ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Volunteer State Community College has established the following standards of “Satisfactory Progress” applicable to all Title IV institutionally awarded funds (Federal Pell Grant, TSAA, Administrative Grant, Federal Family Educational Loan Programs and the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Programs) for the purpose of maintaining a consistent policy for all students receiving financial assistance.

A. DEFINITION OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the following regulations in order to continue their funding at Volunteer State Community College:

1. A student must pass two-thirds (.667) of the hours originally attempted each semester and earn a semester grade point average of at least 2.0 for the total hours attempted. A grade of A, B, C, D, or P will be required for successful completion. Grades of W, I, K, YC, or F will not be considered as successful completion.
2. A student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA OF 2.0.
3. A student who does not meet either of the above 2 requirements will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. During the semester of probation, the student will receive regular financial assistance and will be expected to re-establish satisfactory academic progress.
4. If a student has not re-established satisfactory academic progress after the one semester of Financial Aid Probation, all forms of financial assistance to the student will be suspended.
5. A student may be re-instated on financial aid by (1) personally paying the educational expenses for a minimum of six credit hours during one full semester and (2) re-establishing satisfactory progress as defined in Item 1, of these regulations.
6. A student who passes zero credit hours with a zero grade point average during any semester will be removed from financial aid without a probationary period. This student may be re-instated on financial aid after meeting the conditions of Item 5 of these regulations. If the zero hours passed and zero grade point average were the results of an official withdrawal from the College, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

B. TIME LIMIT FOR AID

Students will be allowed to receive financial assistance until they have attempted a maximum of 150% of the hours required to complete their Degree or Technical Certificate. At VSCC that represents 90 collegiate hours for a degree seeking student and 62 collegiate hours for a student seeking Technical Certificate (not including current term). The hours that a student transfers in which apply toward their degree/technical certificate, will be subject to 90 or 62 hour time limit. Likewise, once a student has attempted more than 30 hours of Remedial and Developmental coursework, any additional coursework will not be considered in their Title IV eligibility fund calculations.

C. ATTENDANCE

Attendance is mandatory. A student who never attends, will be deemed as a “non-attender” and will be required to repay a portion or all of their federal funding. Students taking RODP courses must engage processing on the D2L in order to establish attendance.

Students who do establish attendance but stop attending prior to the end of the semester and do not officially withdraw are deemed as “unofficial withdrawals” and will be billed according to Return of Title IV funds regulations.

D. NOTIFICATION AND APPEAL

Any student being placed on financial aid probation or being terminated from aid will be notified by mail. Any probation or termination of financial assistance, may be appealed first to the Director for Student Financial Aid, then to the Vice President for Student Services and finally in writing to the Scholarship and Awards Committee. The student must be able to prove extenuating circumstances for an appeal.

E. PRIOR ACADEMIC RECORD

A student's prior Vol State academic record will be reviewed and the Standards of Academic Progress will be applied prior to their eligibility determination.