2023-24 Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal
Many students get off track from time to time. If you’re current SAP status is terminated, the SAP Appeal request is one way you might get back on track to receiving financial aid.
To learn more about how SAP may impact your financial aid eligibility, visit the SAP Counseling Center HERE.
Purpose
Federal regulations require that Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) be evaluated at the end of each payment period (semester) for all students regardless of receipt of financial aid. Students who fail to meet SAP standards are considered to be ineligible to receive financial aid. As such, a student may appeal his/her eligibility status to the Financial Aid office by submitting a “SAP Appeal” which, if approved, would result in a probationary semester(s) of financial aid eligibility.
An appeal must be based on extenuating circumstances that seriously impacted performance. Lack of knowledge of the SAP standards will not be grounds for the approval of an appeal. Examples of extenuating circumstances include:
- Student injury or illness
- Family difficulties, such as divorce or illness
- Interpersonal problems with friends, roommates, significant others, etc.,
- Difficulty balancing school, work, and family responsibilities
- Financial difficulties
- The death of a relative
Deadlines
Deadlines to submit your appeal are as follows:
Fall 2023 semester — Friday, November 10, 2023
Spring 2024 semester — Friday, April 26, 2024
Summer 2024 — Thursday, June 27, 2024
Appeal Requirements
Your appeal must include all of the following items. Incomplete appeals or appeals submitted without sufficient documentation will not be reviewed, as decisions cannot be made on appeals until they are complete.
Log into Self Service, choose the Financial Aid tile, navigate to the Required Documents page, and choose the pending SAP task. Click on the link to access the online SAP Appeal Form. NOTE: If you do not see a pending SAP task, contact the WCC Financial Aid Office for assistance: (530) 661-5725 or WCCFinancialAid@yccd.edu.
To complete the online SAP Appeal form, make sure the following are submitted:
- Complete and submit online appeal form
- Visit SAP Counseling Center and complete session, “The Essentials to Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and What It Means to You“
- Complete and submit online appeal quiz
- Complete your SAP Appeal statement explaining the extenuating circumstances that severely impacted performance. Lack of knowledge of SAP standards will not be grounds for appeal.
- Upload required documents to complete SAP Appeal submission:
- Comprehensive education plan: if you do not have a copy of your current education plan or it is outdated, meet with your academic counselor to obtain a copy or update
- Supporting documents: official documentation of extenuating circumstance(s) mentioned in your appeal statement is required in most instances. Appeals submitted without supporting documentation may be denied.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION EXAMPLES
→ Illness of student or immediate family member – Upload medical documentation confirming the onset and duration of illness.
→ Severe emotional difficulties – Upload documentation from a qualified medical professional documenting the onset and duration of the difficulty.
→ Death in family – Attach copy of death certificate or obituary.
→ Accident or injury to student or immediate family member – Upload medical and/or other documentation verifying the date and duration of the occurrence.
→ Loss or change of employment – Upload a letter from the employer verifying the circumstances and dates of loss or change in employment.
→ Disasters affecting the student’s attendance – Upload documentation of insurance claims or other third party information verifying the date of the disaster.
After Your SAP Appeal is Submitted —
- The Financial Aid Office will review your SAP Appeal request within 30 days of submission date.
- The outcome of your SAP Appeal request is accessible on Self Service Financial Aid and emailed to you at your YCCD student email.
- Disbursements pending appeal approval will be disbursed on the next available payment date per the published payment schedule.
- Contact the Financial Aid Office if you have questions regarding your SAP Appeal request, (530) 661-5725 or WCCFinancialAid@yccd.edu.
Other Important SAP Appeal Information —
- Submission of an appeal request does NOT guarantee approval nor reinstatement of your financial aid eligibility. You should be prepared to pay for your own books and other school-related supplies pending the outcome of your SAP Appeal request.
- SAP Appeal decisions include the following outcomes:
- Single term approval: appeal approved for current semester only
- Multiple term approval: appeal approved for multiple semesters without submitting a new appeal. To remain eligible from one term to the next, you must remain continuously enrolled in an eligible academic program, meet SAP standards, and follow your comprehensive education plan for each subsequent subsequent semester.
- Conditional appeal approval: appeal approved pending progress reports that reflect a grade “C” or better. To remain eligible under conditional approval, you must submit a progress report form for each enrolled course completed by the instructor. Each progress report must reflect a grade “C” or better as of the required submission date. Submission dates are listed on the SAP web page. Progress Report forms are available on the FA Forms page.
- Appeal denial: request was denied. See FA Office for details regarding your denied request. Reasons for denial could include:
- Reason for not meeting SAP requirements does not fall under the “extenuating circumstances” category
- You have not filed your FAFSA for the current academic year
- You are not enrolled in classes
- You do not submit a current educational plan
- Your SAP appeal form is incomplete
- You do not submit the proper supporting documentation with corresponding dates from your statement
- You do not submit the SAP Appeal Quiz or other required appeal request documents