Table of Contents
- Requirements of SAP Policy
- Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and Semester and Cumulative Minimum Earned Credits (vs. attempted credits)
- Qualitative (GPA) and Quantitative (Credits Earned) Measures
- Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music
- Undergraduate: Artist Certificate
- Graduate: Master of Music, Graduate Diploma & Artist Diploma
- Graduate: Doctor of Musical Arts
- Maximum Time Frame
- Undergraduate students
- Graduate Students
- Review Period
- Financial Aid Warning
- Financial Aid Suspension
- Financial Aid Probation
- Eligibility for Reinstatement
- Progress Appeal Procedures
- Additional criteria, above and beyond the SAP standards detailed above, applicable for CIM Institutional Scholarship/Grant renewal
This updated policy goes into effect for the Fall 2018 semester (beginning with review of Fall 2018 semester enrollment) and replaces any previous version of the CIM Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. The applicable federal regulations are in 34 CFR 668.16(e), 668.32(f) and 668.34. Previous CIM SAP policies are no longer valid.
This policy is applicable to eligibility for all federal, state and institutional aid funds at CIM.
CIM will evaluate all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) components at the conclusion of each term. Students at CIM must meet all of the requirements stated in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy regardless of whether or not they previously received financial aid.
Requirements of SAP Policy
The following components are measured to determine whether the student is meeting SAP standards: Qualitative (Grade Point Average), Quantitative (credits earned) and Maximum Timeframe.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) and Semester and Cumulative Minimum Earned Credits (vs. attempted credits)
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average, per semester credits earned, and cumulative credits earned (of those attempted) for satisfactory progress toward graduation requirements. Credits accepted from other schools that may be applied to a CIM degree are not counted in the calculation of the student’s GPA but are counted in the calculation as both attempted and completed cumulative hours (not in semester-earned hours), and are therefore included in the quantitative measure. These standards are consistent with academic standards required for graduation.
Special Grades:
- I (Incomplete): An incomplete grade does not earn credit or influence the grade point average in the semester in which the course work was taken. However, an incomplete grade will count toward your total credits attempted. Once the incomplete has been resolved and a passing grade has been earned, the credits and the grade will then be counted toward satisfying the minimum cumulative credit hours and the grade point average requirements.
- Example: If an undergraduate student enrolls for 12 credits in their second semester of study, but has an incomplete at the end of that semester for 5 credits worth of classes, the student would NOT be making SAP, as they only earned 7 of 12 credits or 58.33%, short of the 66.67% minimum. If the incomplete is completed with a passing grade by the due date to resolve an incomplete grade, the incomplete credits are earned at that time. But SAP status cannot be made retroactively. The student would still be on warning the whole 3rd semester. It is important not to repeatedly have incompletes, unless you are still completing enough credits without that class to meet the per semester minimum. If that same student was already on a SAP warning at the beginning of that second semester, they would have aid suspended/revoked for the 3rd semester.
Important timing: If an incomplete course is completed with a passing grade prior to the first day of classes in the next semester*, those completed hours and grade may still be counted for the prior term where the incomplete originated. If not completed for a passing grade by the first day of classes, the prior semester’s final credits earned and GPA are fixed and will not change your Satisfactory Academic Progress review for the term where the incomplete was started. It will count towards your cumulative totals, but will not count as completed in the second term (the term in progress when you finish the incomplete). *The student must request a follow-up SAP review when a passing grade is obtained for a previous incomplete before the next semester begins. This request must be made in writing to the CIM Financial Aid Office before the first day of classes of the next term.
- Example: If an undergraduate student enrolls for 12 credits in their second semester of study, but has an incomplete at the end of that semester for 5 credits worth of classes, the student would NOT be making SAP, as they only earned 7 of 12 credits or 58.33%, short of the 66.67% minimum. If the incomplete is completed with a passing grade by the due date to resolve an incomplete grade, the incomplete credits are earned at that time. But SAP status cannot be made retroactively. The student would still be on warning the whole 3rd semester. It is important not to repeatedly have incompletes, unless you are still completing enough credits without that class to meet the per semester minimum. If that same student was already on a SAP warning at the beginning of that second semester, they would have aid suspended/revoked for the 3rd semester.
- W (Withdrawal): All withdrawal categories do not earn credit toward graduation or toward satisfying the minimum credit hours requirement of the SAP policy. However, these credits will count toward your total attempted credits and could possibly affect the Maximum Time Frame requirement. It is important to ensure (when considering a withdrawal) that you will still earn the minimum number of credits both that semester and cumulatively, based on how many semesters you have been enrolled at CIM. Excessive withdrawals, especially for students enrolling in the minimum credits to be full time, can cause SAP issues quickly.
- P (Pass): If this grade is given, the credits will apply toward graduation and will also be counted toward satisfying the minimum earned credit hours standard but it will not affect the student’s grade point average. Alternatively, an F grade from a Pass/Fall course will count negatively in the grade point average as well as being counted as credit(s) attempted but not earned. All ESL classes are deficiency classes and do not count toward the GPA.
- AD (Audit): Courses enrolled in as an audit do not count towards the metrics of GPA, hours attempted or hours earned.
- Repeated Courses: For a course that has been failed and repeated, both grades are used in calculating the student’s grade point average with the credits being counted only for the semester in which it was passed. However, each time a student registers for a course, those credits are counted toward the student’s Maximum Time Frame/attempted hours. Any class passed may only be retaken for audit for no earned credit and no new grade.
- Transfer, Advanced Placement Credits and International Baccalaureate: Transfer, AP and IB credits count towards both attempted and earned credits but do not count into the CIM cumulative GPA.
Qualitative (GPA) and Quantitative (Credits Earned) Measures
For every program at CIM, to meet SAP, a student must successfully earn a passing grade in at least 66.67% of the credits they attempted for the semester, based on credits enrolled at the end of drop/add for that term. Alternatively, if a student earns a passing grade in the full time minimum class load of 12 credits undergraduates or 9 credits graduates, they will be considered to have met this SAP component, even if less than 66.67% of credits attempted were earned (i.e. undergraduate student is registered for 20 credits and earns 12. Only 60% of attempted credits were earned, but since 12 credits is the minimum needed to be full time, they have met this SAP component).
Cumulatively, 66.67% of credits attempted must be earned. Incomplete grades will not count as a passing grade and may negatively impact this calculation. If an incomplete grade is earned prior to the first day of classes in the subsequent semester, the student may make a written request to financialaid@cim.edu to have their SAP calculation reviewed; such reviews of prior incompletes will not happen automatically.
Leave of Absence (LOA): Semester(s) in LOA status prior to the first day of classes do not count towards the number of semesters enrolled in the charts below. They DO count towards credits attempted and maximum timeframe, if the LOA status happened mid-semester and credits ended in a withdrawal status.
Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music
Normal program duration is 4 years (8 semesters) and 120 credits; 150% of duration is 6 years (12 semesters) excluding any LOA semester(s); 150% of allowed attempted credit hours is 180 for most majors. The minimum enrolled credit hours by the end of drop/add to be full time is 12 hours; half time is 6 credits (part time study requires pre-approval by the Dean).
| # of Semesters Enrolled | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Minimum % of credits attempted that must be earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 1.75 | 66.67% (or 12 credits, whichever is less) |
| 3 or more | 2.0 | 66.67% (or 12 credits, whichever is less) |
Undergraduate: Artist Certificate
Normal program duration is 3 years (6 semesters) and 72 credits; 150% of duration is 4.5 years (9 semesters) excluding any LOA semester(s); 150% of allowed attempted credit hours is 108 for most majors. The minimum enrolled credit hours by the end of drop/add to be full time is 12 hours; half time is 6 credits (part time study requires pre-approval by the Dean).
| # of Semesters Enrolled | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Minimum % of credits attempted that must be earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1 or 2 | 1.75 | 66.67% (or 12 credits, whichever is less) |
| 3 or more | 2.0 | 66.67% (or 12 credits, whichever is less) |
Graduate: Master of Music, Graduate Diploma & Artist Diploma
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is 2.75. Normal program duration is 2 years (4 semesters); 150% allowed maximum timeframe is 3 years (6 semesters). Minimum enrolled credit hours by the end of drop/add to be full time is 9 hours; half time is 5 credits (part time study requires pre-approval by the Dean).
| # of Semesters Enrolled | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Minimum % of credits attempted that must be earned |
|---|---|---|
| all | 2.75 | 66.67% (or 9 credits, whichever is less) |
Graduate: Doctor of Musical Arts
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is 3.00. Normal program duration is 3 years (6 semesters). Number of required credits varies by major. The minimum enrolled credit hours by the end of drop/add to be full time is 9 hours; full time status is required for the first two semesters of the program; half time is 5 credits.
| # of Semesters Enrolled | Minimum Cumulative GPA | Minimum % of credits attempted that must be earned |
|---|---|---|
| all | 3.0 | 66.67% (or 9 credits, whichever is less) |
Maximum Time Frame
Maximum Time Frame is defined as the required length of time it will take a student to complete their degree/program.
For all programs, any semester on Leave of Absence or enrolled Part Time does count towards your maximum time frame number of semesters. Within the DMA degree, any half time enrollment will require completion of the midpoint amount of credits per semester and cumulative credits earned.
Deficiency, remedial and ESL courses do not count towards the maximum time frame.
All credits transferred to CIM as well as Advanced Placement credits will be counted toward the Maximum Time Frame requirement for academic purposes as attempted and earned credits.
Undergraduate students
For a student to meet SAP time frame standards, they must be able to complete the program while attempting no more than 150% of the required credits to graduate. For example, if you are pursuing a degree which requires 120 semester hours, you may not receive financial aid after you have attempted 180 hours. This includes transfer credits. Most undergraduate majors at CIM require 120 credits for graduation.
Please see the chart below for your maximum time frame number of credits as determined by multiplying the required number of credits by 1.5 (for 150%). If at any time in your enrollment, it becomes mathematically impossible to complete your program requirements in the 150% timeframe, you are not making SAP minimum standards. If a student has met the 150% time frame credits attempted toward their degree, the only action available is to appeal their limit; there is no warning semester.
| Artist Certificate | Bachelors Degree | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REQ Credits | 150% | REQ Credits | 150% | |
| Audio Recording | n/a | n/a | 126 | 189 |
| Bassoon | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Cello | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Clarinet | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Composition | n/a | n/a | 124 | 186 |
| Double Bass | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Flute | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Guitar | 72 | 108 | 123 | 185 |
| Harp | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Harpsichord | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Horn | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Oboe | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Organ | 72 | 108 | 122 | 183 |
| Percussion | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Piano | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Trombone & Bass Trombone | 72 | 108 | 122 | 183 |
| Trumpet | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Tuba | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Viola | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Violin | 72 | 108 | 120 | 180 |
| Voice | 72 | 108 | 136 | 204 |
| Voice (matriculating Fall, 2016 and going forward) | 72 | 108 | 124 | 185 |
Graduate Students
Normal time frame for graduate programs (MM, AD, & PS) is based on number of semesters. Four semesters is the normal duration and six semesters is considered 150% or maximum timeframe. As all three of these programs have a three year (six semester) statute of limitations to complete the program, there could never be an instance a student did not graduate within the six semester limit and continue to be enrolled, let alone have any financial aid.
Review Period
Each student is reviewed at the end of each semester (and summer for those who enroll) to ensure that SAP has been achieved. A student who does not meet SAP requirements will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. Students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning will be sent a SAP status message to their cim.edu email, copied to the Registrar and Dean, as soon as the reviews have been completed, prior to the start of the subsequent term.
Financial Aid Warning
Financial Aid Warning is a status assigned to a student who fails to make SAP at the end of any semester and who was not already in a warning status. This warning period allows the student to continue to receive financial aid for one semester. If a student has met the 150% time frame limit for credits attempted toward their degree, the only action available is to appeal their limit; there is no warning semester.
Financial Aid Suspension
If a student fails to achieve SAP while on Financial Aid Warning status, he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension for the following semester. These students will not be eligible for any financial aid until all requirements for SAP have been met. Students who are placed on Financial Aid Suspension will be sent a SAP status message to their cim.edu email, copied to the Registrar and Dean, as soon as the reviews have been completed, prior to the start of the subsequent term.
Financial Aid Probation
Financial Aid Probation is a status assigned to a student who fails to make SAP and who has appealed and has had eligibility for aid reinstated. During the probationary period, students are given one semester to satisfactorily either raise their cumulative GPA or cumulative earned credits, as needed. If the GPA or number of credits earned is successful, the probation is removed. Financial Aid denial and suspension will result if the student’s GPA or credits earned is not successfully raised. Students who have successfully appealed their SAP status are placed on Financial Aid Probation will be sent a SAP status message to their cim.edu email, copied to the Registrar and Dean, as soon as the reviews have been completed, prior to the start of the subsequent term.
Eligibility for Reinstatement
In order to regain financial aid eligibility, a student must successfully meet all requirements for SAP. Students may use any semester(s) of the academic year to eliminate his/her deficiency. However, he/she is financially responsible for all expenses incurred during the time it takes to regain eligibility. Coursework taken at another college or university may be used to resolve the minimum credit hours earned requirement. However, credits taken elsewhere will not resolve the GPA component of the SAP Policy.
Progress Appeal Procedures
All Title IV (federal) aid recipients have the right to appeal a Financial Aid Suspension decision by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form (last page of this document) to the Financial Aid Office for review by the CIM Financial Aid Committee. The student will be required to submit, as part of the appeal, information regarding why he/she failed to make SAP. The student must also explain what has changed in his/her situation that would allow the student to fulfill all SAP standards at the next evaluation.
A student may file an appeal if there is an unusual and/or mitigating circumstance that affected their academic progress for consideration by the Financial Aid Committee / Office of the Dean. Such circumstances may be injury or illness of the student, illness or death of immediate family member or any other unexpected hardship.
Appeal forms with all supporting documentation must be submitted prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which aid has been revoked. Students will be notified in writing within 2 weeks after filing the appeal.
When reviewing an appeal, it will be determined if the student will be able to meet the SAP standards after the subsequent semester, or if the student can meet SAP standards by following a detailed Academic Plan established and approved by the Registrar and Office of the Dean. An Academic Plan may allow for adjusted SAP minimum thresholds for the student to meet per semester which will allow the student to improve outcomes over time with end result being a completed program within the normal timeframe, whenever possible. If the student does not meet the goals as defined in the Academic Plan, they will be considered to not be making SAP. In some cases a student may need to extend their program which may or may not include extension of CIM aid.
Students who have their Financial Aid reinstated through an appeal will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. All SAP appeal outcome responses will be communicated to the student’s cim.edu email account once the review is complete.
Appeals for Excessive Aggregate Time Frame or Hours Attempted (150% limit) must include an explanation from you of the need for additional hours, a degree completion plan, which includes courses remaining by semester, and an expected graduation date. These documents and an unofficial copy of the current transcript must be furnished with the appeal.
Additional degrees: Students seeking additional degrees are limited as follows:
2nd Bachelors.......................... 60 credit hours beyond prior degree
2nd Masters............................. 45 credit hours beyond prior degree
Any student seeking a third Bachelors or Masters Degree is not eligible for federal financial aid. Doctorates are considered terminal degrees; thus no federal aid is available for a second
Double Majors, Dual Degrees, Change in Program and Multiple Minors: Students seeking double majors or a dual degree with CWRU must complete their degree program for the primary major/degree within the limits set for that major/program. A prorated, manual calculation will need to take place at the beginning of the combined or changed programs with the Registrar to take into account the additional credits needed to complete all requirements of your program as it relates to the maximum timeframe component of the SAP policy. Additional hours will not be allowed for multiple minors.
Additional criteria, above and beyond the SAP standards detailed above, applicable for CIM Institutional Scholarship/Grant renewal
The following additional standards apply to any scholarship that is not funded by Federal or State funds, and for which CIM selects the recipient and determines the initial award amount. These include, but are not limited to, CIM Scholarship, CIM Merit Scholarship, CIM Institutional Scholarships, CIM Grant, Starling, SPHINX and any endowed/named awards offered by CIM.
If a graduate student fails the same remedial class twice, they may be offered enrollment in a non-degree program.
If a student receives a grade below a B- in their primary applied music lesson for a second semester in a row, the student will be separated from CIM.
Any other artistic or disciplinary warning or probation, or academic integrity probation may result in immediately reduction or loss of CIM Scholarship aid, as determined by the Dean, regardless of whether or not the student may be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards detailed above. Students are directed to the current CIM catalogue for details of additional academic policy.