New Satisfactory Academic Progress
(Effective Summer 2012)
Click here for current Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
Federal regulations require CSU, Chico to establish, publish, and apply satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards for all student financial aid recipients. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is responsible for ensuring that all students who receive financial aid at CSU, Chico meet these standards. SAP standards apply for all federal, state and institutional grants, loans, and work-study.
Evaluation Criteria
CSU, Chico measures SAP in the following areas: Cumulative GPA, Pace, and Maximum Units. In order to satisfy the requirements of the CSU, Chico satisfactory academic progress policy, students must meet three evaluation criteria:
- Cumulative GPA - All financial aid recipients must maintain the minimum cumulative GPA requirements set forth in the table below:
| Undergraduate | Cumulative Units Completed | Required Minimum Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 0 to 29 cum units | 1.5 GPA |
| Sophomore | 30 to 59 cum units | 1.7 GPA |
| Junior | 60 to 89 cum units | 1.85 GPA |
| Senior | 90+ cum units | 1.95 GPA |
| Post-Baccalaureate | Cumulative Units Completed | Required Minimum Cumulative GPA |
| Masters | All | 3.0 GPA |
| Unclassified Masters | All | 2.0 GPA |
| Credential | All | 3.0 GPA |
| Second Bachelor's | All | 2.0 GPA |
- Pace - The rate at which a student completes his or her graduation requirements at CSU, Chico. Pace = cumulative units completed divided by cumulative units attempted. In order to meet Pace requirements, this value must be 67 percent or higher. Completed units are coursework for which a grade of A, B, C, D, RP, or CR is earned.
- Maximum Units (Maximum Time Frame) - If you are an undergraduate, you are no longer eligible for aid after you have attempted 180 units. A post-baccalaureate student is no longer eligible after attempting 60 post-baccalaureate units. Maximum units will be monitored prior to the beginning of each academic year. All attempted units, including transfer units and units completed through consortium agreements, are counted, whether or not you received financial aid or successfully completed the coursework. A student who has exceeded maximum units will be denied financial aid.
Evaluation Frequency
CSU, Chico evaluates satisfactory academic progress annually, after spring term grades are posted in June. This annual SAP evaluation is applied to enrollments in previous summer, fall, and spring terms. In order to receive federal and state financial aid for the following term, a student must satisfy all areas of the CSU, Chico SAP policy, as set forth under the evaluation criteria.
Treatment of Non-punitive Grades, Repeated Courses, Audited Courses, Credit/No Credit Courses, Withdrawals, and Incomplete
Course grades of A, B, C, D, RP (report in progress) or CR (credit) count as completed units. A grade of CR or RP does not impact a student's cumulative GPA, but is counted toward completed units. Limits on CR/NC coursework are defined in the university catalog. Grades of F, WE, WU, NC (no credit), AU (audit), RD (report delayed), W, I, and challenged course grades no not count as completed units. A grade of I (incomplete) may be made up within one year, according to university policy. However, for determining satisfactory academic progress, it will not count until a passing grade is posted.
Per university policy, undergraduate students may repeat courses if the earlier attempt resulted in a grade of "C-" or lower and graduate students may repeat courses if the earlier attempt resulted in a grade of "B-" or lower. Repeated courses are included in the satisfactory academic progress evaluation. Repeated courses that do not meet these requirements will be counted as attempted but not completed units.
Grades of WE, WU, and W (official and unofficial withdrawals) are not completed units, but do count as attempted units when evaluating satisfactory academic progress. In rare, compelling, and documentable cases (e.g.: death of a close relative or friend, medical circumstances, a necessary change in employment status which interferes with the student's ability to attend class, other unusual or very special cases considered on their own merit), a financial aid advisor may choose to exclude these units in the evaluation of satisfactory academic progress.
Treatment of Remedial Courses
A student may receive financial aid for up to 30 units of remedial coursework, as defined in the university catalog. Remedial courses are taken as credit/no credit. They do not count toward a student's cumulative units when determining grade level, but they do count as completed units when determining satisfactory academic progress.
Treatment of Transfer and Consortium Courses
Per university policy, no more than 70 semester units in coursework at a two-year college may be accepted toward the bachelor's degree. Only accepted transferred/consortium units will be used in evaluating satisfactory academic progress at CSU, Chico.
SAP Status and Consequences of Not Meeting SAP
At the time satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is evaluated, a student will either meet or not meet SAP requirements. Students who fail to meet the requirements of the CSU, Chico SAP policy, as set forth under the evaluation criteria, are no longer eligible for federal and state financial aid.
Notification
Students who fail to meet the requirements of the satisfactory academic progress policy are notified individually, via e-mail and through their Student Center, when they apply for financial aid at CSU, Chico.
Reestablishing Eligibility
A student who fails to meet the requirements of the CSU, Chico SAP policy is not eligible for federal and state financial aid. Eligibility can be reestablished by completing one of the steps below:
- Enroll in and complete courses at CSU, Chico without financial aid. The student must meet all the requirements of the CSU, Chico SAP policy in order to reestablish financial aid eligibility. It is the student's responsibility to request recalculation of SAP.
- Enroll at a community college and transfer earned coursework applicable to the student's degree at CSU, Chico. The student must meet all the requirements of the CSU, Chico SAP policy in order to reestablish financial aid eligibility. It is the student's responsibility to provide proof of transferred coursework and to request recalculation of SAP.
- Successfully file an appeal (Insufficient Pace/GPA, or Maximum Units Appeal). A student who fails to meet the requirements of the CSU Chico SAP policy and subsequently lose eligibility for financial aid, may submit an appeal. Appeal forms are available at http://www.csuchico.edu/fa/forms/printable.html. An appeal can be approved based on the nature and merit of its circumstances and documentation, but only if two conditions exist: (1) the student can meet the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy after one term; or (2) the student signs an Academic Plan/Contract that establishes a way for the student to meet the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy at some established time in the future.
If an appeal is approved, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation. The academic records for probationary students will be reviewed each semester. At the conclusion of the review, these probationary students must either satisfy the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy or the conditions of their Academic Plan/Contract. Failure to do so will result in loss of financial aid eligibility.
Appeal Process
Students are notified of the appeal process when they are notified of their SAP denial status via e-mail. There are two SAP appeals: Insufficient Pace/GPA appeal and Maximum Units appeal.
If a student is appealing for the first time, the review of the appeal and decision may be left up to the individual advisor. A student may submit an appeal as many times as needed. However, multiple appeals will be held to a higher and more rigorous standard. A subsequent appeal may be reviewed by an ad hoc committee. An ad hoc committee is composed of at least two financial aid advisors.
A student must submit an appeal by the census date (fourth week of school) in order to be reinstated for aid during that term. In rare cases, an appeal may be accepted after the census date. Each case will be evaluated on its own merit and circumstances.
An advisor may consider many factors including, but not limited to, family or medical circumstances, incomplete grades, input from other professionals, academic history, prior academic plans or contracts, and prior appeals.
Examples of possible circumstances to be considered when evaluating the reasons for a student's inability to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements include, but are not limited to:
- Death of a close relative or friend
- Hospitalization or other medical circumstance by the student, a relative, or a close friend
- Change in employment
- Divorce or separation
- Safety needs of the student or his/her children
- Difficult transition to CSU, Chico
A student may be required to submit additional documentation, such as a doctor's note or other third party documentation.
If an appeal is denied, the student may request review by the Assistant Director, Associate Director, or the Director. The Director is the last line of appeal.
Acceptable Documentation
Third parties may sometimes be used to document the mitigating circumstances surrounding a SAP appeal. Examples of acceptable documentation might include but not limited to:
- Newspaper obituary or death certificate
- Physicians' statements to substantiate illness or accident
- Statements from clergy, counselors, advisors, or relatives who know the student's situation
- Statements from academic advisors or professors
Failure to Submit Requested Documentation
If a student does not submit all requested documents or does not submit a SAP appeal after he or she fails to meet the requirements of the CSU, Chico SAP policy, the student is ineligible for federal and state financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
(Effective through Spring 2012)
Federal regulations require CSU, Chico to establish, publish, and apply satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards for student financial aid recipients. CSU, Chico measures SAP in the following three areas: completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and maximum units.
The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is responsible for ensuring that all students who receive financial aid at CSU, Chico meet these standards. SAP standards apply for all financial assistance programs including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Stafford Loans, State University Grant, Cal Grants, and institutional aid.
Completion Rate
At the end of the academic year, you must have earned (passed) 75 percent or more of the units in which you enrolled at CSU, Chico to maintain SAP for the following academic year. Your academic progress is measured by comparing the number of units attempted with the number of units earned. This includes any course for which you remained enrolled past the add/drop period. You must earn 75 percent of units attempted to maintain SAP.
Units earned include grades of A, B, C, D, or CR. Grades of F, WU, NC, AU, RD, W, I, and challenged course grades do not count as satisfactory completion of units for financial aid purposes. A grade of incomplete may be made up within one year, according to university policy. However, for the purpose of determining SAP, it will not count until a passing grade is posted.
If you are receiving financial aid based on concurrent enrollment at another institution, the combined units from both institutions will be used to determine the total number of units attempted.
Units attempted are the units in which you are officially enrolled at university census date. See the Academic Calendar and view our home page for updates. To calculate the number of units for which you are responsible, use the following formula:
(Fall Completed Units + Spring Completed Units)÷ (Fall Financial Aid Census Units + Spring Financial Aid Census Units)
= Percent Completed
For example, if you earned credit for nine units in fall and 12 units in spring, and were enrolled in 12 units at financial aid census for each semester, the calculation would look like this:
- 9 + 12 = 21 units completed
- 12+12 = 24 units census
- 21 ÷ 24 = 87.5% (Passed SAP)
Probation/Denial
At the end of the academic year, if you do not complete 75 percent of the units you attempted, you will be on financial aid probation for the following academic year. If you do not complete at least 50 percent of the units you attempted, you will be denied financial aid. If you are funded for only one semester during the academic year, you must complete 50 percent of the units attempted or you will be denied financial aid.
Students on probation are still eligible for financial aid. To maintain financial aid eligibility, you must complete 75 percent of the units that you attempted while on probation. If you do not, you will be denied financial aid for the following year due to insufficient unit completion. Students on financial aid probation are required to file a confirmation of financial aid probation form with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.
Cumulative GPA
CSU, Chico’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy is the same as the school’s academic policy on academic probation and disqualification (see CSU, Chico Catalog). After each spring semester, the Office of Academic Advising will determine if your grade point average (GPA) is below the cut-off for academic standards required for graduation. If your GPA does not meet the minimum required, you will be academically disqualified and ineligible for aid.
Maximum Units
If you are an undergraduate, you are no longer eligible for aid after you have attempted 180 units or completed 168 units. A graduate student is no longer eligible after completing 60 post-baccalaureate units. Maximum units will be monitored prior to the beginning of each academic year.
All attempted units, including transfer units and units completed through consortium agreements, are counted, whether or not you received financial aid or successfully completed the course work.
Students who have exceeded maximum units will be denied financial aid.
Appeal Process
Completion Rate: A student who has mitigating circumstances may file an insufficient units appeal. Extenuating circumstances might include medical problems, illness or death in the family, relocation, or employment changes.
Maximum Units: Students who exceed maximum units may file a maximum units appeal. Circumstances that may be grounds for an appeal include change of major or a break in college attendance resulting in a change in catalog requirements.
Visit the index of printable forms to access all appeals and complete instructions. Documentation must accompany all appeals returned to FASO. Appeals must be submitted by the census date (fourth week of school) in order to be reinstated for aid during that term. Deadline to submit appeal for Fall 2011 is September 16, 2011; deadline to submit appeal for Spring 2012 is February 17, 2012. In rare cases, an appeal may be accepted after the census date. Each case will be evaluated on its own merit and circumstances.
A financial aid advisor will review your appeal and send a written response. If an appeal is denied, the student may request review by the Assistant Director, Associate Director, or the Director. The Director is the last line of appeal.
Reinstatement Policy
If you are denied aid for insufficient units and do not appeal, or your appeal is denied, you may regain financial aid eligibility by completing 75 percent of attempted units in one year, without CSU, Chico federal or state financial aid.
Units may be completed at a community college if the coursework is transferable and satisfies graduation requirements at CSU, Chico. It is your responsibility to meet the reinstatement requirements and to provide proof of completed units to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.