1. PURPOSE

1.1. The United States Department of Education requires institutions of higher education to establish Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies for all students receiving Title IV federal student financial assistance. SAP policies ensure a student is progressing in a timely manner toward their program requirements.

1.2. CCNM is committed to adhering to the US Department of Education measures regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for student progress while enrolled in the naturopathic medicine program.

1.3. All U.S. students in the naturopathic medicine program are required to maintain Title IV satisfactory academic progress on both campuses.

1.4. A student must meet both qualitative and quantitative SAP requirements to be eligible for financial aid under the Direct Loan Program. Please note that SAP is separate from CCNM’s academic standing.

2. SCOPE

2.1. This policy applies to all U.S. students at CCNM that are receiving Title IV assistance.

2.2. These requirements apply to all terms regardless of whether or not the student received financial aid. Progress is reviewed at the end of each term.

3. DEFINITIONS

3.1. Qualitative Component
Students must be in good academic standing to receive Title IV funding. This means students must achieve a cumulative GPA (CGPA) of at least 2.7 or higher.

3.2. Quantitative Component
3.2.1. Pace: Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted courses each term. Pace of progression ensures a student completes their program within the maximum timeframe. It is calculated each term by dividing the cumulative units completed by cumulative units attempted. Standard rounding rules apply when calculating pace of completion. The completion percentage will be rounded to the nearest whole percentage (i.e. 66.5% will be rounded to 67%).
3.2.2. Timeframe: Students who take a full courseload are expected to complete the program in 4 Years. Students studying on a part-time basis can take up to a maximum of 7.5 years to complete the program. as outlined in the Academic Calendar.

3.3. Other Factors Considered in SAP Calculations
3.3.1. Course Withdrawal: When a student withdraws before 66% completion of a course, a grade of “W” is put on the transcript. The “W” has no effect on the student’s CGPA, but is included in pace of completion calculation. Courses dropped before the add/drop deadline are not counted towards credits attempted.
3.3.2. Incomplete Courses: When a student has parts of a course that are not completed, a grade of INC will appear on their transcript. This grade has no effect on the student’s CGPA, but is included in courses attempted as a part of the quantitative calculation. Once the student completes the course, the grade will be included in the next qualitative SAP evaluation.
3.3.3. Course Repetition: When a student fails a course, it will affect the student’s CGPA and course completion status. Once the course is successfully repeated, the prior incident of taking the course will no longer have an effect on the student’s CGPA and course completion status.
3.3.4. Transfer Credit: Students can have transfer credit(s) allowed under specific circumstances:

• Courses deemed to be equivalent taken at another CNME accredited, or candidate for accreditation institution.
• Courses taken as part of a degree level program at an accredited post-secondary institution.
• Courses granted as transfer credit will be part of the course completion calculation.

4. RESPONSIBILE PARTIES

4.1. It is the responsibility of the Office of the Registrar, in collaboration with the Academic department, to review a student’s academic and program completion status. This is done at the end of each payment period (term) to identify students who are at risk.

4.2. It is the responsibility of the Office of the Registrar to provide the student with notification via email of the impact of their lack of progress and how this would affect their eligibility for Title IV funding.

4.3. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of their current academic standing, including the review of their gr

4.4. It is the responsibility of the student to review the current version of the SAP policy published on the CCNM website, as US federal regulations are subject to change.

5. POLICY STATEMENT

5.1. CCNM will ensure that all students receiving Title IV funding will have their SAP reviewed and documented each term in accordance with the US Department of Education requirements.

1.USE OF PROCEDURE

The Title IV Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) procedure clearly outlines the progression of SAP stages after academic progress has been assessed after each term.

1.2. This procedure applies to students who are receiving Title IV funding.

2.PROCEDURE

2.1. A student’s CGPA as well as their program completion status will be calculated by the Office of the Registrar at the end of each term in accordance with the SAP policy. Students who have not met SAP will be advised in writing of their SAP status and may consult with the appropriate advisor.

2.2. Satisfactory Academic Progress Stages:
2.2.1. Financial Aid Warning
Students who do not meet SAP at the end of a term will automatically be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following term. Financial aid may still be received during the warning term. If a student is determined to be meeting SAP at the next evaluation, the student will be removed from Financial Aid Warning and will be eligible to continue to receive financial aid in the following term of enrolment.

2.2.2. Financial Aid Suspension
If a student does not meet SAP by the end of their Financial Aid Warning term, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid without an approved appeal.

2.2.3. Financial Aid Probation
With an approved appeal, a student is placed on Financial Aid Probation with an academic plan. An academic plan outlines the conditions for a student to successfully progress towards meeting the minimum SAP standards by the time they graduate.

2.2.3.1. Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal
Students have 10 business days from the date of the SAP letter/notification to submit an appeal to the Office of the Registrar to regain financial aid eligibility.

Appeals will be considered for unusual or extraordinary situations including but not limited to:

• Family difficulties
• Medical problems
• Illness
• Death in the family
• Interpersonal relationship problems
• Financial difficulties

2.2.3.1.1. The SAP appeal package must include ALL of the following required documentation:

• A letter explaining the reason(s) the SAP requirements were not met.
• Documentation supporting reasons for not meeting SAP requirements, as applicable.
• Proposed plan of changes by student that will enable them to meet the SAP requirements

2.2.3.1.2. If a student’s appeal is accepted, an academic plan will be created by the Registrar’s Office in consultation with the Accessibility and Student Support Coordinator.

2.2.3.1.3. Students will be notified of the appeal decision via their student email address.

2.2.3.2. Failure to meet the conditions outlined in an academic plan for a term will result in loss of Title IV eligibility until SAP is met. Should this happen, the student will be responsible for their financial obligations without the use of Title IV funding, if eligible to remain in the program.

2.2.3.3. A student who is on Financial Aid Probation who meets SAP at the end of their probation term will regain their eligibility for Title IV funding.