Purpose
Federal regulations (General Provision CFR 668.34) require that students at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress toward completing their degree to retain eligibility for federal and institutional aid. This policy applies to all students receiving federal, state, and institutional aid. CIA reviews the SAP at the end of each semester.
Standards of SAP
Satisfactory academic progress comprises three components. A student must meet:
- Qualitative Standard (GPA Requirement)
Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 - Quantitative Standard (Pace of Completion)
Students must complete at least 67% of all attempted credits. Formula: Pace = (completed credits/ attempted credits) x 100 - Maximum Time Frame
Students must complete their program within 150% of the published length. Example: a 120-credit program, within 180 attempted credits.
Financial Aid Statuses
Good Standing: Student meets all SAP standards
Warning/Alert: This status is for students who were making SAP the prior semester and/or the first time not meeting the SAP requirements. Aid will be continued for the next semester and no financial aid appeal is required.
Suspension: Aid eligibility is lost due to not meeting SAP requirements in the prior and current semester. A student may appeal the result based on an extenuating circumstance; illness, injury, death of a relative, or other circumstances. An Academic Dismissal from CIA is an automatic suspension of financial aid.
Probation: A student’s aid is reinstated for the next semester after successful appeal.
Appeal Process
Students may appeal SAP Suspension due to extenuating circumstances (illness, family emergency etc.). A form with instructions will be provided by the financial aid office to assist in including the required information.
If it is determined that the student will require more than one semester to meet the SAP standards, the student can be placed on probation but must also have an Academic Plan in place with their academic advisor. The Academic Plan’s purpose is to provide strategies to move toward academic progress.
Regaining Eligibility
A student in the warning status will have aid eligibility the following semester. No appeal is required.
A student on suspension (does not appeal or the appeal is not approved), may enroll and pay for their educational charges out of pocket. SAP will be reviewed after that semester and if SAP requirements are met, aid eligibility is regained.
A student on probation (having an approved appeal), has one semester of aid available and will have their SAP reviewed at the end of the semester and if the requirements are met, aid eligibility is restored.
A student on probation with an academic plan, has one semester of aid available and will have their SAP reviewed including the terms of their academic plan the end of the semester, and if the academic plan was followed, eligibility for aid will continue the next semester. A new academic plan may be indicated going forward.
Treatment of Special Cases
- Courses with grades of “F” (failure), “I” (incomplete), “W” (withdrawal) are counted as courses attempted but not earned and count toward the maximum time frame.
- Transfer credit hours (accepted for the student’s academic program or degree) are counted as credit hours attempted when measuring the maximum time frame to complete the degree but do not impact the cumulative grade point average.
- All instances of repeated coursework will be factored into the calculation of the completion rate.