Satisfactory Academic Progress
When you get VA education benefits, you are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (a grade point average of 2.0 or better). Educational assistance benefits to veterans and eligible persons will be discontinued once you no longer make satisfactory progress toward completion of your training. These standards are described in the Veterans Affairs section of the Central Piedmont catalog.
Veterans and other eligible persons are required to seek academic assistance by contacting your instructor, counselor, advisor, or the Center Piedmont Veterans Affairs Educations Benefits Office before academic difficulties place them on ‘Probation’ or ‘Suspension.’
- Probation: If a student receives a semester grade point average (GPA) that is less than 2.0, they are placed on probation. Students on probation must complete an “on-track” meeting with an advisor from the Center for Military Families and Veterans prior to being certified. If a student’s term and cumulative GPA are above a 2.0 at the end of the semester while they serve their probation they come off probationary status.
- Continued Probation: If a student who is on probation makes satisfactory academic progress for a term, but still has a cumulative GPA below 2.0, they are on continued probation. Students on continued probation must complete a follow-up “on-track” meeting at the end of the semester and will remain on continued probation until both the term and cumulative GPA are both above a 2.0.
- Suspension: If a student on probation or continued probation does not make satisfactory academic progress for a term while on probation they will go on VA education benefit suspension. At CPCC, we cannot certify a student on suspension until a student has made satisfactory academic progress for one semester. If a student on VA education benefit suspension makes satisfactory academic progress they can use their benefit for following semesters as long as the student continues to make satisfactory academic progress.
If you are requesting benefits and are currently on probation or suspension, a letter of notification of unsatisfactory progress is sent to your Central Piedmont email account and it is your responsibility to comply with the requirements stated. If you are on Suspension, your eligibility is terminated until you meet the Standards of Academic Progress required to place you back into an eligible status to receive your VA education benefits.
The VA Education Benefits Office is required to work with instructors to monitor attendance and/or participation. When a cessation of attendance/participation is identified, it is required that VA be notified so that monetary adjustment can be made, if necessary. An overpayment from VA may result, which you will be held responsible for.
Failures
If you are using VA education benefits and receive a grade of “F” and complete the class, you may still receive VA benefits for that course. An exception would be if you did not complete the final exam and did not attend class according to the college policy. If you do not attend class and/or take the final exam, the VA Regional Office is notified and you are classified as having received an overpayment of funds. Any overpayments are your responsibility. You may receive benefits to retake a required course if you previously received a failing grade.
Also see Withdrawal on this page for information on how benefits may be affected by withdrawing from a course.
Incompletes
You should not register again for a course that you have received an Incomplete (the letter grade of "I" will appear on your record) for, but you should follow the arrangements you originally made with the instructor in order to convert the "I" to a grade after the requirements are completed. The course will always remain associated with the original term. Please contact the VA Education Benefits Office if you receive an “I” as a course grade.