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Las Positas College
  1. Las Positas College
  2. Financial Aid
  3. Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require that a student receiving federal financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards set by the federal government and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD). Application of these requirements include all terms of enrollment, whether or not aid was awarded or received.

Frequency of SAP Evaluation

The Las Positas College Financial Aid Office will evaluate satisfactory academic progress each term after Admissions & Records has completed processing of grades, and before aid is disbursed for the following term.

Financial Aid Probation

When academic progress is evaluated, students whose cumulative GPA is below 2.0 and/or whose cumulative pace rate is below 67% are placed on Financial Aid Warning. In addition, students who are either transferring to Las Positas College or who are continuing Las Positas College students, but never previously applied for financial aid, are placed on Financial Aid Probation if their cumulative GPA is below 2.0 and/or if their cumulative pace rate is below 67% at the time they enter the Financial Aid program. Students on Financial Aid Warning will continue to be considered for financial aid during the Probation semester. Students will be removed from Financial Aid Probation after the Probation semester IFtheir GPA and pace rate meet the Federal guidelines minimum standard. Students who do not meet the GPA and pace rate standards will be placed on Disqualification status.

Financial Aid Disqualification

Students who do not meet all cumulative academic requirements at the end of the Probation semester will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification.  Students who are disqualified from financial aid may reestablish financial aid eligibility by meeting all cumulative SAP criteria outlined in the Qualitative & Quantitative requirements sections of this document.

Students placed on Disqualification status are not eligible to receive financial aid except for a California College Promise Grant (Fee Waiver), if eligible. Students who complete a semester on Disqualification must have their academic progress reviewed before financial aid eligibility is determined for the following semester. Due to the short time period between semesters, there will be a delay in the notification of eligibility. If eligible, any disbursements of student aid will also be delayed.

Qualitative and Quantitative Requirements: GPA / PACE Rate / Maximum Time Frame

Qualitative Standards

In order to remain eligible for financial aid consideration, students must meet cumulative grade point average requirements of 2.00.  All credits attempted at Las Positas or Chabot Colleges are included. All credits included from prior colleges are included in the GPA calculation. Official transcripts are required.

To measure whether students are progressing on pace for completion of their course of study within the maximum time frame, Las Positas College evaluates the pace rate of financial aid students at the end of each semester. At each semester’s end, students are expected to have completed at least 67% of all units attempted. Classes with grades of A, B, C, D, and P (pass) are considered to have been completed. Classes with grades of W, F, I (incomplete) and NP (no pass) are not considered completed. All classes taken at other institutions through a consortium agreement are also included in the pace rate assessment.

Pace Rate Calculation

Units Completed ÷ Units Attempted = Pace Rate

All financial aid students are expected to complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program. Students enrolled in 60-unit AA/AS degree, 4-year transfer, or vocational programs are expected to complete their programs by the time they attempt 90 units. Students enrolled in vocational programs of less than 60 units are allowed a maximum time frame (attempted units) that is 150% of their program’s length.  Units earned through high school AP coursework and military service credit are included in the Maximum Time Frame evaluation.

Degree and Transfer Programs:  60 units or more are needed to graduate; therefore, the maximum time frame to complete a degree or transfer program would be 90 attempted units (60 x 150% = 90).

Certificate Programs:  Most certificate programs require 30 units; therefore, the maximum time frame to complete a certificate program is 45 attempted units (30 x 150% = 45).

Students who have already earned an AA / AS degree or beyond will be considered to have reached Maximum Time Frame.

Please Note: Students who enroll in classes after applying for a degree, may experience a delay in financial aid processing while eligibility for the degree is being evaluated.

Components of SAP Calculation

Any remedial units in excess of 30 will be counted toward attempted units.

Credit from Prior Colleges

All official transcripts will be reviewed for credits that may be applied toward a program of study at CLPCCD, and included in the calculation of maximum time frame (150%) and completion rate. Official Transcripts will be required when a student has a Bachelor's degree, a Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) of 450% or greater, when selected for Unusual Enrollment History (UEH), for an appeal or loan consideration, or if requested from Financial Aid Office during review of eligibility at their discretion.  

Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester units of Basic Skills courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and SAP requirements continue to be met.  ESL credits are unlimited in number as long as they are taken as part of an eligible program and SAP requirements continue to be met. Student must demonstrate successful progress toward completion of a degree.

Las Positas College, Student Financial Services will follow the Chabot-Las Positas College District policy regarding repeated courses.

Students are allowed to repeat classes for financial aid purposes, provided the classes are allowed under the district’s repeat policy as specified in the college catalog. All repeated courses will be included in the maximum time frame assessment, cumulative GPA assessment, and cumulative pace rate assessment.

"I" (incomplete) grades will be considered "attempted", but will not be considered to have been “completed”. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Student Financial Services Office if an "I" grade changes during a semester. If the change of grade will affect the student’s financial aid eligibility, the Student Financial Services Office will perform a recalculation of aid eligibility during the semester. Otherwise, the change of grade will not be factored into the cumulative pace rate until the next SAP evaluation.

Students who receive a grade of A, B, C, D or P (pass) will receive credit for the class and are considered to have completed the class.

Students who withdraw from classes or receive grades of "incomplete" will have those classes included in the pace rate calculation. "Withdrawals" and "Incompletes" will be included with all other classes attempted.

Students who receive a grade of "F" or "No Pass" do not receive credit for the class attempted and are not considered to have completed that class.

Student Financial Aid SAP Status

Students who are meeting all aspects of the SAP policy and are making progress toward completion of their primary program of study.

Students who fail to meet SAP requirements of cumulative GPA or 67% Completion Rate for the first time will be automatically placed in a Warning Status for one (1) term. They are expected to meet SAP requirements by the end of that term, or will be placed on financial aid suspension.

Students who fail to meet SAP requirements of 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA or 67% Completion Rate following the Warning term will automatically be disqualified and ineligible to receive financial aid. A student who withdraws or receives an “F”, “I”, “IP”, “NC”, OR “NGR” in all his/her classes will automatically be disqualified if s/he received any financial aid, regardless of whether or not the withdrawal occurred during the “Grade of No Record” period of the semester, or shows up on an academic transcript. Repayment of funds may be required. Students are expected to successfully meet SAP requirements on their own prior to being considered again for financial aid.

Students who have successfully appealed financial aid disqualification are placed in Probation Status. Students in Probation Status are eligible to receive financial aid for one (1) semester, after which they must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. Students who do not meet SAP at the end of their Probation Status term will be disqualified from receiving financial aid until their cumulative completion rate is above 67% and cumulative GPA is above 2.0. Probation students who do not meet cumulative 67% unit completion rate and cumulative grade point average standards, or who fail to meet any other specified conditional requirements of an approved appeal will be disqualified. Appeals for a probationary student will only be accepted in verifiable extraordinary circumstances such as a lengthy hospital stay or documented death of a family member.

Students who have attempted 150% of the published number of units for their declared certificate, associate or transfer program are no longer eligible to receive federal and most forms of state aid and are disqualified due to having reached the maximum timeframe for financial aid. Such students have the right to submit an Excessive Units petition to request an extension of financial aid. An Excessive Units Petition will not be granted if the student does not have a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and cumulative 67% completion rate at the time of appeal.

Student’s Excessive Unit Petition has been approved and student is eligible for aid for the number of terms indicated. Student is expected to meet SAP requirements each term.

Appealing Financial Aid Disqualification

At the end of each semester, once Admissions & Records has processed grades, the Financial Aid Office will notify students of the SAP status through their LPC student email accounts. Under certain conditions, students placed on disqualification may submit a petition to be considered for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility; the circumstance must have occurred during the deficient semester(s). Please note that students who are disqualified and not meeting GPA and/or Pace Rate requirements are not eligible for Federal Work-Study.

Examples of reasons a student may file a Petition:

  • Serious injury, illness or medical condition requiring a doctor’s care
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Loss of employment
  • Loss or change of housing
  • Divorce, birth or death of family member
  • Military duty
  • Change in academic major
  • Documented extenuating circumstance beyond student’s control

Submitting a Complete Petition

To file a Petition, students are required to submit a complete Petition prior to review which includes:

Financial Aid Petition Review Process

Approved Appeal

Students on an approved appeal will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.  To maintain Financial Aid eligibility, students must complete the probation semester with a 2.0 GPA with a 75% completion rate as indicated on the Appeal Contract.

Failure to meet the criteria listed on the Appeal Contract will result in termination of Financial Aid.

Denied Petition

Students whose appeal is denied have the option to have their appeal reviewed by the Appeal Committee. An additional request is required.  See the Q & A section of your Appeal email for more information. Decisions made by the committee are final.  The Appeal Committee is not available for the summer semester.

Helpful Tips for Meeting SAP Standards

  • Utilize Academic Resources: Take advantage of tutoring services, workshops, and academic counseling at Las Positas College.
  • Stay Organized: Use planners or digital tools to track assignments, due dates, and study time to stay on top of coursework.
  • Communicate with Instructors: If you’re struggling in a class, don’t hesitate to reach out to your instructor for help or clarification on assignments.
  • Monitor Your Progress: Regularly check your GPA and completion rate to ensure you’re meeting SAP standards.
  • Seek Guidance Early: If you’re facing personal or academic challenges, speak with a counselor as soon as possible to develop a success plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

During the warning period, you remain eligible for financial aid but must meet SAP standards by the end of the semester. If you do not, you’ll be placed on disqualification.

Yes, if you improve your GPA and/or pace to meet SAP standards without financial aid, you may regain eligibility. Alternatively, you may file an appeal if there were extenuating circumstances.

Typically, students are allowed one appeal per academic year. However, exceptions may be made for significant documented extenuating circumstances.

If you exceed 150% of the published program length, you may appeal if you have extenuating circumstances or if additional units are required to complete your program.

Yes, SAP calculations include all attempted coursework, including terms when you were not receiving financial aid.

Additional Resources

Financial Aid Office

Federal School Code: 030357

Building 1600, Second Floor
Room 1650
(925) 424-1580
Fax (925) 449-6038
lpcfinaid@laspositascollege.edu

*Please email from your Zonemail & include your W#!

FAFSA / CADAA Workshop Schedule

Office / Window Hours
(hours subject to change)

Monday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Our after-hours DROPBOX is in the hallway between the Admissions & Financial Aid Offices.

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