What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)? U.S. federal regulations for Financial Aid, Veteran Benefits, and the F-1 International Student Visa require anyone receiving these benefits to meet certain academic standards. At Madison College, these academic standards are referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Financial Aid - Satisfactory Academic Progress
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Does SAP Apply to Me?

SAP applies to students who are enrolled for the current term and are receiving one of the following from Madison College:

  • Financial Aid
  • Federal Veterans Educational Benefits
  • F-1 Student Visa support

If you meet one or more of the criteria above, you will receive a notification of the status of your SAP at the end of each term.

How To Maintain SAP Standards

There are three SAP standards that must be met by every student. Read on to see how they are calculated and what is included in these requirements:

  • SAP Standard 1: Cumulative GPA

    How GPA is Calculated

    Late Grades

    Madison College’s policy states that if you have missing or incomplete (“I”) grades, they are calculated in SAP Standards as a grade of “F.” Once a final grade posts, it is your responsibility to contact the Financial Aid Office to recalculate SAP status manually. Otherwise, it will not get evaluated until the end of the next semester when SAP runs again on all semesters and courses taken at Madison College.

    Missing or Incomplete Grades

    For financial aid purposes, any missing grades and/or incomplete ("I") grades are calculated as an "F”. If either of these situations applies, you must manually calculate your GPA.

    Nondegree Courses

    Continuing education courses are not used to calculate GPA.

    Repeated Courses

    If you repeat a course, we use the highest grade you received to calculate your GPA. The unused course displays the following note on your transcript: "Repeated-Excluded from GPA."

    Remedial/Developmental Courses

    Grades for these courses have an asterisk(*) next to them, indicating they are not used to calculate GPA.

    Transfer Credit

    Transfer credit and other credit from prior learning is not used to calculate GPA.

  • SAP Standard 2: Completion Percentage

    You must complete 67 percent or more of all classes you attempt.

    Non-Degree Courses

    Continuing education courses are not used to calculate the Completion Percentage.

    Course Cancelations

    Courses that are canceled by Madison College will not be included in the calculation for the Completion Percentage.

    Drops and Refunds

    A dropped course is considered attempted if it was dropped on or after the start date of the course, regardless of the refund percentage granted.

    Swaps and Section Changes

    A student swapping from one class (class A) to another class (class B), regardless of credit differences (Example: a 3-credit class to a 1-credit class), will only have the class they swapped into (class B) included as an attempted credit for Completion Percentage. This also applies to students who complete a section change (to switch from section A to section B) and will only have the class they section changed into (section B) included as an attempted credit for Completion Percentage.

    Repeated Courses

    All attempts of repeat coursework are used to calculate the Completion Percentage unless they were dropped prior to the start date of the course, are a non-financial aid eligible remedial/developmental course or are a nondegree course.

    Remedial/Developmental Courses

    Only financial aid-eligible remedial/developmental courses are included when calculating Completion Percentage.

    Financial Aid Eligible Remedial/Developmental Courses

    • Academic Reading 5/6
    • Academic Writing 5/6
    • Applied Math for Chemistry
    • Applied Skills for Bioscience
    • Basic Algebra
    • Bridge to Biotechnology
    • Bridge to Manufacturing
    • Bridge to Construction
    • Bridge to Hospitality
    • Bridge to Culinary Arts
    • Bridge to Admin Prof/Med Admin
    • Bridge to Optometric Tech
    • Comm for Applied Tech-Reading
    • Comm for Applied Tech-Writing
    • Comm for Arts-Reading
    • Comm for Art-Writing
    • Comm for Business-Reading
    • Comm for Business-Writing
    • Comm for Health-Reading
    • Comm for Health-Writing
    • Comm for Service-Reading
    • Comm for Service-Writing
    • Comm for Technical Careers-Reading
    • Comm for Technical Careers-Writing
    • Math for Applied Tech
    • Math for Health
    • Math Prep for Business
    • Math for Service
    • Math for Technical Careers
    • Prep for Basic Biology

    If you have questions regarding remedial/developmental coursework and SAP, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

    Transfer Credit

    Only transfer credit that satisfies academic program requirement(s) for your primary program of study (as seen on your Degree Progress Report) is used to calculate Completion Percentage. Of those, the category type of transfer credit is then assessed to determine if it’s included in the calculation. For questions on category-type assignment, please email Credit for Prior Learning at enrollmentservices@madisoncollege.edu.

    Missing or Incomplete Grades

    Any missing grades and/or incomplete ("I") grades are calculated as an "F”. Therefore, they are considered only as attempted credits.

  • SAP Standard 3: Maximum Attempted Credits

    Non-Degree Courses

    Continuing education courses are not used to calculate Maximum Attempted Credits.

    Course Cancellations

    Courses that are canceled by Madison College will not be included in the calculation for Maximum Attempted Credits.

    Drops and Refunds

    A dropped course is considered attempted if it was dropped on or after the start date of the course, regardless of refund percentage granted.

    Swaps and Section Changes

    A student swapping from one class (class A) to another class (class B), regardless of credit differences (Example: a 3-credit to a 1-credit class), will only have the class they swapped into (class B) included as an attempted credit for Maximum Attempted Credits. This also applies to students who complete a section change (to switch from section A to section B) and will only have the class they section changed into (section B) included as an attempted credit for Maximum Attempted Credits.

    Repeated Courses

    All attempts of repeat coursework are used to calculate the Maximum Attempted Credits unless they were dropped prior to the start date of the course, are a non-financial aid eligible remedial/developmental course or are a non-degree course.

    Remedial/Developmental Courses

    Only financial aid-eligible remedial/developmental courses are included when calculating Maximum Attempted Credits.

    Financial Aid Eligible Remedial/Developmental Courses

    • Academic Reading 5/6
    • Academic Writing 5/6
    • Applied Math for Chemistry
    • Applied Skills for Bioscience
    • Basic Algebra
    • Bridge to Biotechnology
    • Bridge to Manufacturing
    • Bridge to Construction
    • Bridge to Hospitality
    • Bridge to Culinary Arts
    • Bridge to Admin Prof/Med Admin
    • Bridge to Optometric Tech
    • Comm for Applied Tech-Reading
    • Comm for Applied Tech-Writing
    • Comm for Arts-Reading
    • Comm for Art-Writing
    • Comm for Business-Reading
    • Comm for Business-Writing
    • Comm for Health-Reading
    • Comm for Health-Writing
    • Comm for Service-Reading
    • Comm for Service-Writing
    • Comm for Technical Careers-Reading
    • Comm for Technical Careers-Writing
    • Math for Applied Tech
    • Math for Health
    • Math Prep for Business
    • Math for Service
    • Math for Technical Careers
    • Prep for Basic Biology

    If you have questions regarding remedial/developmental coursework and SAP, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

    Transfer Credit

    Only transfer credit that satisfies academic program requirement(s) for the student’s primary program of study on the Degree Progress Report will be included in Maximum Attempted Credits. Of those, the category type of transfer credit is then assessed to determine if it’s included in the calculation. Refer to the category chart located here. For questions on category-type assignment, please email Credit for Prior Learning at enrollmentservices@madisoncollege.edu.

    Missing or Incomplete Grades

    For financial aid purposes, any missing grades and/or incomplete ("I") grades are calculated as an "F”. Regardless of which grade is assigned, they are included in Maximum Attempted Credits.

Once you have exceeded the 100% completion threshold for Maximum Attempted Credits, you will receive messages letting you know that you are approaching the 150% limit. Once the limit is exceeded, you will be suspended from Financial Aid and/or Veteran Benefits, and/or your F-1 visa status may be at risk. Refer to the Appeal sections below for steps to reinstate eligibility.

How To View Your SAP Status

  1. Visit the Message Center. The Financial Aid Office will send communications to the student about their SAP status, and it is in the message center.
  2. Check out your To-Do List. If you have the “suspended” status, you will be able to submit an appeal. This is typically only for students who are currently suspended.

Check Status on myMadisonCollege

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SAP Status Glossary

At the end of each semester, your SAP Status is evaluated on the requirements listed above. You will have one of the following statuses:

Meets SAP – You are meeting all SAP requirements.

Warning – You have not met one or more SAP standard for one semester. You will be told which standard(s) you did not meet. It is suggested you develop a plan to return to good SAP standing with your academic advisor.

Not Meet – You have not met one or more SAP standards for a second consecutive semester. You will be told which SAP standard(s) you did not meet. There are significant consequences once on suspension (loss of aid/benefit eligibility or visa status termination).

How to Appeal Your SAP Status

There are different processes to appeal your SAP status for Federal Veterans Educational Benefits, International Students and for Financial Aid. Please keep in mind of deadlines for appealing your SAP status for each one.

Please refer to the directions on how to appeal for each one.

Appeal Your SAP Status

View Your SAP Status

Visit your account on myMadisonCollege to view your SAP status.

Log into myMadisonCollege