Progressing Towards Graduation:
What Students Need to Remain
Eligible for Financial Aid
UC BERKELEY
STAY DAY 2013
Jennifer French
Carlos Perez
Yolanda Smith
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF “SATISFACTORY
ACADEMIC PROGRESS”?
 To be aid eligible, students must meet certain
minimum standards of academic progress known as
“Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)
 SAP requirements represent the academic standards
that must be met for a student to retain financial aid
eligibility.
 Federal, state and UC financial aid eligibility are all
guided by this requirement.
ANNUAL SAP REVIEW
Each continuing student’s SAP status is reviewed
annually, prior to the start of the new academic
year.

Meeting SAP standards: Student is eligible for aid for the
full academic year (assuming other non-SAP eligibility
requirements also have been met).

Not meeting SAP standards: Student is not eligible for aid
for the upcoming academic year.
I. PROGRESSION OF UNITS
A student must be progressing toward their degree at a
satisfactory pace.

Continuing students must complete at least the number of units
shown on the following schedule:






12 units by the end of 0.5 years
24 units by the end of one year (and up to two years)
48 units by the end of two years (and up to three years)
72 units by the end of three years (and up to four years)
96 units by the end of four years (and up to five years)
Note: DSP students certified for reduced course load and taking
reduced course load have separate standards.
PROGRESSION OF UNITS (cont.)
 The total units on the Cal transcript, minus any AP or
IB units, is the official number used for
measurement.
 Transfer units earned in high school are counted in
the transfer unit total.
 Students must complete the minimum number of
units required for their years of enrollment to meet
SAP standard.
II. Cumulative GPA
 GPA requirement:

Cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the time of the SAP review on
the Cal transcript
III. MAXIMUM TIME FOR FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY
 The maximum time of enrollment allowed for
financial aid eligibility is 5 years

Exception: Students certified for reduced enrollment by the
DSP Office and enrolling in reduced units based on that
certification.
 The progression of units standard is linked to the
maximum time for financial aid eligibility.
COUNTING YEARS FOR PROGRESSION OF UNITS AND
MAXIMUM TIME FOR AID
 To calculate the number of years a student has completed
for SAP purposes, the following are measured:

Each 30 transfer units, not counting AP or IB units, is counted as one
year and each 15 transfer units are counted as .5 years.

Units and terms completed at Cal, including Fall Program for
Freshmen and other terms at UC Extension

Semesters showing as withdrawal or as status lapse on the transcript
(counted as a semester of enrollment for aid purposes)
DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAM
 DSP certifies students and determines if an accommodation
for a reduced study load is warranted.
 DSP students on an approved reduced study load may have an
extended time for financial aid eligibility. The time is
determined by the following:



When the student was first certified for a reduced study load.
If the student is certified at½ time or ¾ time enrollment
The number of attempted units as reflected on the transcript
 Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units to be
considered full-time for financial aid purposes, even if the
student is certified for a reduced course load.
FAILURE TO MEET SAP STANDARDS
 Students must meet all of the SAP standards at the time
of the annual SAP review process to be eligible for
federal, state, or institutional financial aid for the
upcoming academic year.
 Students that do not meet SAP requirements can regain
financial aid eligibility in one of two ways:

Improve their academic performance and meet the SAP progress
standards at the next annual review

Submit a SAP Appeal for consideration
SAP APPEALS
 Students may appeal for reinstatement of aid based on extenuating
circumstances that have hindered their academic performance.
 Appeals must include the following:



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Explanation of extenuating circumstances that prevented satisfactory academic progress
Documentation of their extenuating circumstances
Explanation of how circumstances have changed that will allow them to be successful and
make satisfactory progress
An approved academic plan signed by an academic advisor
 If the appeal is approved:


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Financial aid is approved on a semester by semester basis
Students are informed of the conditions required to maintain aid eligibility
Academic performance will be monitored at the end of each term to confirm that the student
is meeting the conditions for continued aid eligibility.
SAP APPEALS (cont.)
 Students on an approved appeal who do not meet the conditions
become ineligible for future aid.
 Students with new extenuating circumstances (different from those
submitted in their original appeal) that prevented them from meeting
the conditions for continued aid eligibility may submit a new appeal.

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There is no guarantee that appeals will be approved.
Students should plan for the possibility that they may not be eligible for aid in the upcoming
semester(s).
Encourage students to submit the appeal as early as possible and be aware of all deadlines
(i.e. appeal submission, registration, refunds, etc.)
 There is no SAP appeal process for the summer term.
PARTNERING TO FOSTER STUDENT SUCCESS
 Setting students up for academic success
 Role of the academic plan
 Collaboration – working together to identify options
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?
Cal Student Central
120 Sproul Hall
In person:
Monday – Friday: 9 am – 4 pm
Phones:
Monday – Friday: 9 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 4 pm
510.664.9181
Financial Aid & Scholarships: fao_ugr@berkeley.edu