Academic Requirements and Your Financial Aid

To maintain financial aid eligibility, you must make academic progress according to our Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy.

Federal regulations require that academic progress be monitored for all periods of enrollment whether or not you have received financial aid.

Note: Our SAP policy has changed for 2012-13! Make sure you are aware of the changes.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy (pdf)

Federal regulations require that we monitor your academic progress toward completion of a Certificate of Achievement, Associate degree or Transfer program. This is done at the end of each term and applies to all periods of enrollment whether or not you have received financial aid.

After your academic progress is evaluated, your SAP status will either be Satisfactory, Financial Aid Warning, Disqualified, Maximum Timeframe or Ineligible.

NOTE:  These standards are different than and separate from Admissions and Records; they only apply to federal and state aid. 

You can still receive the Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver (BOG) regardless of your SAP status.

Minimum Standard Requirements

BOTH must be met each term.

• Maintain a Grade Point Average of at least 2.0 and
• Complete the Minimum Unit Completion Requirement for your enrollment status.

Minimum Unit Completion Requirements by enrollment status

Note: For Summer and Winter terms, all units attempted must be completed with a GPA of 2.0 or better.

*Grades of A, B, C, D and P are considered complete.
*Grades of F, NP, W, MW, I, and RD are considered NOT complete.
*Units attempted are defined as the number of units that will appear on your permanent academic record.

Your status is SATISFACTORY if you meet Minimum Standard Requirements and have not reached or exceeded the Maximum Timeframe for your program.

Your status is FINANCIAL AID WARNING if you did NOT meet one or both of the Minimum Standard Requirements. You can still receive financial aid while on Financial Aid Warning.  

If you do not meet Minimum Standard Requirements at the end of your Financial Aid Warning term, your status will be DISQUALIFIED and you will not be eligible to receive financial aid the next term.  

Reinstatement

Students who are Disqualified and already have one approved Minimum Standard Requirements appeal on file with the our office, and/or do not have extenuating circumstances (see Minimum Standard Exceptions), must complete Reinstatement Requirements without financial aid (other than the BOG) to be considered for aid the next term.

Reinstatement Requirements and Process

1. Complete at least 6 or more degree applicable units for Fall or Spring terms, 3 or more degree applicable units for Winter or Summer terms AND
2. Meet Minimum Standard Requirements AND
3. Meet with an academic counselor to obtain an Educational Plan.
4. Submit a copy of your Educational Plan and a Request for Reinstatement form to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.

Once you have met these requirements, your status will be Probation and you will be considered for financial aid.

Minimum Standards Exceptions

If you do not already have an approved appeal on file and are Disqualified because of extenuating circumstances beyond your control (federal regulations specify these as one time events such as ‘student illness or injury, or death of a relative’) AND, your situation has changed to allow you to demonstrate SAP, you may submit a Minimum Standard Requirements Appeal form. Official supporting documentation explaining the extenuating circumstances is REQUIRED or your appeal cannot be considered.

Minimum Standards Appeal Process:

1. Submit a Minimum Standard Requirement Appeal form WITH official supporting documentation explaining the extenuating circumstances as described above. 

Appeals are not automatically approved and will ONLY be considered for extenuating circumstances. Students may have only ONE approved Minimum Standard Requirements Appeal while at Cabrillo College.

If you did not have extenuating circumstances, your status will remain DISQUALIFIED.  You must successfully complete at least one semester without financial aid (other than the BOG) and may request REINSTATEMENT the following semester.

NOTE:  Students who are Disqualified and already have one or more approved Appeals on file with the Cabrillo College Financial Aid and Scholarships office for not meeting Minimum Standard Requirements must successfully complete at least one semester without financial aid (other than the BOG) and may request REINSTATMENT the following semester.

If your appeal is APPROVED, your status is Probation and you can receive financial aid; however it is not retroactive.
While on Financial Aid Probation, you must meet Minimum Standard Requirements or you will be Disqualified the next term and unable to appeal again.

If your appeal is DENIED, you may request Reinstatement the next term if you meet the Reinstatement Requirements.

Maximum Time Frame Requirement

Your status is Maximum Timeframe if you have reached or exceeded 150% of your program.  

If you have reached or exceeded the Maximum Timeframe for your program AND have continuously met Minimum Standard Requirements but have classes remaining to complete your academic goal at Cabrillo College, you may appeal for an extension.  

NOTE: Extensions may not be granted for changes in majors or multiple degrees or if approaching Lifetime Pell or Loan Aggregate limits.
 

Maximum Timeframe Appeal Process

To be considered for an extension, you must:

1. Meet with an academic counselor and obtain an Educational Plan that clearly states your academic goal, what remaining classes you need to obtain that goal and a completion date. 
2. Submit a copy of your Educational Plan and a Maximum Time Frame Appeal form to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. 

Students may have only ONE approved Maximum Timeframe Appeal while at Cabrillo College.
 
If your appeal is APPROVED, your status will be Financial Aid Probation and you will be given a specific length of time to complete your program based on your Educational Plan.

While on Financial Aid Probation you must meet Minimum Standard Requirements throughout your extension period. If you do not or if you exceed your extension, your status will be Ineligible and you can no longer receive aid (other than the BOG) at Cabrillo College.

If your appeal is DENIED, your status will remain Maximum Timeframe. If it is DENIED due to changes in majors or multiple degrees, you will become Ineligible.

Back up

Other Important Information

Prior College Units
All prior units and degrees from other colleges that have been submitted to Cabrillo will be counted as units attempted toward your Maximum Timeframe.

Bachelor’s Degrees
If you have a Bachelor’s degree and are interested in a student loan, you must be enrolled in an eligible program and complete the Maximum Timeframe Appeal process. Your loan funding will be restricted to the units on your Educational Plan.

Remedial and/or ESL Courses
If you are required to take remedial and/or ESL courses in order to meet your educational goal, your Maximum Timeframe can be extended. Remedial course work is limited to 30 funded units.

Course Repetitions
For financial aid, passed courses with a grade of “D” or better can only be repeated once for payment.

ALL units attempted are counted toward your Maximum Time Frame whether or not you received payment for them.

These are different from and separate than the Admissions & Records repeat policy.

If you have any questions regarding these Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress, please contact the Cabrillo College Financial Aid Office.

Back up