Financial aid is designed to help you reach your educational goal in a timely manner. To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. Based on federal and state regulations, the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has established guidelines for evaluating your progress as you work on your academic goals. You should read the rules and know what it takes to maintain eligibility for financial aid.

What Are the SAP Standards to maintain financial aid eligibility?  

• Maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher (a “C” average)  
• Complete a minimum of 66.5% of all units attempted (all attempted courses). Withdrawals (W), Excused Withdrawals (EW), Incompletes (INC), Fails (F), No Credit (NCR), and No Pass (NP) are considered non-grades and will not count towards the completion rate. Military Withdrawal (MW) are not included in this calculation. 
• Have attempted less than 150% of the units needed to complete the program pursued.  

SAP Appeal Deadlines 

• Summer 2024:  08/09/2024  
• Fall 2024: 11/27/24   
• Winter 2025: 01/24/25   

What is the SAP Appeal Process?  

At the end of every term, the academic progress for all financial aid applicants will be evaluated. Students not meeting the standards described above will be disqualified from receiving financial. These students will be able to appeal to reinstate or extend their eligibility for financial aid. The appeal gives the student the opportunity to explain the reasons why academic progress was not met and the changes the student is making to help improve their academic record.

Types of SAP Appeals 

There are two types of satisfactory academic progress appeals: reinstatement and extension.

Reinstatement Appeal  

Students disqualified due to not meeting the cumulative minimum GPA of 2.0 and/or the cumulative minimum unit completion percentage of 66.5% may submit an appeal to reinstate their financial aid eligibility. Approved reinstatement appeals are subject to certain academic progress conditions (GPA and completion rate), if these conditions are met for the approved semester, the approval and the conditions will carry to the next semester of enrollment, without the need for a new appeal, even if the cumulative GPA and completion rates are still below the standards. The terms of these conditions will be stated in the approval notification.  

Students not meeting SAP standards will be notified. 

The reinstatement appeal may be submitted online following these steps: 

• A task for the reinstatement appeal will be available on the Student Portal [link to the college studentforms] (not universal content) for the term that the student is disqualified.  
• Students will be prompted to explain the circumstances that caused substandard academic progress and also to describe the steps and actions taken that will help improve academic progress in the future.  
• Students may be required to include supporting documentation to submit the appeal.  

Appeals are reviewed by the Appeals Committee. A resolution will be notified to the student within 45 days of the receipt of the completed appeal. The result of the appeal will be emailed to the student's LACCD email. If a first-level appeal is denied, students will have an opportunity to submit a petition to have the first decision reviewed. Students will be able to add additional statements and documentation in the same manner as in the first appeal; a second committee will review the petition. 

Extension Appeal  

Students disqualified due to exceeding the 150%-unit timeframe of their stated academic program may submit an appeal to extend their eligibility for financial aid beyond that limit. When approved, the extension appeal will include the eligible courses required for the student’s academic program on record.

To review the approved courses go to the Student Portal (Financial Aid & Scholarships > SAP Extension of Appeal> View/Apply SAP Appeal - the approved courses are marked as "Include towards FA Progress Units"). Students will be able to petition to update the list of approved courses. Consult with your financial aid office for this process. 

Students who change their academic program while under an extension appeal approval will require a revision of the existing appeal or a new appeal. Always consult with your academic counselor and the financial aid office before changing your major. 

The extension appeal may be submitted online following these steps: 

• Obtain a new or update an existing educational plan with an academic counselor. The educational plan should be comprehensive and list all courses needed to complete the academic program. 
• Login to the Student Portal, click on the Financial Aid and Scholarships tile and select the current academic year if prompted.  
• Click on the SAP Extension of Appeal from the menu on the left.  
• Students will be prompted to explain the circumstances that made them exceed the 150% timeframe of their program before completing it and to describe the steps and actions taken that will help them complete their program in a timely manner.  
• Students may be required to include supporting documentation to submit the appeal. 

Appeals are reviewed by the Appeals Committee. A resolution will be notified to the student within 45 days of the receipt of the completed appeal. The result of the appeal will be emailed to the students LACCD email. If a first level appeal is denied, students will have an opportunity to submit a petition to have the first decision reviewed. Students will be able to add additional statements and documentation in the same manner as in the first appeal; a second committee will review the petition. 

Special Circumstances Appeal 

The Financial Aid Office recognizes that the application for financial aid does not always accurately reflect a student or family’s current situation. The Special Circumstance Appeal process allows students and their family to submit documentation supporting their current financial situation. This documentation may be used to potentially increase student eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Some of the situations that may be considered for an appeal are: 

• Loss of employment 
• Significant change to income 
• Large medical expenses not covered by insurance. 
• Separation or divorce 
• Death of parent or spouse 
• Loss of child support or alimony 
• Natural disaster affecting the home you live in 
• One-time payment received and reported on the taxes

Unusual Circumstances Appeal 

There are unusual circumstances in which a student who would typically be considered a dependent student could be determined to be an independent student for financial aid eligibility purposes. The Unusual Circumstance Appeal process allows students to submit documentation supporting their claim to independence. Some of the situations that may be considered for an appeal are: 

• Abandonment by parents 
• Abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety 
• Student is unable to locate parents, 
• Human trafficking,  
• Refugee or asylee status.

If you are experiencing any of these situations the financial aid office can review your circumstances to determine if you can be considered an independent student for the current aid year. These determinations are made on a case-by-case basis with adequate documentation. 

However, there are situations that cannot be taken in considered for a dependency appeal. These are some of them: parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education, parents will not provide information for the FAFSA/CADAA or verification, parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes, or the student demonstrates total self-sufficiency. Check with your Financial Aid Office because you may be eligible for Unsubsidized Loans only.

Submit a Special or Unusual Circumstances Appeal 

These appeals may be submitted online through the Financial Aid Portal [college studentforms link] (not universal content) 

1. On the main landing page after you sign in, click on the square titled “Manage Requests” on the right-hand side of the page.  
2. Choose the type of professional judgement appeal you would like to file.  
3. After selecting your request, please carefully read the instructions and provide all the requested information and documentation.  
4. A financial aid technician will follow up with the request and process it.  

The decision on your appeal will be notified to you through the LACCD student email. The decision is final. By law, neither the school's president nor the US Department of Education can override the financial aid administrator's decision.