SAP Frequently Asked Questions

SAP is measured by a student’s PACE (the number of credits earned in relation to attempted units), Qualitative (GPA) standard and Maximum Time Frame (time allowed to complete the academic program). Students must also demonstrate a progression toward completion of their degree program within an established timeframe.  To be eligible to receive federal and state financial aid, means you must maintain: 

• A cumulative completion rate of at least 67% of the units you attempt 
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher 
• Complete your education program within 150% of the minimum required units 

Explanation of Standards 

• Quantitative Completion Rate - Complete 67% of All Units Attempted  

• • Total unit completion is used to determine eligibility.  A, B, C, D, F, W, EW (Excused Withdrawal) or MW (Military Withdrawal), RD (Report Delayed), P (Pass), NP (No Pass), CR (Credit), NC (Noncredit), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress) grades are used to calculate completion rate.  The formula used to calculate completion rate is: Total Units Earned ÷ All Units Attempted = Unit Completion Rate   

• Qualitative GPA - Maintain a 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)  

• • After grades are posted at the end of the semester, the overall cumulative GPA is used to determine eligibility.  A, B, C, D, and F grades are used in the calculation.   

• Maximum Unit Timeframe - Complete a Financial Aid Eligible Educational Program within 150% 

• • Financial aid eligibility is limited to 150% of a financial aid eligible educational program. MSJC is a two-year community college where most associate degree and transfer programs can be completed within 90 units.  Certain programs may require more units to complete.  For specific details and a helpful chart illustrating how we calculate maximum unit timeframes, please refer to the formula and chart below. 

Formula:  Number of units required for program x 150% = maximum unit timeframe units.

Educational Goal	Units Requried to Complete Educational Goal	Maximum Attempted Units Allowed for Eligibility
*Associate Degree (Units Vary)	60	90
*Eligible Certificate Program (Units Vary)	24	36

*Certain programs require more units to complete and this higher amount will be used to calculate eligibility in the SAP review process. In some cases, however, an appeal may still be requested in order to document eligibility. 

This means that students can receive financial aid for up to a maximum of 90 units attempted.  Most MSJC associate degrees require at least 60 units, so 150% of the 60 units is 90 units.  On a case-by-case basis, students may be allowed to receive financial aid beyond the maximum time frame. This could occur if there's a change in major or if a degree or transfer program requires units exceeding the standard 90 units.  

We encourage students to schedule a meeting with a MSJC counselor to develop a comprehensive Full Educational Plan. Taking courses that are not required for the desired degree may impact a student’s eligibility for future financial aid.   

Failure to maintain SAP will result in loss of federal and state eligibility. Progress is reviewed at the end of each semester of a student’s enrollment.   

Satisfactory Academic Progress Review:    
The Office of Student Financial Aid will conduct a review of Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each term of a student’s enrollment. Email notifications of a student’s SAP eligibility will be sent to the student's MSJC email account.    

Please note that students who have not received financial aid in previous years but are applying for financial assistance for the first time will also be held to the requirement of maintaining SAP.  SAP is reviewed for all semesters of a student's enrollment regardless of whether the student was eligible for financial assistance during a semester. If students exceed the maximum time, they are not meeting SAP, thus, all aid will be denied.    

Financial Aid denial does not prohibit a student from continuing their education at Mt. San Jacinto College. It does prevent a student from receiving all financial aid, with the exception of the California College Promise Grant (CCPG), until the student again meets the standards for SAP.

SAP Satisfactory:  A student is meeting SAP as long as the student maintains a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (Qualitative Standard), a completion percentage of 67% (Quantitative Standard) and the student has not exceeded the Maximum Time Frame of their selected program of study (Quantitative Standard).  

SAP Warning: Students failing to meet SAP will be placed on a one semester “Warning”, which will allow students to receive financial assistance even though they are not meeting the SAP standard.  If after the “Warning” semester, students are still not meeting the SAP standard, they will become Ineligible.  (Students who have exceeded the 150% Maximum Time Frame do not receive a Warning semester).  

SAP Denied: Students who continue to fail to meet SAP will be placed in a Denied status.   Students have the option to appeal this denial. An appeal must be based on significant extenuating circumstances that seriously affected and prohibited a student’s academic performance and/or completion.  Students in a Denied SAP status may reinstate their financial aid eligibility by bringing up either/both their GPA and/or their completion rate.  Reinstatement is not retroactive, and students will not receive aid for any semester that they were ineligible.    

Financial Aid “Probation”:    
An approved course list will be developed after a student’s SAP appeal has been approved by the committee.  All approved course lists will be monitored each term. If the student fails to meet the SAP standards of the 2.0 GPA and/or the 67% completion rate, the student will no longer be eligible for financial aid. Students who fail to meet the standards during their probationary semester will not be eligible to submit a subsequent appeal.  NOTE:  Students who are on probation and take a course listed on their approved course list, and either withdrawal or receive an insufficient grade will not be eligible for their financial aid for that course, if they were to retake it.  Students who withdrew from a course from their approved course list and received partial payment or any payment, the student will not be eligible for financial aid again for that course, if retaken.    

You complete a course when you earn credit by receiving a passing grade of A, B, C, D, P, or CR. 

Attempted units are any units for which a grade of A, B, C, D, F, EW, MW, RD, P, NP, CR, NC, I, IP, or W is received after the last date to drop a class without receiving a “W” grade.  Units for "EW" COVID related withdrawals will not be included as attempted units. 

• Attempted units include all coursework at MSJC as well as all other transferable coursework at other institutions 

Up to 30 units of non-degree applicable/remedial qualify for federal financial aid.  You may be paid for any repeated class if you previously failed that class and/or for any one class that you previously passed but want to retake.  Note:  The financial aid policy differs from the academic policy governing repeated courses. 

Federal regulations allow students to receive federal student aid for one repeat of a previously passed course. A grade of D or better is considered passing. W's do not count as repeats. If you attempt a course for the third time after previously receiving a passing grade in that course, you will no longer be eligible for payment for those units if you previously received Title IV funding for the course. All repeated courses do affect Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculations. Grades of A, B, C, D, P are considered passing grades for financial aid purposes. 

If a student gets an 'F' in a course, they are allowed to repeat the course and receive financial aid (assuming they meet Satisfactory Academic Progress and meet all other eligibility requirements) until they receive a 'D' or better. 

Federal regulations require that you complete your academic programs within 150% of the standard timeframe for your program.  At MSJC, 90 units is the maximum for most programs.  All units are counted even if you did not receive financial aid and even if the units do not count for unit credit toward graduation and/or transfer.  Once you reach the maximum units for your program, you are ineligible to receive financial aid. 

• Please note: Students enrolled in an eligible Certificate program will be allowed to attempt up to 150% of the published number of units required to earn the certificate 

The Financial Aid office does not impose a minimum number of units each semester, although most financial aid programs require at least 6 units per semester to receive funds.  Therefore, you may decide each semester how many units you will attempt.  In deciding, consider such factors as employment, course difficulty, family responsibility, academic probation, etc. 

Students that successfully appeal for maximum timeframe will be required to follow the courses outlined in an Approved Course List and will only be paid financial aid for the courses listed. Please note: If you take a course that is listed on the approved course list and either withdraw from the course or receive an insufficient grade, you will not be eligible to be paid for the course again, if repeated. 

Calculate your percentage of earned units using this formula:   
(Earned Units) 
Divided by  
(Attempted Units) 
  
Example: 
8 Earned Units 
Divided by 
12 Attempted Units 
8/12=66.67% 

Completion Rate Calculator

 

You have a right to appeal your financial aid SAP status by presenting a written appeal with a personal statement, current Educational Plan and documentation of mitigating circumstances. You may request an SAP appeal via Student Forms Students are limited to one appeal per term.

Appeals must be submitted prior to the semester’s deadline.    You may request an SAP appeal via Student Forms Students are limited to one appeal per term. 

These dates vary from year to year; however, so make sure you review the dates listed below.    

Deadline for appeal submission for 2024-25 academic year:    

• Summer term - July 11, 2024
• Fall term – November 22, 2024   
• Spring term – April 30, 2025    
• Summer term - July 10, 2025   

Extenuating Circumstances Appeal 

If a student becomes ineligible due to a cumulative GPA below 2.0 or a completion rate under 67% because of extenuating or mitigating circumstances, they have the option to submit an SAP Appeal. The student will need to indicate within their personal statement located on the appeal a detailed explanation of the extenuating circumstances that led to their inability to meet SAP standards as well as the steps the student plans to take to address these issues and meet SAP standards in the future. The packet should also include supporting documentation of these circumstances. This documentation should specifically cover the semester(s) during which progress was lacking and must align with the written explanation provided.

If a student is unable to obtain documentation for extenuating circumstances, they may be required to sign a statement affirming the veracity of the special circumstances cited as the basis of their appeal. Determination may also take into account various factors such as: the student’s ability to meet SAP standards, their academic and financial aid history, and the clear presentation and documentation of their extenuating circumstances.  

Situations in which a student may be eligible for an Extenuating Circumstances Appeal and may be supported by documentation include: 

• Death of a relative or significant person 

• Personal illness or injury, including, but not limited to mental health conditions, affecting either the student or a relative or other significant person 

• Pregnancy or birth of a child 

• Experiencing homelessness 

• Disruption/loss of childcare arrangements 

• Job loss or change in employment status 

• Unforeseen challenges in personal or public transportation access 

• Being a victim of a serious crime, including, but not limited to, domestic abuse, even if unreported or did not result in criminal prosecution or civil liability 

• Impact of a natural disaster  

Maximum Unit Timeframe Appeal 

A student who is denied their SAP solely only for maximum unit timeframe will not need to demonstrate extenuating circumstances. Instead, the student will need to complete an SAP appeal, which should include a clear statement addressing the following: 

1. Why you have attempted more than 150% of your educational program? 
2. Why were you unable to maintain SAP and complete your educational program within 150%? 
3. Why do you need more time to complete your educational program? 
4. Why did you/need to change your major? What steps have you taken or will you take to achieve and maintain SAP in completing your educational program?  

Reasons a student may be eligible for a Maximum Unit Timeframe Appeal:  

• The student has reached 90 attempted units or exceeded 150% of their educational program, particularly if enrolled in a high unit major 

• The student changed their academic program 

Note:  The change in degree or major, even under extraordinary circumstances is not considered sufficient reason for exceeding the 150% limit.  If the appeal is approved, the student may receive financial aid on probation until they complete their degree. 

SAP Appeal Decisions: 

Extenuating Circumstances Appeal Approved: If an appeal is approved a student will be placed on Extended Probation. During this period, the student will need to complete *all* coursework and receive a 2.0 GPA or higher each term until the student is able to regain SAP eligibility to be brought back to Satisfactory.  If the student is unable to fulfill the conditions of the probation approval, it will result in a disqualification.   

Maximum Unit Timeframe Appeal Approved: If an appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Probation.  An education plan is required for students on probation.  The education plan must be developed to ensure that students will meet SAP standards by a specific point in time and/or complete a program of study or transfer requirements.  During this period, the student will receive and must follow the courses outlined in an Approved Course List because they will only be paid financial aid for them. Please note: If a student takes a course listed on the approved course list and either withdraws from the course or receives an insufficient grade, they will not be eligible to be paid for it again, if repeated.  To maintain eligibility, the student will need to continue meeting the terms and conditions of the appeal approval after each semester.  

Appeal Denied: If an appeal is denied, students can regain eligibility by meeting SAP standards, or they can request a Second Level SAP Appeal.  

A Second Level SAP Appeal is for students who were denied an SAP Appeal and are providing additional justification and/or supporting documentation not originally included in the SAP Appeal application. The second level SAP appeal decision is final. If the decision is to uphold the denial, the student will not be able to submit an additional appeal until the next semester. However, the student may also regain eligibility for financial aid by meeting the SAP standards.  

1. Use the SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEAL FORM to describe your personal statement.   

• • State clearly why you failed to meet the condition(s) cited. Upload documentation if necessary.    
  • State what has changed that will allow you to demonstrate SAP progress at the end of the next evaluation period.    
  • To confirm your extenuating circumstance(s), you must upload signed documentation from an objective third party (e.g. physician, counselor, lawyer, social worker, teacher, religious leader, academic advisor).    

We realize that sharing personal information can be difficult. Be assured that your statement will remain confidential. Only the SAP committee will review your appeal.    

2. Meet with your MSJC Counselor to request and schedule a 1hr SAP appointment with an academic counselor.    

• • Upload a current Education Plan by an academic counselor which outlines the required courses for your program of study and expected date of graduation or transfer. NOTE: If you submit your appeal without the advisor or department chair's evaluation, your appeal will be denied.    

3. Complete “The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process Session” found at:  https://msjc.get-counseling.com/.    

• • Download your completed confirmation page and upload to complete the SAP Appeal task.    

• • NOTE:  There are five total Financial Aid counseling sessions.  Please complete the requirement of the third session, "The Key Component of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process".    

4. Upload all supporting documents for your extenuating circumstance(s) indicated in your personal statement  

5. Submit your appeal by the deadline.  Students may student electronically through StudentForms or in person.  Failure to submit to complete appeal will result in cancellation of aid.  

NOTE:  Submission of an appeal does not guarantee that a student will regain financial aid eligibility.  After reviewing the appeal, a decision will be made, and the student will be notified by email.  

Please ALLOW 2-3 WEEKS for the review of this appeal and receipt of the decision notification. If your appeal is approved, the decision notification will outline the conditions of your contract for reinstatement of aid eligibility. The contract is binding, and your academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester.  Students that successfully appeal will be required to follow the courses outlined in an Approved Course List and will only be paid financial aid for the courses listed. Please note: If you take a course that is listed on the approved course list and either withdraw from the course or receive an insufficient grade, you will not be eligible to be paid for the course again, if repeated 

If your appeal is denied, the decision notification will specify the conditions for future consideration for financial aid eligibility.   Students may request a second review process.  Follow instructions on email. 

Students awaiting a response from the SAP Appeal Review Committee are responsible for paying their tuition and other fees by the payment deadline to avoid late and collection fees.   The decision of the financial aid review committee is FINAL and cannot be appealed.