Federal Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements

Evaluation of Academic Progress

A financial aid recipient’s satisfactory academic progress is evaluated after each semester of the academic year (fall, spring and summer). At that time, a student will either be in good standing, be placed on financial aid warning status, or denied financial assistance for future enrollment periods. The student must meet all three progress requirements (GPA, completion rate, and be within the maximum time frame) to remain in good standing. Students will be notified by Student Financial Services if they are placed on a warning status or suspension status for financial aid. You may view your current status on your myDCC account.

The following standards for maintaining eligibility apply to Pell, Federal Direct Student Loans, PLUS, FSEOG, and College Work/Study:

Grade point average

• Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (a C average).

• The grade point average requirement is based on all credit courses that have been attempted while at DCC.

• Remedial & English as a Second Language credits’ grades are not calculated in the grade point average requirement.

Completion rate requirements

• Complete a minimum of 2/3 of all course work (registered credit hours) attempted at DCC.

• Earned A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D or J grades are considered completed credits.

• Remedial & English as a Second Language credits are included in the student’s completion rate requirement.

• Withdrawals (W), incompletes (I), grades of (F) and repeated courses are not considered completed credits.

• If a student changes course of study, the hours attempted under all courses of study are included in the calculation of attempted and earned hours.

• Courses dropped during the 75% Refund Period of the semester are not counted in the calculation. 

If you fall below the required completion rate or GPA requirement, you will be given a one-time warning status semester to regain eligibility. After the warning status semester, if you have not regained eligibility, you may apply for a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal with the Dean of Student Services office if you are able to document extenuating circumstances.

Maximum Credit Limit

• Students must complete their program within 150% of the credit hours required by the program. A chart of the maximum credit time limits is available below.

• Repeated courses and transfer credits accepted by DCC toward a degree are included in the student's maximum time frame calculation.

• Courses dropped during the 75% Refund Period of the semester are not counted against the calculation. 

• If a student changes course of study, the hours attempted under all courses of study are included in the calculation for maximum credit limit.

• Withdrawals, incompletes, and courses repeated are considered in the calculation of credits attempted.

• Remedial credits are included in the student’s maximum time frame.

• Audits are not included in the calculation of credits attempted. 

Students who have reached the maximum time frame will be suspended from receiving financial aid, but may apply for a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal with the Dean of Student Services Office.

Program Length	Maximum Credit Hours that can be attempted
24	36
25	37.5
26	39
27	40.5
28	42
29	43.5
30	45
31	46.5
32	48
45	67.5
60	90
61	91.5
62	93
64	96
65	97.5
66	99
67	100.5
68	102
69	103.5
70	105
71	106.5
72	108
73	109.5
74	111
75	112.5
80	120