Academic Requirements and Your Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy (pdf)

Cabrillo College Financial Aid

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 (SAP) Policy 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, Probation, Maximum Time Frame, Extended, Ineligible or Not Eligible.

The Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver (BOG) is subject to State of California regulations and eligibility determined by the Cabrillo Admissions and Records Office.

To assist in meeting your educational goal in the quickest possible time frame 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 minimum standards, (GPA and Pace of Progress) each term. Please note that this is a federal regulation, not a specific Cabrillo policy.

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

Appeal/Reinstatement Deadlines

2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR

2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

SAP Status

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

FINANCIAL AID WARNING 
Your status is FINANCIAL AID WARNING if you did NOT meet any one or both of the Minimum Standard Requirements. You can still receive financial aid while on Financial Aid Warning. If you meet the cumulative Pace and GPA for the Minimum Standard Requirements at the end of your Financial Aid Warning term, your status will go back to SATISFACTORY. You may continue to receive Federal aid while on FINANCIAL AID WARNING status.

DISQUALIFIED 
If you do not meet both cumulative 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. You may appeal under certain circumstances.

PROBATION
If your Minimum Standard Appeal is approved, your status is PROBATION and you can receive federal financial aid, but it is not retroactive. 

While on Financial Aid Probation, you must meet the following guidelines each term 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 term until you are off probation.
• If your cumulative GPA is above a 2.0 you must achieve a GPA of at least 2.0 each term until you are off probation.
• If your cumulative completion percentage (Pace) is less than 67% you must successfully complete all units attempted each term until you are off probation.
• If your cumulative completion percentage (Pace) is more than 67% you must successfully complete 67% of all units attempted each term until you are off probation.

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

MAXIMUM TIME FRAME
Your status is MAXIMUM TIME FRAME if you have reached or exceeded 150% of your program.

NOTE: Maximum units attempted will be adjusted for students enrolled in programs that are longer in length (RN, RT, DH, etc.)

 
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 archived educational plan completed with Counseling.
While EXTENDED you must meet the following guidelines or you will be INELIGIBLE the next term and unable to appeal again:

• If you are not meeting the Minimum Standard Requirement of a cumulative 2.0 for GPA, you must achieve a GPA of at least 2.5 each term until completion of your program.
• If you are not meeting the Minimum Standard Requirement of 67% for Pace, you must successfully complete all units attempted each term until completion of your program.
• If you are meeting the Minimum Standard Requirements for GPA or Pace, you must receive a GPA of 2.0 and a Pace of Progress of 67% each term until completion of your program.

INELIGIBLE
You were EXTENDED and have exceeded the extension period you were given to complete your program OR you did not meet the minimum standards of your extension. You are not currently eligible for Financial Aid at Cabrillo College unless you can provide proof that you had an extenuating circumstance that kept you from being able to meet the conditions of your extension.

NOT ELIGIBLE
You were on PROBATION and you did not meet the conditions of your PROBATION status, and are not allowed to have more than one approved appeal at Cabrillo College. You are no longer eligible for Federal grants, loans and state grants at Cabrillo College.

Reinstatement

Reinstatement Requirements: 

• Students must meet BOTH cumulative minimum standard requirements

Once you have met these requirements, your status will return to SATISFACTORY for the next term and you will be considered for financial aid, provided you have not reached or exceeded the Maximum Time Frame for your program.

Minimum Standards Appeals

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 along with a current archived educational plan, or your appeal cannot be considered.

Minimum Standards Appeal Process:

• Comprehensive Approved Educational Plans must be archived by Counseling (479-6274). Once your Educational Plan has been archived notify Financial Aid using a student correspondence from your eForms library. Once your Educational Plan has been received by Financial Aid, you will be able to submit your Appeal through eForms.*
• Submit official supporting documentation explaining the extenuating circumstances as described above.
• Submit a Minimum Standard Requirements Appeal from your eForms.

*Your Educational Plan should reflect coursework required through 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.

*Some students may be required to attend an Education Plan Workshop prior to scheduling a counseling appointment to begin working on an educational plan. Details for the processs and schedules are available at: http://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.

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 only have 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, but it is not retroactive. While on PROBATION you must meet the requirements of your probation or you will be NOT ELIGIBLE and unable to appeal again. See above for the minimum requirements while you are on PROBATION. 

If your appeal is DENIED, you may qualify for Reinstatement 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 Appeals

Maximum Time Frame Extensions:
If you have reached or exceeded the Maximum Time Frame for your program but have classes remaining to complete your academic goal at Cabrillo College you may appeal for an extension and become EXTENDED.  
NOTE: Extensions may not be granted for multiple degrees, or if approaching Lifetime Pell or Loan Aggregate limits.

Maximum Time Frame Appeal Process:
To be considered for an extension, you must:

• Comprehensive Approved Educational Plans must be archived by Counseling (479-6274). Once your Educational Plan has been archived notify Financial Aid using a student correspondence from your eForms library. Once your Educational Plan has been received by Financial Aid, you will be able to submit your Appeal through eForms.*
• Submit a Maximum Time Frame Appeal from eForms to Financial Aid. 
  

*Your Educational Plan should reflect coursework required through 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.

*Some students may be required to attend an Education Plan Workshop prior to scheduling a counseling appointment to begin working on an educational plan. Details for the processs and schedules are available at: http://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.

Students may have only ONE approved Maximum Time Frame 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 archived Educational Plan.

While on EXTENDED you must meet the requirements of your extension or you will be INELIGIBLE the next term and unable to appeal again. See above for the minimum requirements while you are EXTENDED.

If your appeal is denied, your status will remain MAXIMUM TIME FRAME. If it is denied due to multiple degrees, you will become INELIGIBLE.

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

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 cumulative 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.

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. 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 Time Frame.

Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees:
If you have already completed a BA/BS or Master’s degree, you are currently not eligible for federal financial aid except for student loans. If you are interested in a student loan, you must be enrolled in an eligible program and complete the Maximum Time Frame 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 Time Frame 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 at 831-479-6100.

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