SAP is calculated for all students who were considered enrolled (remained in a class beyond the 20% point) during the semester. Calculations are cumulative, include all periods of enrollment and all units from transfer institutions that were posted to the student’s BCC transcript, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received. SAP is only calculated at the end of the full term semester. If a student takes short term classes that end prior to the end of the full term, SAP will not be calculated at that time.
Notification
Students are sent email notices at the end of each semester after SAP is calculated and directed to login to their account to view their newly calculated SAP status. Students may also receive this information in person at the Financial Aid Office.
Components of SAP
Qualitative: Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Cumulative grade point average is calculated from all grades achieved by a student, not just one term.
Pace: Students must complete 67% of cumulative units attempted
Maximum Timeframe:
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- Once a student has completed an Associate Degree, aid eligibility will be suspended.
- Students must complete their declared program of study within 150% of the published length of the program. Failure to complete a declared program by the number of allowable units will result in suspension of aid. BCC programs of study and maximum attempted units:
Associate Degree – 90 attempted units
High Unit Certificate – 27 attempted units
Mid Unit Certificate – 18 attempted units
Low Unit Certificate – 9 attempted units
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- All English as a Second Language classes and basic skills work is deducted from the units attempted when determining satisfactory academic progress for maximum time frame.
- Student’s records will be evaluated to determine if they will be able to complete a degree or certificate within the maximum time frame allowed. When it is determined the student will not complete the programs within the 150% credit limit, the student will be suspended from receiving financial aid. The 150% maximum credit rule is applicable to students who change their major or pursue double majors and second degrees.
Grades, Course Withdrawals, Incompletes, and Repetitions
Passing grades include: A, B, C, D, and P (Pass). The following grades are considered attempted but not completed or passing credits: F, NP (No Pass), W (Withdrawal), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress – course has not yet ended), and RD (Report Delayed – course has ended but grade not yet reported). If a student completes zero credits in a term for which financial aid was received, the student may owe a financial aid repayment.
Withdrawals before 20% of the semester will not count in attempted or completed units when calculating SAP. Withdrawals after 20% of the semester will count as attempted, but not completed and will adversely affect the Pace component of SAP.
Incompletes are granted in rare extenuating circumstances by instructors. Instructors are required to indicate the grade the student will earn if missing work is not submitted by the deadline. Incomplete grades are tracked as:
IB – equal to a B grade
IC – equal to a C grade
ID – equal to a D grade
IF – equal to an F grade
INP – equal to a “No Pass” for pass/no pass classes
Incompletes of IF or INP will be treated as failing the class and will count as attempted, but not earned. All other classes will act as attempted and earned. An incomplete will not calculate into the GPA so will only have an impact on Pace.
A student may receive financial aid for a repeated class under these conditions:
- Until the student receives a passing grade for a non-completed or non-passed class (F,NP)
- Once for a previously passed class
Credits taken at another institution that are officially accepted toward the student’s degree or certificate will be used in the calculation of SAP standing.
Non-Traditional Credits (such as AP, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Military Equivalencies) that are accepted for credit will not be used in the calculation of SAP standing, but will be counted in the calculation of the 150 percent maximum timeframe credit limit for financial aid.
Financial Aid Good Standing
Student has a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, student is completing 67 percent of all attempted credits each term, and student is able to graduate within 150 percent maximum timeframe limit
Financial Aid Warning
Student’s cumulative GPA dropped below a 2.0, and/or student did not complete 67 percent of all attempted credits in a term, and student is able to graduate within 150 percent maximum timeframe limit. A student is able to receive financial aid while on financial aid warning status, but must meet SAP standards during that term of enrollment to remain eligible for subsequent financial aid.
Financial Aid Suspension
Student did not meet SAP standards while in Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Probation status, or it is determined that the student will not be able to graduate within 150 percent maximum timeframe limit, or a student in Financial Aid Academic Plan status fails to follow the plan. Student is not eligible to receive financial aid while on Financial Aid Suspension.
Financial Aid Probation
This status is only granted upon the approval of a Financial Aid SAP Appeal. Student may receive financial aid for one term but must meet SAP standards by the end of that term to remain eligible for subsequent financial aid.
Financial Aid Probation with Academic Plan
Student fails to meet SAP standards for the term in which the student is on Financial Aid Probation. This status is only granted upon the approval of a Financial Aid SAP Appeal with the condition the student follows an academic plan. The student is eligible to receive financial aid as long as the student continues to follow that academic plan.
Financial Aid Termination
Students who do not meet academic plan requirements will be placed on a termination status. Students will be ineligible to receive financial aid.
Reestablishing Aid Eligibility
Students may reestablish aid eligibility, if they are able to complete their program of study within 150% of the length of the program, after by meeting SAP qualitative (2.0 cumulative GPA) and pace progression (completion of 67% of units attempted). Once eligibility is reestablished the student will receive aid.
Students who appealed due to program completion or maximum timeframe who did not meet the academic plan requirements will remain terminated and cannot regain aid eligibility or submit further appeals.
Financial Aid Appeal
A student may appeal for failure to meet satisfactory academic progress.
The appeal form can be downloaded from the Financial Aid Office’s website. The student is responsible for providing sufficient information in the written statement to substantiate the existence of extenuating circumstances. Additionally, the student statement must address what steps will be taken to prevent a similar circumstance in the future. All students with an overall GPA below 2.0 must speak with the Student Success Department and join the REBOUND program prior to submitting an Appeal to the Financial Aid Office.
The Financial Aid Office will review the appeal. The appeal process is final and cannot be appealed further unless the student meets the following criteria:
In the semester denied, the student must demonstrate academic success by:
- Completion of 9-12 degree applicable, letter graded units with a 3.0 semester GPA, or
- Completion of 15 degree applicable, letter graded units with a 2.5 semester GPA
Those completed units must be degree applicable to the educational objective as indicated on the student’s most recent Student Educational Plan as determined by an academic counselor.
Students must make a request for consideration of this exception to the Financial Aid Office prior to any published Satisfactory Academic Progress deadlines for the term.
A student may appeal for exceeding the maximum time period. The form can be downloaded from the Financial Aid Office website. The student is responsible for providing sufficient information in the written statement to substantiate the existence of extenuating circumstances. Additionally, the student statement must address 1) why the student has exceeded the maximum number of units and 2) include a timeline for educational goal achievement.
The Financial Aid Office will review the appeal. The appeal process is final.
Suspension of Financial Aid Eligibility Appeal decisions will be posted to the student account after the appeals meeting. An email prompting the student to sign in and view the decision will be sent after the meeting. The financial aid office will not release appeal decisions over the phone.
