Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Standards required by the US Department of Education: Students must complete their program within 150% of the credits required for that program. The number of credits required for degrees, certificates and transfer are listed in the college catalog. All attempted credits, including credits transferred in from other colleges that are countable toward the student’s program, must be included, with the exception of credit ESL courses and up to thirty credits, or one academic year, of remedial courses. Attempted credits are any courses for credit for which a student received a grade or "W", “I” or “EW.” Completed credits are any courses for credit that are graded with an “A-F” grade or a “P/NP” grade.

Glendale Community College Maximum Timeframe Policy:  Students enrolled in a degree or certificate program who have reached 100% of the time frame to degree completion will be placed on Time Frame Warning Status. The Timeframe Warning Status allows students to receive federal financial aid until they graduate or reach 150% of the time frame to degree completion, whichever comes first. Students enrolled in a degree or certificate program who exceed 150% of their program length have exceeded the maximum time frame requirement and will be placed on Term Dismissal status.

Standards required by the US Department of Education

Students must successfully complete their courses at a pace that will allow them to meet the maximum time frame requirement, which means students must complete at least 66.67% of their attempted credits to remain in good SPA standing.

Glendale Community College Policy

Students must successfully complete 66.7% of all attempted credits, including credits transferred in and countable toward their program, to meet this standard.

Credits for which a student receives a grade of "F", "I" (incompletes),"NP", “EW” or "W" marks are not successfully completed.

Students who do not meet this standard will be placed on Warning Status for one term.

If the student does not meet the pace of progression standard by end of the warning period, the student will be placed on SAP Dismissal Status and financial aid will be stopped until the term the student meets this standard.

Standards required by the US Department of Education: Students must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) consistent with graduation requirements and have at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. SAP GPA standards must meet or exceed the graduation standards set by the institution.

Glendale Community College Policy: Glendale Community College requires students to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA by the completion of the students’ academic program to be in good SAP standing. The 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement is aligned with GCC’s academic requirements for graduation. All attempted GCC credits and any credits transferred into Glendale College as part of the student’s program are included when the cumulative GPA is calculated for financial aid purposes. Any student not meeting one or more SAP standards will be placed on Warning Status for one term. If the student's cumulative GPA stays below 2.0 at the end of the warning period, the student will lose financial aid eligibility until their GPA is 2.0 or higher. Eligibility will automatically be reinstated when the student earns a GPA of at least 2.0, or when the student successfully appeals their SAP dismissal.

GCC employs a graduated GPA evaluation standard. Students in a degree program must meet the 2.0 GPA SAP standard by the end of their third term of enrollment in a for-credit program. Students in a certificate program must meet the 2.0 GPA SAP standard by the end of their second term of enrollment in a for-credit program

Students disqualified from financial aid for not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards have the opportunity to submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is approved, the student will regain eligibility as of the term the appeal was submitted. Students are expected to complete all classes for the approved term with a grade of "C" or better. Appeals cannot be approved retroactively to apply to terms prior to the appeal submission date.

If circumstances caused or contributed to the student not meeting a Satisfactory Academic Progress standard, the student may appeal.

Examples of circumstances include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Death of a relative or other significant person
• Injury or illness, including, but not limited to, behavioral health conditions, of the student or a relative or other significant person
• Pregnancy or birth of a child
• Homelessness
• Loss of childcare
• Loss or change in employment
• Loss of access to personal or public transportation
• Being a victim of a serious crime, including, but not limited to, domestic abuse, even if the crime was not reported or did not result in criminal prosecution or civil liability
• Natural disaster
• Change of major

These are typical, but not the only, mitigating circumstances that commonly occur. Students should expect college will be a demanding endeavor that may interfere with work and family life. Merely having a job, a family or a disability is not automatic grounds for a successful appeal. Do not hesitate to appeal even if your particular circumstances are not represented on this list.

All appeals must include a detailed written student statement directly addressing the appeal questions. Appeals with insufficient information will be returned to student. Supporting documentation of the circumstances cited in the appeal is strongly recommended. Medical records, court documents, and statements from employers or other professionals are examples of documentation that might be sent as part of an appeal.

At GCC we put a strong emphasis on the student’s written statement and lived experience, therefore documentation is not always required but is sometimes necessary if the student statement does not correspond to their academic record or is otherwise insufficient to make an appeal determination. Insufficient student statements or lack of documentation may result in a denial of the appeal.

As part of a SAP appeal, students are required to submit an Educational Plan to show a clear path toward academic success. The plan helps ensure that the courses you are enrolled in are required for your declared major or educational goal and that each term is moving you closer to completion. It also allows us to confirm that your academic plan is appropriate for your current situation and supports steady progress going forward. To schedule a meeting with an academic counselor, please visit /students/counseling. 

Students submitting a Term Dismissal appeal must meet with their Academic, EOPS or DSPS counselor and include the counselor’s response form, an updated Student Education Plan, and a robust student statement.

SAP appeals will be reviewed, and a determination will be made within the 45-day requirement set by AB789. Appeals may be approved or denied. These statuses are explained below:

• Denied appeal: student is ineligible for further federal student aid until the student improves his or her academic progress

• Approved appeal: when an appeal that is approved the student regains eligibility on the condition that the student:

• Student is expected to complete all classes for the approved term with a grade of "C" or better.

• Adheres to a Financial Aid Course Contract. Students on a Financial Aid Contract will only receive financial aid for the specific courses listed on the Contract and must successfully complete all contract courses within the designated time frame to remain eligible for financial aid.

Approved Term Dismissals and Financial Aid Contracts

 

• Students agreeing to a Financial Aid Contract (Academic Plan, SEP) as a result of their SAP Appeal or Term Dismissal Appeal will be approved for financial aid as long as they adhere to the terms of their contract with the financial aid office.
• A student who fulfills the terms and conditions of their academic plan will remain on "financial aid probation." A student whose appeal has been approved and been placed on financial aid contract will remain on “financial aid probation” to continue to receive financial aid so long as they are adhering to their academic plan or contract. This allows students on probation to avoid losing access to financial aid despite showing the necessary academic progress.
• Students who do not meet the terms of their contract will be placed on ‘contract dismissal.’ Students on contact dismissal may appeal their status if they experience mitigating circumstances.
• Students on Financial Aid Contract who decide to change majors must complete a new and complete Term Dismissal Appeal
• Contract Dismissal, Contract Change and Term Dismissal Appeal forms require a counselor’s signature before submission.

The Appeal Committee

The Appeal Committee will use regulatory guidelines set by the Department of Education and institutional policy to review Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to determine a student’s eligibility for Student Financial Aid (SFA). The decision made by the Appeals Committee will be final. However, a second‑level review may be considered on a case‑by‑case basis and must include new and relevant supporting documentation. Students who cannot mathematically achieve SAP standards will not be eligible to request a second review of their appeal. Students whose appeals are denied may submit a new appeal in a subsequent term, if eligible.

Any student in good SAP standing or on contract may repeat, with aid, a previously failed course, or courses, until they receive a passing grade in the course. Any student in good SAP standing may repeat a course they have previously passed one time only. Students on contract may repeat a course they have previously passed one time only if it is necessary for the degree or certificate, listed on the SEP and approved by a counselor. Grades of F on a previously passed repeat course count as the allowable retake and no further retakes will be funded. This rule applies to all students.

Contract change appeals that request the addition of a course previously taken (while on contract or not) must meet the same criteria as the other repeats: the course must be necessary for the degree, listed on the SEP and approved by a counselor.

Courses taken elsewhere that have been accepted by GCC for transfer and countable toward the student’s program are considered part of the student’s repeat count at GCC.

Credits accepted for transfer as part of a student’s academic program will be counted as part of the student’s pace of progression and maximum timeframe measures. Transfer credits that are not part of the student’s academic plan are excluded from the SAP calculations.

The goal of GCC and the financial aid office is to support students’ successful completion of their academic goals. Not all students enter GCC with a clear idea of what they want to study. Additionally, the financial aid office understands that not all students’ academic plans include a 4-year degree. Many GCC students gain the skills and education necessary here to move directly into the workforce. In response to these understandings, we typically accept a change of major or program as an allowable circumstance in the SAP appeal process. Students believed to be abusing this policy by unnecessarily extending their enrollment here (continually changing programs without a degree or certificate earned), will be denied financial aid. Additionally, we consider students’ requests for an AA or AA-T degree plus a certificate to be funded by financial aid. Students who come to GCC with a prior AA degree will go on immediate term dismissal and must appeal for aid (term dismissal appeal). Students who come to GCC with a prior bachelor’s degree will go on immediate term dismissal and must appeal for aid (loans and FWS only). The rationale for placing prior degree students on term dismissal is because we have found that students often make errors on their applications for admissions and financial aid that have a negative effect on their aid eligibility. Therefore, we choose to manually review prior degree students for these types of errors. We find the appeal process is the most effective method of review.

The goal of GCC and the financial aid office is to support students’ successful completion of their academic goals. Not all students enter GCC with a clear idea of what they want to study. Additionally, the financial aid office understands that not all students’ academic plans include a 4 year degree. Many GCC students gain the skills and education necessary here to move directly into the workforce. In response to these understandings, we typically accept a change of major or program as a mitigating circumstance in the SAP appeal process. Students deemed to be abusing this policy by unnecessarily extending their enrollment here (continually changing programs), will be denied financial aid. Additionally, we give consideration to students’ requests for an AA or AA-T degree plus a certificate to be funded by financial aid. We fund eligible educational goals within federal guidelines if the student is currently enrolled in an eligible program, has remaining aid eligibility and has been notified (on the offer letter) of the lifetime limits that apply to aid programs. Students who come to GCC with a prior bachelor’s degree will go on immediate term dismissal and must appeal for aid (loans and FWS only).

If approved by Admissions and Records, an appeal for academic renewal results in the courses under appeal being stricken from the student’s record. This process may affect a student’s financial aid eligibility. Federal funds disbursed at a time when the student meets SAP evaluation standards in a payment period will not be reversed if a student’s change of grade or academic renewal causes the student to move to an ineligible SAP standing in that same payment period. Appeals based on academic renewal are decided on a case-by-case basis. Students should consult with a financial aid advisor before appealing on the basis of academic renewal. Change of grades that result in a student moving from an ineligible SAP status to an eligible SAP status may gain federal aid eligibility for a term in which they did not meet SAP evaluation standards prior to the grade change. Students must appeal their SAP status for change of grade issues.

• Financial aid may be received for remedial (basic skills) or ESL courses if the remedial or ESL courses are a prerequisite for entrance into a regular college program.
• Aid cannot be received for more than 30 attempted units of remedial or ESL coursework.
• ESL coursework must be part of an eligible program of study to receive financial aid.
• A student enrolled in ESL classes, who is not in an eligible program of study, is not eligible for financial aid funds.
• ESL and remedial coursework will count toward the 2.0 GPA and 67%-unit completion requirements (SAP standards).
• ESL units will not count towards the maximum timeframe limit and a maximum of 30 attempted remedial/ESL units will be subtracted from the total, when maximum time frame units are being counted.