Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated for all students after every quarter of enrollment, regardless of whether financial aid was received. SAP is determined on a district-wide basis. All work attempted and/or completed at both Foothill and De Anza Colleges is used to determine SAP. In addition, units attempted at all other colleges, universities and trade schools may be included to assess the overall maximum time frame (see below).

General Requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress You must meet three requirements to maintain SAP and be considered for financial aid or reinstatement of financial aid: Maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. Cumulative GPA will take into account academic renewal and grade alleviation. Successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credits (referred to as Pace Rate). Complete your program before attempting 150% of the maximum units required to complete their program of study (referred to as Maximum Time Frame). All units of ESL and up to 45 units of remedial courses are excluded from the Maximum Time Frame calculation. Transfer coursework accepted by the Foothill College Admissions and Records Office will be included in the Maximum Time Frame assessment. All units attempted, including those subject to academic renewal or grade alleviation will count towards the calculation of the Maximum Time Frame.

Title IV Eligible Program

To receive financial aid at Foothill College, you must be enrolled in a Title IV eligible program.

Maintain Good Standing The minimum standards to maintain “good standing” for financial aid are: Maintain and GPA of 2.0 or higher, and; Pass 67% of your attempted units.

Financial Aid Warning

Students not meeting the requirements outlined above at the end of a quarter will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students on Warning may continue to receive financial aid for one quarter if otherwise eligible, after which they must meet all SAP requirements

Warning status may include one or more of the following:

• Warning - Overall Pace/GPA: You did not earn the required overall minimum of 67 percent of units attempted or overall minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Warning - Maximum Time: You are approaching the maximum number of attempted units allowed for your program. If you reach the maximum at the end of this quarter, you will be disqualified.

If you will not complete your program before reaching the maximum number of attempted units (135), you may appeal for more time by requesting a Maximum Time Frame Appeal.

Our final meeting each quarter to review appeal requests is held two weeks prior to finals week.

We will accept requests for extensions during the Summer quarter; however, please note that these may not be reviewed until the Fall quarter due to committee availability. The appeals process generally takes four to six weeks to complete once all required documents are submitted

Please contact your financial aid specialist to request an appeal.

Financial Aid Disqualification If you do not meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements at the end of your Warning semester, or if you exceed the Maximum Time Frame for your program, you will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification. If you are disqualified: You are not eligible for most types of financial aid. Your financial aid for the current and future quarters will be cancelled. Your aid will remain cancelled until you either meet SAP standards again or have an appeal approved. Your disqualification status may include one or more of the following: Disqualified – Cumulative GPA/Pace: You did not meet the required cumulative 2.0 GPA and/or 67% completion rate. Disqualified – Maximum Time: You reached the maximum number of attempted units allowed for your program without completing it. Disqualified – Maximum Time Frame/Cumulative GPA & Pace: You previously reached the maximum time frame and were either granted additional time that has now expired, or your request for additional time was denied. Please contact your financial aid specialist if you would like to request an appeal.

Appeals & Probation Status

If you don’t meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, you'll be notified through your MyPortal account and student email after each term.

To appeal your financial aid disqualification:

• Complete the Appeal Form via Student Forms.
• Include a written explanation of what affected your academic progress and how you plan to improve.
• Meet with a counselor and submit a current Student Educational Plan (SEP).
• Complete the Financial Aid Orientation. Only applicable to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals. * Not required for Maximum Time Frame.                                                                                              
  Turn in all documents to the Financial Aid Office.

Note: Incomplete appeals will not be reviewed.

Appeal Forms can be completed through the StudentForms Portal (not a valid link anymore)

Approved Appeals Students with approved appeals are placed on an Academic Plan. If all of the following requirements are met, the Academic Plan will continue for the following quarter: Be enrolled in and pursuing an eligible program for the purpose of completing an AA/AS degree, bachelor’s degree, transfer requirement, or certificate program. Complete 100% of the units attempted that quarter with a “C” or better. Achieve a minimum quarter GPA of 2.0, and not exceed Maximum Time Frame (This requirement does not apply to students with approved Maximum Time Frame appeals.) If you have an approved Maximum Time Frame appeal, you will have your Probation status continued for the following quarter(s) until you've completed their program of study if all the following requirements continue to be met each quarter. Remain enrolled in the program of study for which the appeal was granted. Maintain at least 67% cumulative completion rate. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Complete your program of study before the expiration date of your academic plan Submission of an appeal does not guarentee approval.

Dual Major

You are not eligible to receive financial aid for more than one major. Once you the degree requirements to complete one of the majors, you are considered to have earned a degree, even if you are still completing the requirements for their other major.

Units and GPA Calculation Foothill College will depend on Admission and Records (A&R) to properly show units completed and GPA for us in determining SAP. mportant Grading Details: The following grades are counted as attempted but not completed units when determining SAP – F, W, EW, NP, IP, and I. Courses taken as P/NP will count as attempted and passed but not in GPA. Foothill College will follow A&R’s rules on repeating courses for credit and you may be able to receive financial aid for retaking a course. Because below college level courses are often used to get up to college level courses (meaning there is the intention to be in an eligible academic program), those classes will be used in determining SAP.

Return of Title IV (R2T4)

Return to Title IV (R2T4) is the process used to determine how much of your federal Title IV financial aid you earned if you completely withdraw (100%) from all your classes and stop participating in campus activities before you complete 60% of the quarter.

If you fully withdraw from a quarter, your financial aid will be reviewed to determine whether one of the following applies to you:

• You received financial aid but must repay a portion to the school and/or the federal government.
• You received aid (or may not have received all eligible aid) and qualify for additional funds based on the time you attended.
• You received aid in an amount that does not require any adjustment.

Your withdrawal date will be based on your official notification (written notice or documented conversation stating your intent to withdraw) or records from the Admissions & Records Office in the Banner system. When you withdraw from 100% of your classes and stop official campus activities, your percentage of completion will be calculated using the Banner system and/or federally provided worksheets.

If your withdrawal date cannot be clearly determined from available records, a default completion rate of 50% may be used. The calculation will be completed within 30 days of the date the college becomes aware that you withdrew. Repayment of Title IV funds will follow the federally mandated order.

After the R2T4 calculation is completed, you will be notified of any repayment responsibility. A debit equal to both the student and institutional portions of the required repayment will be posted to your student account. You are responsible for repaying both portions.

If you are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement, the funds owed to you will be applied to your student account and refunded through the normal disbursement process on the next regular disbursement date.

If you owe money to the college or the U.S. Department of Education, holds may be placed on your ability to register for classes or request transcripts. After 45 days, a hold may also be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), which will prevent you from receiving additional Title IV aid until the debt is resolved. If payment is not made in a timely manner, your account may be referred to collections for debts owed to the college.

Before withdrawing from all of your classes, contact the Financial Aid Office. We can help you understand how withdrawing may affect your financial aid and any potential repayment obligations.

Example: If you are a full-time student and receive a Pell Grant disbursement of $1,350 for the quarter, but you withdraw during the fifth week, the R2T4 calculation may determine that you must repay a portion of those funds. In this example, you would owe $234 back from the Pell Grant amount.