SAP Appeal Eligibility
Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards may be eligible to appeal the denial of financial aid if they meet the appeal eligibility criteria and submit a completed SAP Appeal by the advertised deadline including uploading all supporting documentation. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation during that semester. At the end of each semester, SAP will be reviewed to determine continued financial aid eligibility for the following semester.
Students who have attempted 150 or more units are not eligible to appeal the denial of aid regardless of the reason (total attempted units include units earned from all other colleges). If a student has been approved on appeal prior to reaching 150 units, the student may continue to receive aid until the end of their program as long as they meet the requirements of their probation. If the student fails to meet the requirements of their probation and is beyond 150 units, the student is no longer eligible for appeal.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Policy and Procedures
If a student is determined ineligible for financial aid due to not meeting SAP standards, the student can appeal this decision by providing additional information surrounding any unusual circumstances beyond their control that have led to not meeting the SAP standards by following these instructions by submitting a completed SAP Appeal by the advertised deadline including uploading all supporting documentation. Check your Citrus College student email for updates, requests, and the status of your appeal.
Qualifying Extenuating Circumstances
Below are the qualifying extenuating circumstances that qualify you to submit a SAP Appeal
- Death of a relative or other significant person
- Injury or illness, including, but not limited to, behavioral health conditions, of the student or a relative or other significant person
- Pregnancy or birth of a child
- Homelessness
- Loss of childcare
- Loss or change in employment
- Loss of access to personal or public transportation
- Being a victim of a serious crime, including, but not limited to, domestic abuse, even if the crime was not reported or did not result in criminal prosecution or civil liability
- Natural disaster
- Change of major
- Military Orders
- Personal tragedies that are beyond the student's control and are documented by a third-party professional, i.e. police, courts, medical, or clergy
STEP 1: Complete a SAP Appeal
A completed SAP Appeal must include the following four items:
1. A SAP Appeal which includes a statement that addresses the following:
- A statement detailing the reason for the deficiencies.
- Any extenuating circumstances that caused you to fail to meet SAP.
- Details about what has changed that will enable you to meet SAP at the next evaluation.
- The steps you will take to ensure you continue to meet SAP requirements in the future.
2. Documentation to support your eligible circumstance(s) listed in your statement:
Below is a list of extenuating circumstances and the examples of documentation you should provide:
- Medical documents that support that you were medically unable to attend classes for reasons beyond your control
- Verification (obituary or death certificate) of death in the student's immediate family. Immediate family for purposes of a financial aid appeal is parents, siblings, children, spouse, or grandparents
- Verification of military orders for military personnel and their families who have been temporarily reassigned or called to active service
- Verification of a natural disaster beyond the student's control that impacted the student's academic performance
- Personal tragedies that are beyond the student's control and are documented by a third-party professional, i.e. police, courts, medical, or clergy
3. A student education plan (SEP)
Student Education Plans must be created by a counselor from the Counseling and Advising Center. You will need to schedule a 45-minute appointment to meet with a counselor to create an official Student Education Plan. It is not required to have a signed copy.
4. A copy of the confirmation page of successful completion of the online GetSAP counseling.
Need help?
Schedule a SAP Appeal Consultation virtually with a Financial Aid Technician to go over your Satisfactory Academic Progress and get technical help with completing the appeal.
Step 2: Wait for notification from the SAP Appeals Committee
It can take up to four to six weeks for your appeal to be reviewed by the SAP Appeals Committee. It is important that you check citruscollege.studentforms.com regularly to view the status of your appeal. In some cases, additional documentation may be requested. If a student does not submit documentation to support their appeal for all periods of deficiency, their appeal is subject to being denied. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement.
Step 3: View your SAP Status
APPROVED
If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on SAP Probation and you should follow the conditions of your probation. View the SAP Probation article for details of SAP Appeal Probation.
DENIED
If your appeal is denied, you will not be eligible for federal and state financial aid until you regain Satisfactory Academic Progress. You are encouraged to stay enrolled and continue to progress towards your academic goals. The committee's appeal decision is final and can only be changed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the director of financial aid. Once you have resolved your deficiencies and meet the satisfactory academic progress criteria, your financial aid eligibility will be reinstated.