A veteran student works in a veteran services center

Satisfactory Academic Progress - VBR

Every Pima student who is receiving federal funds to attend classes is required to show they are successfully finishing classes and working toward their degree or certificate. This requirement is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

As a veteran, you can lose the ability to use your VA education benefit if you don’t maintain Pima’s academic standards.

Don’t wait until you’re in trouble with your progress. Veteran Advisors can get the services you need to stay on track.

We also know the VA will consider circumstances beyond your control, including deployment, when determining benefits eligibility. Talk with your Veteran Advisor as soon as a situation like this will affect your classroom work.

Credit students take courses that award a number of credits upon successful completion.

To stay in good academic standing, you must maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) and complete 67% of your classes.

Academic Warning

The first time you fall below good academic standing, you are placed on Academic Warning. The consequences:

You are eligible to use VA education benefits.
Your student account will be placed on hold, preventing you from making changes or registering for classes.
Create a Student Lingo Account. You must select and complete one Student Lingo module.

Academic Probation

If you are on Academic Warning and continue to fall below good academic standing, you are placed on Academic Probation. The consequences:

You are eligible to use VA education benefits.
You must meet with a Veteran Advisor.
Your student account will be placed on hold, preventing you from making changes or registering for classes.

Academic Suspension

If in any subsequent semester following Academic Probation where the GPA remains below 2.0, you will be placed on VBR Academic Suspension. This means that you are not eligible to use your VA education benefit.

Clock hour courses require you to complete a specific number of hours in order to successfully complete the course.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) must be shown in order for you to keep your VA education benefits.

There is a specific SAP policy for clock hour VA benefits recipients.

A veterans benefits recipient (VBR) is evaluated for SAP at regular intervals of scheduled clock hours. There are consequences if good academic standing falls below SAP in these evaluations.

Academic Warning

These are the consequences if you are placed in Academic Warning.

You can still use your VA education benefits.
You must meet with a counselor, Center for Training and Development (CTD) advisor and Veteran Advisor for support and advice.
You must have an individual progress report meeting to set up a plan to succeed. This meeting includes you, the program coordinator, the instructor and student services staff.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Warning and you have not met good academic standing by the next SAP review, you are placed on Academic Suspension for 90 days. The consequences:

You can no longer use VA education benefits.
You can continue the program at your own cost.
After 90 days, you may resume using VA education benefits.
If you return to the program, you will be placed on Academic Warning.

Readmission

If you want to return to the program from which you are academically disqualified, you must

Sit out for at least 90 days.
Show that you meet all selective admissions standards.
Get approval from the program coordinator and CTD director.

We understand that unexpected events may affect your satisfactory academic progress. You can appeal the loss of veterans education benefits if it is due to unforeseeable extenuating circumstances.

Students have a right to appeal their SAP status through the Military and Veteran Services Appeal Committee.

All students who submit an appeal must meet with their Veteran Advisor to develop an academic plan and agree to adhere to all associated requirements.

The committee’s decision is final and may not be appealed because the student disagrees with the decision.