Federal regulations require that all Financial Aid recipients meet satisfactory academic progress and remain in good academic standing.

1. SAP
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Victor Valley College Financial Aid Office
2014-2015

2. Attention
There will be an quiz at the end of this presentation
that must be passed in order to receive the link to the
Appeal’s / Petitions form.

3. Satisfactory Academic Policy
• Federal regulations require that all Financial Aid recipients meet
satisfactory academic progress and remain in good academic
standing.
• All students will be assessed on criteria including minimum GPA,
completion rate, and completion of a degree/certificate within the
maximum time frame (150%) of the student program.
• These standards will apply to all VVC Financial Aid recipients.

4. Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is reviewed for every student,
once a year after the Spring semester grades are posted.
• If you fail to meet these SAP requirements, you will be dismissed
from further financial aid: Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Cal Grants & Federal Work Study.
However, you still may be eligible to receive the Board of
Governor’s Fee Waiver (BOGFW) without filing an appeal.

5. Standards
Qualitative Standard
All students at VVC must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point
Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
(No rounding of G.P.A.)
Includes all grades and units attempted at Victor Valley College
and may include units from other colleges. All grades are part of
your academic history record.

6. Standards
Example:
100 units attempted divided into 60 units completed
gives you 60% completion ratio
“with this scenario
STUDENT IS NOT MEETING SAP
and would need to appeal”
Quantitative Standard
All students must have completed at least 67% of the cumulative units attempted in an
eligible program.

7. STANDARDS
Educational Objective
• Students must also complete their educational objective (degree,
transfer , or certificate) by the time they have attempted 90 units
(including applicable units from all schools attended).
Published Length of the Program
• A student can only receive financial assistance for a maximum of
150% of the published length of the program.
Example:
• For an A.A. degree in Liberal Arts -- 90 attempted units is the
maximum for which a student can receive financial assistance
(60 units X 150% = 90 units).

8. STANDARDS
Ineligibility
• A student is ineligible when it becomes mathematically
impossible for them to complete their program within the
150% of the length of a program, except for BOGFW.
Major
Change
• Students are allowed one change of major.
New Major
• Students who change their major must take only classes
that will apply to that new major. Any deviation will result in
Suspension/Denial of any further financial aid.

9. EVALUATION
Spring Term Evaluation
• All Financial Aid students will be evaluated at the end of the
Spring term to determine if they are meeting the maximum
timeframe, qualitative and quantitative standards.
Probationary Students Evaluation
• Financial Aid Probationary students will be evaluated after
Fall and Spring semesters.

10. Financial Aid Dismissal
If you have not met
one of the above
standards, have
graduated,
completed a
certificate program,
or are exceeding 90
units, you are on
financial aid
dismissal.
Dismissal
By following the
guidelines on the
following slides you
may appeal this
decision, but only if
there is an
extenuating
circumstance.
Extenuating
Circumstance

11. SAP APPEAL
Extenuating Circumstances
A student may complete an appeal form if he or she has an
extenuating circumstance, such as:
The death of a
close relative of the
student;
An injury or illness
of the student;
Other special
circumstances that
the student had no
control over.
Documents must be provided to substantiate your extenuating
circumstance.

12. SAP APPEAL
Maximum Time Standard
• A student may also appeal the maximum time standard if they have
attempted over 90 units, or if they have a higher unit required major such as;
Nursing, Respiratory Therapy and high unit transfer majors such as:
engineering or biology. Also, a change in major will allow additional units.
Basic Skills Classes
• Up to 30 units of basic skills classes that are non-degree applicable will not
be included in the total.

13. SAP APPEAL
• A student who does not have an extenuating circumstance must:
• Wait until he, or she is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Example:
Student has a 1.5 GPA and was dismissed. However, student
completes 2 successful semesters (of at least 12 units), and
has a 2.0 GPA. Student may now appeal for reinstatement.
A successful semester is one where there are no
D’s, W’s, FW’s ,or F’s.

14. SAP APPEAL
If your appeal is denied in
Fall 2014, you are ineligible
to appeal again until the new
academic year (Fall 2015).
Only one appeal per
academic year may be
submitted by a student.

15. Please complete all the general information on the upper portion
of the form. If the form is incomplete, it will be delayed. Make
sure to follow the format listed on the next several slides.
The Appeals form can be found at
the end of the quiz.
THE APPEALS FORM

16. EXAMPLE
I am appealing my academic dismissal because
of a low GPA for the following reason:
I was in a car accident during the final exam period and was hospitalized in
the fall semester; this caused me to fail my finals and my GPA to go below
2.0. Attached is the medical documentation.
I have made a complete recovery, and I am ready to attend school again.

17. APPEAL REQUEST
UnsatisfactoryAcademicProgress
• Briefly explain the
reason for
UNSATISFACTORY
ACADEMIC
PROGRESS in an
attached typed
written statement.
SupportingDocuments
• Attach supporting
documents such
as medical forms,
statements etc.
• There must be
supporting
documents
attached.
• If there is no
supporting
documentation,
your appeal will be
denied.
EducationalPlanandTranscripts
• A copy of your
current educational
plan must be on file,
and all transcripts
from all schools
should be evaluated
by a counselor and
must be on file at
the Admissions
and Records
Office.
• If they are not, your
appeal will be
denied.

18. SAP APPEAL
THE DECISION OF THE
COMMITTEE IS FINAL.
The decision cannot be overturned by the Director of Financial Aid,
nor by any other individual.

19. CHECKING FINANCIAL AID STATUS
Questions
Many financial aid questions may also be answered by clicking on “Ask the Ram
Questions” or by clicking on “Financial Aid TV.”
Checking Status
Please check your financial aid status on WebAdvisor. SAP appeal approved,
or denied status will be listed under “My Doc’s” normally 14 business days after
submission.

20. REMEMBER
Failure to turn in all the required documentation will result in suspension of all
financial aid, but the BOGFW.
Include all the following in your petition package:
Documentation to substantiate your
extenuating circumstance.
VVC Transcripts
Transcripts from
all other schools
attended
Petition/Appeal
Form
Student
Educational Plan

21. SubmissionofAppealForm Please remember that the
submission of the Appeals Form
does not mean that your appeal
will be granted.
If it is granted, you will be placed
on probation and progress will
be monitored each semester for
adherence to your educational
plan.
In addition, you may not receive
any D’s, W’s, FW’s or F’s, or
your financial aid will cease
immediately.
FurtherQuestions
If you have any further
questions concerning the
appeals process, check the
VVC Financial Aid office
website at:
http://www.vvc.edu/
offices/financial-
aid/sap.shtml