Federal financial aid regulations limit how long any student can continue to receive financial aid. In order to keep your eligibility for financial aid, you must be making progress toward earning your degree. You can lose eligibility for aid if you are not doing well in your classes and/or if it is taking a longer than average time to earn your degree. If you are not meeting the minimum standards, even if you are allowed to continue your enrollment, you will have to do so without benefit of financial assistance.

Federal Regulations (34 CFR Part 668) require that in order to receive student financial aid under the programs authorized by Title IV of The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, students must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in the course of study they are pursuing according to the standards and practices of the institution. Therefore, students receiving federal financial aid are expected to maintain full academic standing as described in the University Catalog. In addition, students must maintain satisfactory progress according to the policy stated below.

These Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) regulations require that all Universities establish and publish a policy that takes into account both qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (progress through the program toward completion) measures as well as establishing a maximum time frame that cannot exceed one and one half the normal time frame for the program. At the University of Maine at Fort Kent, students' progress is measured by their grade point average (GPA) and the number of credits completed compared to the number of semesters attempted. Students must meet both the minimum GPA requirement and have completed the required credit hours within established time frames to retain eligibility for federal financial aid. Students who have a break in attendance will be reviewed including all UMFK credits attempted and including any credits they transfer into UMFK toward the degree.

SECTION I - Policy Details

The following shall be considered as credits completed:

1. "A" through "D" grades
2. "P" passed for credit on a Pass/Fail basis

The following shall be considered as credits attempted but not completed:

1. "F" grades
2. "AUD" - audited course
3. "W" - withdrawal
4. "I" - incomplete
5. "PR" - in progress
6. "Non-credit" courses
7. "DG" – deferred grade
8. "L" – did not attend the course

Academic Year Semesters - Academic year semesters are considered to be those two semesters which constitute the traditional calendar, (i.e., fall and spring semesters). Summer session will be included in the calculation of semesters completed, at the rate (Fulltime, 3/4 time, 1/2 time) based on number of credits attempted.

Change of Program - For one time only, when a student changes program, SAP is based on all the credits attempted to date, excluding those that would have no place in the new program even if the student had successfully completed the course.

Transfer Students - If a student earned credits at a previous institution(s) that will be accepted toward his/her degree, satisfactory progress evaluation will take place at the proper level in the time frame; e.g., a full-time student who transfers 30 credits toward the UMFK degree would be considered to have attempted and completed two semesters towards the degree.

Financial Aid Probation/Suspension - At the end of each academic year, each student's academic standing will be reviewed to determine if the minimum requirements outlined in Section II are being maintained. In the event that the student fails to meet the minimum requirements, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. A student in this category may receive financial aid for the upcoming semester but must complete the designated number of credits with the corresponding grade point average by the end of the Probationary semester. Failure to achieve the required minimum GPA and hours at the end of the Probationary semester will result in Suspension of Title IV financial aid.

Appeal of Financial Aid Suspension - Students placed on Suspension may appeal, in writing, within 30 days of notification, to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Review Committee, stating:

1. What went wrong and why the minimum requirements were not met
2. What you have done and will do differently in order to succeed in the future. What are you doing to correct the problems that led to the unsatisfactory academic progress?
3. Third party documentation for extenuating circumstances must be included in the appeal submission.

Upon review of the appeal, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student in writing or by email (at your mail@maine.edu address) of the decision.

Condition of Financial Aid Reinstatement - Students must complete the required number of credits in the appropriate semester of the time frame, with the corresponding grade point average, in order to be reinstated. The student must notify the Financial Aid Office, in writing, that the conditions of reinstatement have been met. The student will observe the normal application procedures and deadlines for financial aid consideration and will receive written notification if financial aid is to be reinstated.

Section II - Specific Progress Requirements

First, your total number of credits attempted is determined for each semester in which you have been enrolled, regardless of whether or not you received financial aid for that semester. Your attempted credit hours are the total number of credit hours for which you were enrolled as of the last day of the Drop/Add period (plus any transfer credits accepted toward your current degree.)

For each semester, these credits are converted to a “full time equivalent” (FTE) number of semesters as follows:

• 1-5 credits = one quarter (.25) of a semester
• 6-8 credits = one half (.5) of a semester
• 9-11 credits = three quarters (.75) of a semester
• 12 or more credits = one (1) semester

Each individual semester’s FTE is added together to get a total FTE number of semesters attempted by you.

Then your credit hours earned are determined by adding up all the credit hours for which you earned a passing grade. (If a student is readmitted to a new degree program, all credits attempted that count, or would have counted if completed and passed, toward the new degree are used to establish FTE.)

Total credits earned are compared to number of Full Time Equivalent semesters to determine if the student is meeting the following requirements:

Minimum GPA:

• 0-29 Attempted hours 1.67
• 30-59 Attempted hours 1.75
• 60+ Attempted hours 2.0

The maximum time frames are as follows:

• For a four year, 120 credit Baccalaureate degree, 12 FTE semesters
• For a two year, 60 credit Associates degree, 6 FTE semesters
• For a two year, 75 credits Associates degree, 7.5 FTE semesters