Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy and SAP Appeal Information

 
The Ventura County Community College District Financial Aid Offices establish Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with federal regulations (34 Code of Federal Regulations Section 668.34). To be eligible for financial aid, students must meet or exceed these standards. The standards apply to all financial aid recipients and to all college coursework taken including coursework taken from outside colleges if that coursework has been submitted and appears on your Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) transcript. Failure to maintain these standards may result in loss of financial aid eligibility.

 

Standard Minimum Requirement
Qualitative Standard A 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted.
Quantitative Standard A 67% minimum course completion of all coursework attempted.*
Maximum Time Frame Attempted units may not exceed 150% of the number of units required to complete your educational objective.

*Standard rounding rules apply when calculating a student's quantitative measurement.

 

Grades

In determining the above standards, grades of A, B, C, D, P, CR (Credit), or CRE (Credit by exam) are considered completed coursework. Grades of F, I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), W (Withdrawal), EW (Excused Withdrawal)**, MW (Military Withdrawal), NC (No Credit), NP (No Pass), and RD (Record Delayed) are not considered completed coursework. All grades are considered attempted units.

**EW grades issued as a result of COVID-19 will not affect a student’s SAP standing. Section 3509 of the CARES Act allows institutions to exclude from the quantitative component (pace measurement) of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) attempted credits a student was unable to complete as a result of the COVID-19 national emergency.

Enrollment

A student’s enrollment will be verified prior to each financial aid payment to determine eligibility for financial aid.

Enrollment Status Units
Full time 12 or more units
Three-quarter time 9 to 11.75 units
Half-time 6 to 8.75 units
Less Than Half-time 0.25 to 5.75 units

Maximum Time Frame

A student must complete his/her educational goal within 150% of the program length. All coursework appearing on his/her VCCCD academic transcript will count toward Maximum Time Frame. A student who has exceeded this time frame and/or cannot mathematically finish their program within this time frame, and/or has attained a BA/BS (for student loans only), MA/MS (for student loans only), or beyond (for student loans only), will be placed on Suspension and may be required to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form for evaluation.

Educational Goal Units Required to Complete Goal* Maximum Attempted Units (150%)*
AA/AS 60 units 90 units
Transfer 60 units 90 units
Certificate of Achievement * *
*Program lengths vary. See college catalog for program length.

Warning

When a student fails to achieve a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA or better and his/her pace is not equal to or higher than 67%* he/she will be placed on Warning. A student is eligible for Financial Aid during the Warning period. At the end of the Warning period, a student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 and must  also complete a minimum of 67%* of all  attempted units.

 

Probation

A student who successfully appeals will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Financial aid is available during this Probation period. However, SAP will be evaluated at the end of the Probation term. During the Probation term, a student must complete 100% of all attempted units with a term GPA of 2.00 or better and must be following his/her approved Academic Plan. Failure to follow the terms of the appeal will result in Suspension of financial aid. A student on Probation for a payment period may not receive title IV, HEA (Higher Education Act) program funds for the subsequent payment period unless the student makes satisfactory academic progress or the institution determines the student met the requirements specified by the institution in the Academic Plan for the student.

 

Suspension of Eligibility

When a student fails to achieve a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA or better and his/her pace is not equal or higher than 67%* he/she will be placed on Suspension. When a student is placed on Suspension, he/she will no longer be eligible to receive federal financial aid until he/she Reinstates or successfully appeals. A student who is Suspended can: Appeal by completing a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form or attend at his/her own expense until the student raises his/her cumulative grade-point average (GPA) to 2.00 and attains a 67%* minimum course completion rate. Reinstatement is not an option for students who have exceeded Maximum Time Frame.

 

Reinstatement

A student Suspended for failing to achieve SAP may regain eligibility by successfully appealing to the Financial Aid Office. A student may also regain eligibility by attending without receiving financial aid and attain the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 and minimum cumulative course completion rate of 67%* of all attempted coursework. It is a student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office in writing when he/she has reinstated him/herself. Reinstatement is not an option for students who have exceeded Maximum Time Frame.

 

Academic Plan

An Academic Plan outlines the requirements that a student must adhere to remain eligible for financial aid. The institution develops an Academic Plan for the student that, if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet the institution’s satisfactory academic progress standards by a specific time, or instead takes the student to successful program completion. Students placed on Academic Plan must complete 100% of all attempted units with a term GPA of 2.0 or better and must be following the approved Academic Plan. A student who has failed the Academic Plan has the right to appeal based on extenuating circumstances. Students must appeal to change the Academic Plan.

 

Student Educational Plan (SEP)

A student who has been suspended, or has exceeded Maximum Time Frame, must meet with an academic counselor to develop a comprehensive SEP for an eligible program of study. The SEP must ensure that a student will meet SAP standards by a specified point in time, or through an Academic Plan can instead take the student to successful program completion. 

 

Program of Study

A student must declare an eligible program of study from their Primary College, which is the school granting their degree. Only one major change can be applied to an appeal once an Academic Plan (SEP) has been approved with the Financial Aid Office.

 

Evaluation

SAP will be evaluated at the conclusion of each payment period (semester). Calculation includes cumulative number of units completed/transferred to VCCCD divided by the cumulative number of units attempted/transferred to VCCCD.

SAP is met if a student is achieving a 2.00 cumulative GPA or better and the pace is equal to 67%* or higher and the student has not reached 150% of the units required for certificate, degree, or transfer program. Once the calculation is performed, the student's SAP status will be posted on the student's MyVCCCD portal.

 

ESL Courses

ESL coursework does not count against remedial units; however, the units do count toward Maximum Time Frame. Academic progress in ESL courses will be counted when assessing both a student’s overall GPA and completion rate.

 

Remedial Courses

Students are eligible to receive financial aid for remedial units if the remedial classes are prerequisites for entrance into a regular college program. Financial aid cannot be received for more than 30 attempted remedial units. Any remedial units exceeding the 30 unit limit will NOT be counted towards his/her enrollment for financial aid purposes. However, they will still count toward Maximum Time Frame and will still be included in the academic progress evaluation. A student should refer to the college catalog of his/her primary college for a list of remedial classes.

 

Repeated Coursework

Federal regulations prevent the financial aid office from paying for a course that has been passed and repeated more than one time. In order for a repeated course to be counted towards a student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes, a student may only repeat a previously passed course once (a total of two attempts). If a student enrolls in a previously repeated and passed course for a third time, this course will not count towards your enrollment for financial aid purposes.

Repeated courses may be included if the student received a withdrawal (W) or failing grade. Courses may be repeated consistent with district academic standards, as identified in the college catalog. All repeated courses do affect Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations. Grades of A, B, C, D, P, CR (Credit), or CRE (Credit by exam) are considered passing grades.

Suspension and Extension Appeals cannot override the federal regulation. If a student is in a class that is not eligible for payment, but the class is part of his/her approved Academic Plan, he/she will not be penalized for repeating the class, but he/she cannot receive financial aid for that class.

Check Your SAP Status

Step 1- Log in to your My.VCCCD.edu portal

Step 2 - Go to Tools and expand Financial Aid

Step 3- Click on Financial Aid Dashboard

Step 4 - Click on Satisfactory Academic Progress

Step 5 - Your SAP status will be displayed

 

Appeal Process

A student who has had his/her financial aid Suspended has the right to appeal, based on extenuating circumstances (see below), by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form. Appeals must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within the semester the student is requesting aid. See Appeal Deadlines below.

Submit your SAP appeal by:

  • Log in to your My.VCCCD.edu portal
  • Go to Tools and expand Financial Aid
  • Click on Financial Aid Dashboard
  • Click on Not Meeting SAP: Log into @ Online Financial Aid Account*

*Create your account (You only need to create your account once). Most of your financial aid requirements can be submitted online.

Complete appeal packets consist of the following:

1. GetSAP Counseling Certificate of Completion for the session "The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process."

2. Student Educational Plan (SEP) developed by a Ventura College academic counselor along with any additional counseling forms.

3.  SAP Appeal (including both the Explanation of Circumstances and Resolution of Circumstances sections).  The Financial Aid Office prefers the student's statement be typed directly into the PDF fillable form.

  • The Explanation of Circumstances section on the form must be filled in. Examples of extenuating circumstances include: medical condition or illness of the student; death of an immediate relative; divorce or separation; military service; illness, injury or medical condition of a family member that required care; change in academic major or exceeded time frame; other similar situations that affected academic performance that were beyond the student's control.
 
  • The Resolution of Circumstances section on the form must include information on what has changed in the student's situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation, and/or what steps the student has taken to alleviate any obstacles (for example, meeting with academic counselor, tutoring, testing, reducing unit load, etc.).
4. Supporting documentation that supports the explanation of circumstances the student addressed in his/her letter (for example, copies of letters from doctors or counselors, divorce decree, medical information related to illness, death certificate, birth certificate, etc.).
 
Please note:
- Appeals should not include statements based on financial need. Financial need is already assumed.  
- Incomplete appeal packets will not be accepted or will be automatically denied.

 

Appeal Decisions SAP appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.
1. Approval: If an appeal is approved, a student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will receive notification outlining the specifics of his/her Probation.

2. Denial: If an appeal is denied, a student will receive notification outlining the specifics of his/her denial.  Denial decisions of SAP Appeal are final.
 

Reinstatement: A student may regain eligibility by attending without receiving financial aid and attain the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 and minimum cumulative course completion rate of 67%* of all attempted coursework.  It is a student's responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office in writing when he/she has reinstated him/herself.  Reinstatement is not an option for students who have exceeded Maximum Time Frame.

 

See What Is The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Deadline?

SAP Appeal Counseling Link

 

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Ventura College has a variety of resources available to help you achieve academic success. We encourage you to look into all available options. The Student Services page at www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services lists many programs and services, for example:

We encourage you to talk to your professor(s) and/or visit them during office hours.