on the basis of multiple programs. Gateway policy states that a student may only be active in one financial aid eligible program at a time.
Students who meet or exceed the 150% limit for a certificate or technical program, who are subsequently accepted into a larger associate program, must notify the Financial Aid Office to have financial aid eligibility reassessed under the SAP policy. Students that remain in the M150% status as of the census date for a given semester are ineligible to receive aid for that semester.
Required Credit for Program | 150% of Program's Credit |
70 | 105 |
69 | 104 |
68 | 102 |
67 | 101 |
66 | 99 |
61 | 92 |
44 | 66 |
33 | 50 |
64 | 96 |
32 | 48 |
28 | 42 |
27 | 41 |
17 | 26 |
M150 Suspension Appeal (M150 Appeal)
Students exceeding the maximum duration of financial aid eligibility (M150% Rule) as outlined are eligible to complete the M150 Appeal Form. Open appeal periods and dates can be found on the Financial Aid Office Important Dates page.
Students meeting the Maximum Time Frame Limit (M150%) will be marked as Financial Aid Suspended (FASM150) at the end of every semester. Students in this status will need to complete a new M150 Appeal Form at the end of every term. Financial Aid Suspension - M150 status students will automatically receive an email notification directing them to complete the M150 Appeal Form at the end of every term.
Just because an M150 appeal was approved in the past, this does not guarantee the approval of subsequent appeals. Appeals are approved based on the student's explanation of extenuating circumstances, number of credits needed to graduate and prior term(s) grades. There is no limit to the number of M150 appeals a student may be approved for.
If an M150 appeal is approved, it only reinstates financial aid eligibility for one term. Regardless of completed coursework and grades earned after this appeal is approved, a student who exceeds the maximum number of allowed attempted credits will always be suspended after a term ends. These students will need to complete an appeal after every term.
The M150 Appeal policy was published effective 12/11/2021.
Title IX Pregnancy Resources
Title IX provides for students who are pregnant or experience a false pregnancy, have a child or adopt a child, terminate a pregnancy or who have a miscarriage with special services, as it provides to students with other temporary conditions. Any student who believes a pregnancy-related issue impacts their educational goals is encouraged to visit Title IX - Pregnant Students for more information.