Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress: Staying on Track

The GPA, completion-rate, and timeframe standards that keep your financial aid active.

Academic Advising

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Staying on track

To keep your financial aid active at Louisburg College, you must demonstrate that you are moving successfully toward graduation. This is known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Our goal is to see you walk across the stage at commencement. To stay eligible for aid, you must meet three specific standards.

Read the full SAP policy (PDF)

The Three Pillars of SAP

What you must maintain

1. The GPA standard (qualitative)

0–30 credit hours: minimum 1.75 GPA. 31+ credit hours: minimum 2.0 GPA.

2. The completion rate (quantitative)

You must successfully finish at least 67% of all credits you attempt. This includes withdrawals (W) and failures (F).

3. The maximum timeframe

You must complete your degree within 150% of the program length.

If You Fall Below Standards

Warning, suspension, and the appeal

  • You are placed on Warning for one semester.
  • You still receive aid.
  • This is your chance to recover.

  • Occurs after failing to recover during Warning.
  • Options: pay out of pocket, or submit a SAP Appeal.

Valid reasons

  • Serious illness or injury
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Personal trauma or chronic issues

How to submit

  • The statement: explain what happened and what changed.
  • The documentation: provide proof.
  • The academic plan: work with your advisor.

Submit all materials to LCacademicappeal@louisburg.edu.

  • Approved: Financial Aid Probation with a strict plan.
  • Denied: pay out of pocket until standards are met.

  • Check grades mid-term
  • Talk to professors
  • Use tutoring early

Contact your academic advisor or find tutoring.

The full policy and appeal instructions from the financial aid office

  • Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students must maintain a minimum 1.75 cumulative grade point average measured on a 4.00 scale at the end of their first academic term and for the first 30 hours that they attempt. Achieving a GPA of less than a 1.75 will result in academic/financial aid warning for the next term of enrollment. During the warning period, the student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 each term after the completion of 30 hours. . The warning status will be removed when the student's cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. Warning status will change to Ineligible status if the student earns less than a 2.0 after 30 hours.

  • Minimum Completion Standard for Attempted Credit Hours

Students are expected to complete 67% of their cumulative attempted hours. Completing less than 67% of the cumulative attempted hours will result in financial aid warning for the next term of enrollment. During the warning period, the student must complete all (100%) hours attempted. The warning status will be removed when the student completes all 67% of the cumulative horus. Courses assigned a letter grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, S, U, W or WP count in quantitative and maximum time frame calculation, as do transfer credits accepted towards degree programs and any repeated coursework.

  • Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

Students who are receiving financial aid are expected to complete all requirements for a Bachelor's degree within a maximum time frame of attempted program hours. A student reaches the maximum time frame after having attempted the credit hour equivalent of 150% of the program hours required for the current degree or certificate. The student will be INELIGIBLE for Financial Aid if unable to finish the degree or certificate program within the maximum time frame.

SAP Policy

If any of these parameters are not met and the student is on suspension status, the student has the option of appealing the ineligibility. The Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress requirements may be waived under certain conditions and/or mitigating circumstances such as life altering medical diagnoses such as cancer; chronic illness; severe asthma; severe depression; death of an immediate family member, or being involved in an accident or an auto accident that left a student with a physical or psychological trauma; severe illness; assault, and other special circumstances. If these mitigating circumstances exist, the student shoul appeal the INELIGIBILITY status and accept an academic improvement plan.

A student wishing to appeal when deemed ineligible for Financial Aid should submit a SAP Appeal statement, accept an academic improvement plan and submit any other supporting documents (letters, and/or invoices from doctors and/or hospitals, affidavits, etc) to the Office of Financial Aid. All appeal materials must be received by the Office of Financial Aid by the close of business fifteen working days after the notice of suspension. The Office of Financial Aid will then present the appeals to the Financial Aid Committee.

SAP Appeal Statement Format

  • NOTE: Place in the subject line of your email the following: SAP Appeal Statement.
  • The SAP Appeal Statement should be no more than 250 works and follow the guidelines below:
    • Provide relevant dates and events and an explanation.
    • Describe the extenuating circumstances that occurred and how these circumstances impacted your academic performance. Be as specific as possible and explain what happened and why it impacted your ability to maintain satisfactory progress.
    • Explain what will be different if the appeal is approved and how you will avoid being academically dismissed.
    • Attach documentation you can provide to support your appeal statement. All supporting documents will be reviewed.
    • Attach copies of all relevant documents supporting extenuating circumstances. Copies of documents must be clear and/or legible.
    • NOTE: Not being aware of policies - such as withdrawals or SAP policy or coursework submission - is NOT a valid reason for an appeal. Students are responsible for being aware of College policies, schedules, and coursework obligations.
    • NOTE: Pictures of documents taken with a camera or phone and unable to be printed are not acceptable.
  • Email SAP appeal and supporting documentation to LCacademicappeal@louisburg.edu
    • If the appeal is granted, the student is placed of Probation and SAP monitoring for one semester. The student must complete an Academic Improvement Plan. The student is allowed to return to the College academically and continue taking classes and receive all federal Title IV aid, state finanical aid, and institutional aid.
    • If the appeal is denied, the student will be eligible to return to the College academically. The student will be placed on an Academic Improvement Plan for one semester. However, the student must pay for tuition and fees out-of-pocket, financial aid of any type will not be awarded. Once the student achieves at least a 2.0 GPA and a 67% completion rate, all financial aid can be reinstated.