Academic Requirements and Your Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy (pdf)

PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY AS FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR FEDERAL AND STATE FINANCIAL AID.

As a financial aid recipient, it is your responsibility to understand the terms and conditions of the Cabrillo College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) as it applies to you.

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

Federal regulations require that we monitor your academic progress toward completion of a Certificate of Achievement, Associate degree or Transfer program.

SAP is evaluated 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.

To assist in meeting your educational goal in the quickest possible timeframe at Cabrillo all students are encouraged to have an educational plan completed, with the assistance of an Academic Counselor.

Status and appeal decisions of the Financial Aid office are final. There is no alternative procedure for appealing Financial Aid decisions.

Minimum Standard Requirements

Students must meet both standards, (GPA, and Pace of Progress) each term. Please note that this is federal law, not a specific Cabrillo policy.

BOTH minimum standards must be met each term.

1. Grade Point Average

• Maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.0. You can now check your GPA in eForms through WebAdvisor with ‘Check My SAP Status.’

2. Pace of Progress

Students must have successfully completed at least 67% of all coursework attempted at Cabrillo.

You can now check your Pace of Progress in eForms through WebAdvisor with ‘Check My SAP Status.’

Pace of Progress Example A:

• Sheila is a new student at Cabrillo. She attempts five courses in the spring semester totaling 15 units. She withdraws from 2 classes totaling 6 units, but completes the other 3 classes totaling 9 units. Her unit completion ratio is 9 completed units of 15 attempted (9/15) or 60% which is less than the required 67% minimum requirement. Sheila is NOT meeting the Pace of Progress Standard. She must attempt and complete enough units to bring her ratio back above 67% to get back to Satisfactory status.

Pace of Progress Example B:

• Ana has completed three semesters at Cabrillo with a total attempted 45 units and 45 units completed. This fall she attempts another 15 units, but withdraws from all of her classes. After her fourth semester, Ana’s record reflects that she has completed 45 units. However, she has attempted 60 units. Ana’s completion ratio is 45/60 or 75%. She is meeting the Pace of Progress Standard.

Pace of Progress Example C: 

• Cory attended Cabrillo 6 years ago just after high school. Over three terms he completed 3 units and attempted 24 units. He came back to Cabrillo last fall and completed all 6 units that he attempted; he also completed all 6 units attempted this spring. He now has attempted 36 units and completed 15 units. His completion ratio is 15/36 or 42%. Cory is NOT meeting the Pace of Progress Standard.

SAP Status

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

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

DISQUALIFIED
If you do not meet all of the 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 (other than BOG) the next term. 

PROBATION
If your Minimum Standard Appeal has been approved your status is Financial Aid PROBATION. You may receive Financial Aid, however it is not retroactive.

Your status will also be PROBATION if you have brought your Pace and GPA up to minimum standards from DISQUAIFIED without an appeal.

While on Financial Aid Probation, you must meet the following guidelines or you will be Disqualified the next term and unable to appeal again:

• If your cumulative GPA is under 2.0 you must achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 each semester until you are off probation
• If your cumulative completion percentage (Pace) is less than 67% you must successfully complete all units attempted until you are off probation

MAX TIME
Your status is Maximum Time Frame if you have reached or exceeded 150% of your program.

EXTENDED
Your status is Extended if your Maximum Time Frame appeal has been approved. You will have been given a specific length of time to complete your program based on your educational plan.

While on EXTENDED you must meet the following guidelines or you will be Ineligible the next term and unable to appeal again:

• You must achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 each semester until completion of your program
• You must sucessfully complete ALL UNITS attempted until completion of your program

Status and appeal decisions of the Financial Aid office are final. There is no alternative procedure for appealing Financial Aid decisions.

Reinstatement

Reinstatement for students not meeting the GPA or Unit Completion Standards

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

Reinstatement Requirements and Process

1. Meet BOTH minimum standard requirements
   
   Once you have met these requirements, your status will be PROBATION and you will be considered for financial aid provided you have not reached or exceeded the Maximum Time Frame for your program.
   

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 from eForms.
2. Submit official supporting documentation explaining the extenuating circumstances as described above.
3. Submit a "Student Correspondence" from eForms letting Financial Aid know that you have competed an Educational Plan, or submit a copy of your Educational Plan to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.
4. Some students may be required to attend an Education Plan Workshop prior to scheduling a counseling appointment to begin working on an ed plan. Details for the processs, and schedules, are available at: www.cabrillo.edu/services/counseling/edplanning.html You may also need to meet with a counselor during a scheduled 30 minute counseling appointment to complete your comprehensive education plan. Appointments can be scheduled by calling either 479-6274 or 479-6385.
   
   Your Educational Plan should extend until your date of program completion, graduation, or transfer. Be clear with your counselor about what you need. If you have attended other colleges, arrange to have official transcripts sent to Cabrillo Admissions and Records. Official transcripts from previously attended colleges need to be on file before you schedule an appointment with a counselor.

If you did not have extenuating circumstances, your status will remain DISQUALIFIED.

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 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 the following guidelines or you will be Disqualified the next term and unable to appeal again:

• If your cumulative GPA is under 2.0 you must achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 each semester until you are off probation.
• If your cumulative completion percentage (Pace) is less than 67% you must successfuly complete all units attempted until you are off probation.

Once you meet both minimum standards your status will become SATISFACTORY.

If you did not have extenuating circumstances, your status will remain DISQUALIFIED.

Important Notes: If you previously have had a minimum standard appeal approved you must complete the Reinstatement process.

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

Status and appeal decisions of the Financial Aid office are final. There is no alternative procedure for appealing Financial Aid decisions.

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 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, multiple degrees, or if approaching Lifetime Pell or Loan Aggregate limits.

Maximum Timeframe Appeal Process

To be considered for an extension, you must:

1. Submit a Maximum Time Frame Appeal from eForms to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office.
2. Meet with an academic counselor and obtain a comprehensive Educational Plan that clearly states your academic goal, what remaining classes you need to obtain that goal. Be clear with your counselor that you need a comprehensive Education Plan.
3. Some students may be required to attend an Education Plan Workshop prior to scheduling a counseling appointment to begin working on an ed plan. Details for the processs, and schedules, are available at: www.cabrillo.edu/services/counseling/edplanning.html. You may also need to meet with a counselor during a scheduled 30 minute counseling appointment to complete your comprehensive education plan. Appointments can be scheduled by calling either 479-6274 or 479-6385.
4. Submit a "Student Correspondence" from eForms letting Financial Aid know that you have completed an Educational Plan, or submit a copy of your Educational Plan 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 EXTENDED for the specific number of units needed to complete your program based on your Educational Plan.

While on EXTENDED you must meet the following guidelines or you will be INELIGIBLE the next term and unable to appeal again:

• You must achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 each semester until completion of your program.
• You must successfully complete all units attempted until completion of your program.

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.

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Other Important Information

Students with Disabilities
We are sometimes asked if there is a full-time enrollment standard that may be applied for disabled students that is different from the standard applied to other students. The answer is no. Federal regulations require that a school apply its standards consistently to all students enrolled in the same course of study. There is no provision in the Higher Education Act governing federal Title IV programs that allows a school to waive full-time enrollment requirements.

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/Master’s Degrees
If you have already completed a BA or Master’s degree you are currently not eligible for federal financial aid except loans at Cabrillo. If you 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.

This is different from and separate than the Admissions & Records repeat policy.

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

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

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