Managing Satisfactory Academic Progress

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Managing Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Todd Moravec, MHSA, MA
• Student Financial ServicesSUNY College at
  Plattsburgh

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Signs for Improvement

• Not focusing on audit and compliance issues
• Frequent upset students and parents
• You cant cancel my aid, I am entitled
• You never told me
• Executives who consistently second guess
• Tims mom called, and she said.
• Many cases of misleading advice by faculty
• My advisor said it was OK to withdraw..
• Minimize these cases

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Areas for Improvement

• Establish a comprehensive policy
• Educate target populations
• Develop a computer program for math
• Make adjustments for special populations
• Communicate results and options
• Develop real-time method to re-calculate

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Comprehensive Policy

• Key components
• List major federal and state funds
• Outline frequency and overall process
• Present both tables of standards
• Outline appeal process and other options
• Example SAP policy in handout
• Example appeal policy in handout

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Educate Targets

• Policy tends to be too complex for education
• Develop simpler guidelines
• Example
• Cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at Plattsburgh
• Complete at least 12 credits of non-repeat
  courses required for graduation each semester
• Do not withdraw from too many courses
• Declare a major before earning 57 credits
• Graduate within four to six years
• Consult with our office for exceptions

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Educate Targets

• Post policy
• College Catalog, Web Page, Handouts
• Use guidelines for education
• Present during student orientation
• Present during parent orientation
• E-mail students each semester (before advisement)
• E-mail faculty each semester (before advisement)
• Present during faculty meetings
• Use examples in presentations
• Reference policy on web

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Educate Targets

• Discuss three other common problems
• Withdrawing from courses
• Withdrawing from university
• Repeating a course
• Call aid office before and ask
• How would this affect aid/bill this semester?
• How would this affect aid/bill next semester?
• Repeats, college catalogue, major GPA
• Change campus culture and behaviors

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Computer Program

• Calculate federal compliance
• Calculate academic years completed
• Select appropriate federal standards
• Calculate student performance for each standard
• Satisfy each standard yes or no
• Satisfied all standards yes or no
• Calculate state compliance
• Calculate TAP points earned
• Select appropriate state standards
• Calculate student performance for each standard
• Satisfy each standard yes or no
• Satisfied all standards yes or no

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Example Calculations
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Computer Program

• Assign a SAP code that captures eligibility
• Eligible for federal aid yes or no
• Federal probation yes or no
• Federal Waiver yes or no
• Eligible for state aid yes or no
• State waiver yes or no
• Taxonomy Examples
• FYTY, FNTY, FYTN, FNTN
• Probation FYPTY, FYPTN
• Waivers FYWTY, FNWTNW, etc.
• Capture reason for non-compliance
• Computer program takes a long time to develop

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Special Populations

• Review SAP codes for special populations
• Use queries to reduce workload
• Special populations
• New freshmen and transfers
• Readmits and deficient readmits
• Students with beneficial placement
• Second Bachelors degree
• Academic amnesty
• Non-matriculated students
• Other checks and balances

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Communicate Results

• Segment your populations and letters
• Example letters in handout
• Letter 1
• Students who reached maximum Tap points and
  satisfied all other standards
• May be high-ability students
• Letter 2
• Students who reach maximum federal timeframe and
  satisfied all other standards
• May be high-ability students
• Call us if working on Second Bachelors

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Communicate Results

• Letter 3
• Students who need to declare major and satisfied
  all other standards
• May be high-ability students
• Credits between 42 and 57, declare by end of
  semester
• Earned credits gt 57, declare by 8 weeks from
  start of semester
• Include instructions to declare major

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Communicate Results

• Letter 4
• All others who are ineligible or probationary and
  have registered for upcoming semester
• Sending letter to unregistered students may cause
  more problems than its worth
• Include reason for failure (e.g. results table)
• Discuss options summer courses, alternative
  loans, appeal for a waiver
• Cancel appropriate aid after mailing letters
• Maintain copy of all letters to track history

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Re-Calculate SAP

• After letters are mailed
• Grades can change
• Some grades are late
• Students can take summer classes
• Need means to re-calculate SAP
• Real-time computer screen
• Re-calculates compliance with standards
• Allows front-desk staff and advisors to discuss
  SAP results with students

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Questions and Comments