Standards of Academic Policy

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The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, requires institutions of higher education to establish minimum standards of academic progress for students receiving federal financial aid under the Title IV programs.  Cincinnati State applies these standards to all federal student aid programs, including the Federal College Work-Study, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, and Federal PLUS (Parent) Loan programs.  These standards also apply to the following State of Ohio funded programs:  The Ohio Academic Scholarship, Ohio National Guard Scholarship and the Ohio War Orphan Scholarship.  Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress were established to encourage students to successfully complete courses for which financial aid is received and to progress satisfactorily toward degree completion.  Successful completion of a course is defined as receiving one of the following grades:  A, B, C, D, or S. The following grades are not considered as successful completion of a course:  F, W, I, IP, U, N, or NS.  Satisfactory academic progress includes a student’s total academic history including any enrollment periods in which a student did not receive financial aid.

As required by federal regulations, the Cincinnati State Standards of Academic Progress (hereafter referred to in this document as “SAP”) policy includes a qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (maximum timeframe) standard. 

Maximum Time Frame/Quantitative Standard

A student enrolled in an associate degree program at

Cincinnati State must complete the degree requirements within one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the program length.

In order to complete a degree within the maximum time frame, students must successfully complete a minimum of sixty-seven percent (67%) of the credit hours they attempt each academic year. A student will have his/her financial aid eligibility terminated if he/she fails to successfully complete at least 67% of the credit hours attempted in the academic year.

NOTE:  Attempted hours are credit hours for which the student was charged excluding audited courses.

Grade Point Average/ Qualitative Standard

Each student is required to have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) at the end of each academic year as follows:

1-55 earned credit hours                  1.75 CGPA

56 or more earned credit hours         2.00 CGPA

A student will have his/her financial aid eligibility terminated if he/she does not maintain the required CGPA.

Repeated Courses

Multiple repeats of courses is considered in the SAP policy as follows:

GPA:  the highest grade is computed in the CGPA;

Maximum time frame:  each course repeated is computed in the “attempted” hours.

Course Withdrawals

Course withdrawals are computed in the “attempted” hours.

Non-Credit Remedial Courses

Non-credit remedial courses are not computed in the maximum time frame or GPA. A student cannot attempt more than 45 non-credit remedial courses.  This policy cannot be appealed.

Academic Suspension

A student who is suspended from their academic program will be ineligible for further financial aid.  If academic reinstatement is granted, a student may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility through the financial aid SAP appeal process.

Change in Major or Degree

If a student changes majors within the same degree or certificate, he/she is still required to complete the degree or certificate within the maximum time frame.  If the student fails to complete the degree within the maximum time frame, he/she may appeal his/her loss of financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid SAP Appeal Process

A student may appeal his/her financial aid termination to the Office of Financial Aid.  The student must explain, in writing, why he/she has not maintained the quantitative or qualitative SAP standard(s).  It is the responsibility of the student to provide any documentation that will verify or support his/her appeal.  The student will be notified, in writing, of the action taken on his/her SAP appeal. 

Please Note:  Due to the limited time period between terms at Cincinnati State, it is not always possible to notify students of their financial aid termination before the commencement of the subsequent term.  It is each student’s responsibility to determine that he/she has met or not met the established standards of academic progress for the retention of their financial aid.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

A student whose financial aid eligibility has been terminated or whose Standards of Academic progress appeal has been denied, may conditionally regain his/her financial aid eligibility by successfully completing enough credit hours at own expense and maintaining all provisions of SAP.  A student must contact the Office of Financial Aid once this requirement has been met in order to be reconsidered for financial aid.