Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Students receiving financial aid at Pierce College must be making satisfactory academic progress in an eligible degree or certificate offered by Pierce College. Federal regulations require your entire Pierce College academic transcript be reviewed for satisfactory progress including periods of attendance in which you did not receive financial aid. The following requirements define the criteria for financial aid academic satisfactory progress for students attending Pierce College.
- You must maintain a 2.0 GPA (grade point average) each quarter.
- You must have a college level cumulative 2.0 GPA after six quarters of attendance.
- You must have earned a total of 50% of all previous credits attempted at Pierce College.
- Attempted credits include all credits reflected on your Pierce College transcript, including classes for which you received 0.0, W, Z, NC, or I grades. This also includes any credits from other institutions that apply to your Pierce College program.
- Grades of .7 through 4.0 and/or letter grade of P count as completed classes.
- 0.0, W, I, Z, and NC grades do not count as completed credits. If your warning, probation, or suspension status was due to Z or I grades, your status will be adjusted when you submit a copy of the grade change to the Financial Aid Office.
- You are required to complete the number of credits upon which your financial aid award is based each quarter. See chart below.
| If your award is for | You must complete | With a G.P.A. of |
|---|---|---|
| 12 or more credits (full time) | 12 credits | 2.00 |
| 9-11 credits (three-quarter time) | 9 credits | 2.00 |
| 6-8 credits (half-time) | 6 credits | 2.00 |
| 1-5 credits (less than half-time) | All credits | 2.00 |
| Credits funded | Credits completed or GPA |
|---|---|
| Warning status | |
| 12 or more | minimum of 6 credits or below 2.00 |
| 9 11 | minimum of 5 credits or below 2.00 |
| 6 8 | minimum of 3 credits or below 2.00 |
| Probation status | |
| 12 or more | minimum of 6 credits or below 2.00 |
| 9 11 | minimum of 5 credits or below 2.00 |
| 6 8 | minimum of 3 credits or below 2.00 |
| Suspension status | |
| 12 or more | less than 6 credits* |
| 9 11 | less than 5 credits* |
| 6 8 | less than 3 credits* |
*Please note other reasons for suspension listed under Suspension Status.
Warning Status
You will be eligible to receive financial aid while on warning status.
You will be placed on warning status the first time your quarterly GPA drops below a 2.00 OR you do not complete the required number of credits listed on the chart. You must complete at least 50% of the required number of credits for the quarter or you will be suspended. You will be placed on warning status if you complete:
- 6 11 credits after receiving aid for full time attendance (12 or more credits).
- 5 8 credits after receiving aid for three-quarter time attendance (9 11).
- 3 5 credits after receiving aid for half time attendance (6 8).
Probation Status
You will be eligible to receive aid while on Probation status.
You will be placed on probation status the second time your GPA drops below a 2.00 OR you do not complete the required number of credits listed in the above chart. You must complete at least 50% of the required number of credits for the quarter or you will be suspended. You will be placed on probation status if you complete:
- 6 11 credits after receiving aid for full time attendance (12 or more credits).
- 5 8 credits after receiving aid for three-quarter time attendance (9 11).
- 3 5 credits after receiving aid for half time attendance (6 8).
While you are on probation, you must complete the number of credits for your enrollment status from the chart and earn a 2.00 GPA.
Suspension Status
This status can be appealed. You are not eligible for financial aid and must pay your own tuition, fees, and books for future quarters.
You will be suspended from financial aid at Pierce College if :
- You are on Probation and you do not complete the required number of credits or if you drop below a 2.0 GPA.
- You do not complete enough credits during any quarter (see Chart)
- You received aid for 5 credits or less and did not complete all credits.
- You withdraw, stop attending, or complete no credits you may have to repay some or all of the aid you received.
- Your college-level cumulative GPA after six (6) quarters of attendance is below a 2.00. This cannot be appealed. You will need to attend with your own resources until your college level cumulative GPA is a 2.00.
How to petition your suspension status
You may petition to have your financial aid reinstated if circumstances beyond your control prevented you from maintaining satisfactory progress for financial aid. Petitions for reinstatement are available in the financial aid office. Documentation of your circumstances is required for your petition.
Warning and probation status cannot be appealed.
How to reinstate your financial aid without petitioning
You may attend one quarter with your own resources and complete a minimum of ten (10) credits with a 2.00 GPA or better. Your financial aid may be reinstated once you provide the necessary documentation. You will remain on PROBATION status if your aid is reinstated. The classes that you enroll in must apply towards your degree or certificate.
Additional items you need to know about satisfactory progress requirements
- You must be working toward an eligible Pierce College degree or certificate program to receive financial aid.
- The following programs are not eligible for financial aid:
- Adult Basic Education (ABE),
- G.E.D. preparation,
- Personal enrichment courses,
- Running Start, or
- high school completion.
- You may receive financial aid to take up to 45 credits of required remedial work, if your placement test indicates you need courses below 100 level. Once you have reached this limit, you must take college-level courses (degree requirements) to continue to receive aid.
- You must complete your degree or certificate program within the allowable credit limit.
- If you complete your degree or certificate program within the allowable credit limit, you may be eligible to file a petition to request financial aid for a second degree or certificate for required courses only. This does not apply to the Washington State Need Grant.
- You may repeat a class once if you received a grade below 2.00.
