Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

 

Woodland Community College is required by federal regulations to measure Satisfactory Academic Progress for all enrolled students. This is a measurement of progress in a student’s course of study and is required regardless of whether the student has ever, or will ever, apply for or receive financial aid.

The Woodland Community College Financial Aid Office measures SAP three separate standards – Quantitative, Qualitative and Maximum Timeframe standards. More details about each standard further down the page.

All standards are measured each Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters for enrolled students. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure progress standards are met each semester and cumulative.

Failure to meet any one of the three standards may impact a student’s financial aid eligibility. Students may be placed in “Warning” status for one semester, but two consecutive semesters of not meeting SAP standards may result in “Termination” status.
Students placed in “Termination” status may regain eligibility for financial aid by submitting a SAP Appeal request. This request allows a student to request an exception to the SAP standards based on extenuating circumstances. To learn more about filing an appeal, click the link at the top of this page.

WCC SAP Appeal Deadlines for 2024-2025

 

Semester
SAP Appeal Deadline
Progress Report Submissions
Fall 2024
11/15/2024
10/28/2024 – 11/01/2024
Spring 2025
04/25/2025
04/07/2025 – 04/11/2025
Summer 2025
06/26/2025
No Progress Reports in Summer

 

SAP Appeal Request forms available in Self Service Financial Aid.

Progress Report forms are available on the FA Forms page.

 

Quantitative

Complete the units you
enroll in each semester

A student is required to complete at least 67% of the cumulative units attempted to ensure an acceptable pace of progression toward completion of their selected educational goal within a maximum timeframe. Pace is defined as Completed units divided by Attempted units.  See examples below.

 

Qualitative

Maintain 2.0 GPA

A student is required to maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0. The GPA standard is used at all times in the determination of eligibility for financial aid, even when a student does not receive financial aid.

Pace

67% Pace – Unit Completion Examples

 

Semester Enrollment
Completion Requirement
Cumulative Enrollment
Completion Requirement
12 units
At least 8 units
18 units
At least 12 units
9 units
At least 6 units
24 units
At least 16 units
6 units
At least 4 units
36 units
At least 24 units
3 units
At least 3 units
60 units
At least 40 units

Withdrawals/Incompletes

At the end of the Fall, Spring and Summer term, each student’s record will be reviewed to determine if academic requirements have been met. Units are not considered completed if any of the following grades or notations were received:

W = Withdrawal IP = In Progress
F = Failing Grade I = Incomplete
NP = No Credit RD = Report Delayed

 

 

Repeat Courses

Students may repeat courses for financial aid purposes, provided the courses are allowed under the Yuba Community College District repeat policy as specified in the College Catalog.  All repeated courses will be included to assess time frame and the completion rate assessment, including Work Experience classes.

Note:  It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of any grade changes.

 

Warning Status

Failure to meet Quantitative or Qualitative standards during the prior semester will place the student on Financial Aid Warning Status.

An email advising the student of the status change and explaining what to do to correct this situation will be sent to the student’s college-assigned email address, on file with Woodland Community College Admissions and Records (Registration) Office.

 

Financial Aid Status

 

WARNING—Students who do not make SAP or are approaching the maximum unit limit will be placed on Warning Status.

TERMINATION– If student does not correct SAP status in subsequent semester, student will be placed on Termination status.

APPEAL – Students can appeal if they did not make SAP due to “extenuating circumstances” and can provide supporting documentation.

PROBATION – Appeal approved stating conditions that will be reviewed for compliance at end of semester.

 

Terminated Status

Students who do not correct the situation which caused them to be placed on Financial Aid Warning and do not make SAP in a subsequent semester will be placed on Financial Aid Termination Status and will not be eligible for any financial aid (including the Federal Direct Loan Program)

Exception: Student may be eligible for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) – formerly known as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG).

An email advising the student of the status change and what may be done to appeal will be sent to the student’s college-assigned email address, on file with Woodland Community College Admissions and Records (Registration) Office.  See below for Appeals information.

 

Ineligible for Aid

If SAP review makes it clear that a student cannot mathematically finish their educational goal/program within the maximum timeframe, the student will become ineligible for aid.  See below for information on maximum timeframe.

 

Reinstating Financial Aid

Students terminated for not meeting the SAP standards for GPA (qualitative) or pace of progression (quantitative) , may reinstate financial aid and be assigned a Satisfactory SAP status by taking a minimum of 6 units and meeting all three of the SAP standards at the next evaluation period (end of semester).

                            

Calculating SAP Pace of Progress Example

Pace Example:

Allen and Marie enroll in the Associate Degree program for Psychology.

1st Semester:
Both Allen and Marie enroll in 14 units.
Allen successfully completes 9 of those units and Marie successfully completes all 14 units, both making the minimum GPA of 2.0.

After one semester, Allen’s pace is 64% (9 ÷ 14) and Marie’s pace is 100% (14 ÷ 14).
To be making Satisfactory Academic Progress for pace they must have a pace of 67%.
Allen is below the required 67% and is placed on Warning status, Marie is above the required 67% and continues in Satisfactory status.

2nd Semester:
Allen enrolls in 9 units and Marie again enrolls in 14 units.
Allen successfully completes all 9 units and Marie successfully completes 9 units, both making the minimum GPA of 2.0.

After two semesters, Allen’s pace is 78% (18 ÷ 23) cumulative and 100% (9 ÷ 9) for the semester, and Marie’s pace is 82% (23 ÷ 28), cumulative and 64% (9 ÷ 14) for the semester.
Now, Allen is making Satisfactory Academic Progress for pace, but Marie is not.

Allen has now fulfilled the qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (67% units completed) requirements, putting him in Satisfactory status.

Marie has fulfilled the qualitative (GPA), but not the quantitative (Pace per semester) requirement, putting her now in Warning status.

Maximum Timeframe

In general, maximum unit limit for an AA, AS or a Transfer Certification is 90 units (60 X 150%); 45 units for a Certificate of Achievement (30 X 150%).  Programs requiring more than 60 units (ex. Nursing) will be a unit limit exception that will be reviewed in case of an appeal.

Remedial and ESL units are included in the calculation of maximum timeframe.

Because of the 45 or 90 unit limit and the 150% Rule, it is important that a student decide on an educational goal early, and enroll only in courses required to complete that goal.

Students will be placed in Warning status when their total unit count reaches 30 units for a Certificate of Achievement or 60 units for an AA, AS or a Transfer Certification.

Woodland Community College offers counseling services provided by academic and career counselors and career planning courses to assist students in deciding on the educational goal that is best for them.

The Financial Aid Office encourages students to take advantage of Counseling services and develop an Educational Plan.

150% Rule

Students are expected to complete their educational objectives within 150% of the published length of his or her chosen educational program.

The Financial Aid Office will issue financial aid to eligible students for the units in which he or she is enrolled until reaching the 45 or 90-unit limit and/or the 150% length of enrollment (prorated to full time or part-time). Once a student reaches that limit, he or she will no longer be eligible for financial aid,  except the student may be eligible for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) – formerly known as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG).

It is the student’s responsibility to know how many units he or she has completed.

Exceptions to the maximum timeframe will be considered through appeal by the Director of Financial Aid or his/her designee.

 

Financial Aid Termination for Students Who
Exceed Maximum Timeframe

Any student who attempts more units than allowed by maximum timeframe without achieving his or her educational goal will be placed on Financial Aid Termination Status and will not be eligible for financial aid (including the Federal Direct Loan Program), except the student may be eligible for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) – formerly known as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG).

An email advising the student of the status change and what may be done to appeal will be sent to the student’s college-assigned email address, on file with Woodland Community College Admissions and Records (Registration) Office.

Remedial Units

Remedial units include any coursework numbered 100 and above.

Federal regulations stipulate that students may receive federal aid for up to one academic year’s worth of remedial coursework (30 semester units).

Students will be placed in Warning status when their total remedial unit count reaches 20 units.

Students who exceed 30 units will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid for remedial coursework, however; they will be eligible to receive financial aid for non-remedial coursework that is numbered 1 through 99.

Important Information about Grades

Although units receiving a grade of ‘D” will be considered completed units for purposes of pace calculation, units required for degree and/or major completion must be completed with a “C” or better to meet Graduation Requirements.

Financial Aid SAP Appeal For Extenuating Circumstances

Students who have not met all SAP requirements and had extenuating circumstances (i.e., illness, death of an immediate family member, medical/emotional disability) may submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office.

Appeals not meeting the “extenuating circumstances” category will not be accepted.

Submission of an appeal does NOT GUARANTEE the reinstatement of students’ financial aid. Therefore, students should be prepared to pay for their books, and other school related expenses pending the outcome of their  appeal.

IMPORTANT:  To be considered, appeals must be submitted by the deadlines provided above.

For more information about filing an SAP Appeal, click HERE

Students should allow 30 days for the appeal to be reviewed by the Financial Aid Office.

Students will be notified of the appeal decision by e-mail.

Appeal approvals are effective for the semester the appeal is approved and is not retroactive to prior semesters.