If you receive federal or state financial aid, then you must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward the completion of an eligible program of study. Financial aid eligibility is determined in compliance with federal and state regulations as well as institutional policies and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or other legally protected basis. If you wish to file a grievance, then you should follow the directions outlined in American River College's catalog.
The SAP policy applies to both Title IV and non-Title IV financial aid, which includes the following forms of financial aid:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Direct Loans
- California State Cal Grant
- All State-funded programs
The SAP policy applies equally to all students, regardless of your level of enrollment or academic program – that is, full-time enrollment, part-time enrollment, and all educational programs offered through Los Rios.
If you fail to make SAP, then you will receive a written notification from the Financial Aid Office explaining which specific SAP requirement you did not meet. This can be qualitative (GPA), quantitative (Pace), and/or Maximum Time Frame.
Standards
At the end of each semester, students are evaluated based on the following standards:
You must complete at least 66.67% of the units you attempt. Units for a class are considered "non-complete" if you receive any of the following grades for that class:
- F – failing
- NC – no credit
- W – withdrawal
- EW – emergency withdrawal
- NP – no pass
- IP – in progress (IP is used for courses that extend beyond the normal academic term and indicates that a grade won’t be given until the course is completed)
- I – incomplete
How to Calculate Your Progress Percentage
To figure out your progress percentage:
- Review your transcript and find the sum of all units you have completed (it may be easier to count all units that are considered non-complete and subtract those from the total units you have attempted).
- Divide that number by the total number of units you have attempted.
- Multiply by 100 to get your progress percentage.
For example, if you have taken 18 units total and you failed one 3-unit class, then you have completed 15 out of 18 units and your progress percentage is .83, or 83%.
Students must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. The most recent grade for a repeated course is used to determine GPA. All grades for academic renewal courses are used to determine GPA.
The following students have taken too many college units to be eligible for some federal and state financial aid:
- Students who have completed a Bachelor degree or higher (including a foreign degree)
- Students who have attempted more than 150% of the units required for their degree or certificate program
What Units Count Towards Maximum Timeframe?
The following units count toward maximum timeframe:
- Most units completed at American River College
- Units earned at another college and transferred to American River College
- Units for English as a second language (ESL) courses
- Units for all repeated courses
- Units for all academic renewal courses
Do Remedial Courses Count Toward the Maximum Timeframe?
Up to 30 units of remedial courses taken at American River College will not be counted toward the total number of units attempted. Enrolling in excessive remedial courses may exhaust your financial aid eligibility.
Course Repetition and Academic Renewal
To determine your GPA, the most recent grade for a repeated course and all grades for academic renewal courses will be used. All units (both current and prior) from repeated and academic renewal courses are counted toward the 150% maximum timeframe of units you are permitted to attempt. You are not eligible to receive aid for more than one repetition of a course that has been previously passed.
The regulations allow you to repeat a passed course once and a failed course until it is passed. As long as the units are repeated per federal regulations, they are counted as attempted units in the calculation of the progress percentage.
Warning
If you fail to meet SAP due to the GPA and/or pace requirements, then you may be placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester. During the warning period, you may be eligible to receive financial aid. Cumulative GPA and/or pace must meet SAP requirements for the warning term or you will be dismissed.
How to Regain Financial Aid
If you lose financial aid because you have not met SAP standards, then you can regain your financial aid in two ways: by meeting SAP standards based on your own actions or by appealing.
Meet SAP Standards Based on Your Own Actions
Meeting SAP standards based on your own actions means taking the initiative to correct SAP deficiencies and make sure you meet each of the SAP criteria. If you re-establish your financial aid eligibility by meeting SAP standards while you are on probation status, then you are no longer required to meet your probation requirements.
Once you have met the SAP standards, contact the financial aid office to have your financial aid eligibility re-evaluated.
Appeal Process
You may be able to appeal to continue to receive financial aid. The processing timeframe can take up to six weeks from the date of a completed submission; this includes submitting your SAP Request form and supporting documentation. If additional documentation is requested/required, the timeframe starts over from the date of your newest submission.
Include a statement detailing the reason for any deficiencies and/or reasons for remaining at this level of education and what action has been taken to ensure it will not occur in the future.
- Timeline detailing the circumstances as to why you did not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and/or complete your degree within 150% of the published length of your program.
- Specify what has changed that will enable you to meet SAP standards for the remainder of your academic career
Also, address the reasons you are appealing in detail. For example:
- You were unable to attend classes for medical reasons beyond your control.
- A member of your immediate family died (immediate family members include parents, siblings, spouses, and grandparents).
- You received military orders for reassignment or were called to active service.
- A natural disaster occurred that impacted your academic performance.
- You experienced a personal tragedy beyond your control and you have professional third-party documentation, such as police, court, or medical records.
For you to be eligible to appeal the dismissal of aid for not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you must provide documentation (if any) of extenuating circumstances, such as:
- Medical documents that support that you were medically unable to complete the term for reasons beyond the your control.
- Verification (obituary or death certificate) of a death in your immediate family. Immediate family for purposes of a financial aid appeal is parents, siblings, children, spouse, or grandparents.
- Verification of military orders for military personnel and their families who have been temporarily reassigned or called to active service.
- Personal tragedies beyond your control that are documented by a third-party professional, such as police, courts, or medical.
- Verification of natural disasters beyond your control that impacted your academic performance.
- (Optional) You may submit a Comprehensive Student Education Plan (iSEP).
What if I don't have supporting documentation?
Most extenuating circumstances should be documented. If you are unable to provide documentation, then submit an additional signed statement to thoroughly address your situation and clarify that no supporting documents can be provided. Your statement will be reviewed. We may offer alternative options for documenting extenuating circumstances.
Deadlines
Submit your appeal and supporting documentation by the appeal form deadline (see financial aid deadlines). You have one opportunity per term to submit a complete appeal. Revisions and/or additional documentation are not accepted at a later time.
Appeal Outcomes
Approved Appeals and Probation Status
If you are approved on an appeal, then you will be placed on probation and your academic performance will be reviewed at the end of each term. If you fail to meet the requirements of your probation, then you will be denied aid and will need to appeal again the following term.
Probation Requirements
- You take courses that apply to your degree or certificate program.
- You successfully complete at minimum 66.67% of all courses attempted in each term following the appeal approval.
- You complete all coursework with a term GPA of 2.0 or higher in each term following the appeal approval.
- You are within the maximum timeframe allowed in any prior appeal.
If you comply with the requirements of your probation, then you may continue to receive aid for the following term.
Denied Appeals
If your appeal is denied, you may request a second review. Please notify American River College's Financial Aid Office regarding your request for a second review.
If your appeal is denied and you correct the deficiency for which you were initially denied – but then you are dismissed for a different deficiency in the same award year – then you may be able to appeal again. If you are approved on an appeal, then you will be placed on probation and your academic performance will be reviewed at the end of each term. If you fail to meet your probation requirements, then you will be denied aid and will need to appeal again the following term.
If you comply with the requirements of your probation, then you may continue to receive aid for the following term.
Disqualification
If you have attempted 150 or more units, 70 or more units for a transfer program, or have a bachelor's degree or higher, then you are not eligible to appeal the denial of aid regardless of the reason. This total attempted units includes units transferred from other colleges and completed at other Los Rios colleges. If you have been approved on appeal before reaching 150 units, then you may continue to receive aid until the end of your program as long as you meet the requirements of your probation. If you fail to meet the probation requirements and are beyond 150 units, then you are no longer eligible for appeal.