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Eligibility for Aid

All financial aid programs have specific eligibility requirements, application forms and deadlines. Complete information about financial aid is available in the Student Handbook all students receive at registration, and also from financial aid counselors at each CCV office.

To be eligible for most types of financial aid , you must be enrolled in a CCV degree program.

If you have attended other post-secondary schools, you will need to request official transcipts for our evaluation. Should you already have a degree, special conditions will apply.

There are several other conditions which must be met to qualify and also to maintain your eligibility for aid. It is your right and your responsibility to understand and to follow these conditions. Consult the Student Handbook or your counselor for more detail.

Official Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Considerations Before Dropping A Class

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy Explained (Word)

In order to receive financial aid funds, the federal government requires that students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  The SAP Policy (on back) is complicated, but in the simplest terms, it means that students must be making progress toward a degree in order to receive financial aid.
The most important SAP requirements include:

  • Students must pass 16 of the first 30 credits they attempt. (Attempt includes classes you pass, fail, or drop out of midway.)
  • Students must complete their degree/certificate within 150% of the credits needed for their program.  For example, if a student needs 60 credits to finish a degree, that student would only receive financial aid for 90 attempted credits (60 x 1.5=90).  (Transfer student calculations are based on the number of credits transferred in and the remaining credits needed.)
  • Students must maintain GPA (Grade Point Average) standards.
  • Students can take no more than 24 credits of Basic Skills classes in total, and must pass 50% of all Basic Skills classes they take.
  • Once a student has received a SAP Warning, his/her success rate with classes must not decrease.


If you are not meeting SAP requirements, you will not receive financial aid funds. 
The most common ways students end up in trouble with this policy are dropping or withdrawing from classes, failing classes, and taking classes that do not count toward their degree.
You are responsible for maintaining academic progress.  Degree planning tools are available through VSC Web Services under “Program Evaluation,” and in the course catalogue.  Your academic advisor can also assist you in planning your degree. 

If you have to drop or withdraw from classes, keep in mind that these classes count in the calculations as “attempted” credits.  It is best to check with an advisor and financial aid before dropping a class.

If you have any questions about SAP, please ask your Financial Aid Counselor or Academic Coordinator.