- During Academic Year 2016, the SAP Policy has been continuously reviewed and amended to reflect changes in federal and state financial aid programs; the current format of the SAP policy highlights the most important aspects of maintaining SAP and possible consequences if not
- The number of Financial Aid counselors has been increased to meet the demands of student account review and financial aid advising
- Financial Aid Information sessions are conducted each term in all First Year Experience (FYE) 1102 courses
- The financial aid appeals committee has been expanded to include members from all departments of Student Services as well as one member from Academic Affairs
- Communication to students regarding SAP policy and general financial aid knowledge has been drastically increased and includes mailings, email correspondence, financial aid information workshops, digital signage, etc.
- Intentionality of contact with Financial Aid counselors has been increased; for example, students are required to meet with their Financial Aid counselor if they wish to change their major, have financial aid status of “NO” or “ACADEMIC PLAN”
Baseline Status
- 5 year (Fall to Fall) history of percentage of students with financial aid status of SAP “YES”
- Fall 2011: 49.33%
- Fall 2012: 63.17%
- Fall 2013: 67.39%
- Fall 2014: 70.74%
- Fall 2015: 74.62%
- Spring 2016: 79.71%
- For Academic Year 2016, Percentages of students receiving needs based financial aid:
- PELL: 57.3%
- HOPE: 23.1%
- For Academic Year 2016, Percentage of students receiving student loans:
- 35.8%
- As of the last publication of student loan default rates, BSC’s default rate has been reduced
- FY 2011 Default Rate: 28.4
- FY 2012 Default Rate: 29.7
- FY 2013 Default Rate: 28.1
Measures of Success
- Number of students with SAP “YES” status during each term (see Appendix A, Chart 2 and Table 2)
- Number of students on financial aid appeal
- Percentage of appeals approved
- Percentage of appeals denied
- Number of students receiving PELL
- Number of students receiving HOPE
- Number of students receiving student loans
- Number of students in loan default
During Academic Years 2012-2016, the Office of Financial Aid has evolved in many positive and encouraging ways. Successful maintenance of SAP by students has increased due to better communication and more contact with financial aid counselors, intervention by academic counselors and advisors, and the collaborative efforts of administration, staff, and faculty. Percentages of students who are SAP “YES” have increased by 10% since Fall of 2014. Overall, the percentage of students who are SAP “YES” has increased by 30% since AY 2012! This is incredibly important due to the direct correlation that SAP status has with all aspects of progression, retention, and completion. Revisionary efforts in Financial Aid processing and SAP policy reform are ongoing to ensure that BSC is always compliant with federal and state regulations.
