Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy


Important Financial Aid Dates:

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Deadline for the 2026-2027 year.

        • Fall 2026: November 20 2026.
        • Spring 2027: May 21, 2027.  
        • Summer 2027: July 23, 2027. 

 View the online SAP Workshop

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SAP Standards

1. Cumulative GPA (Qualitative Measure)

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. This includes units completed at any Compton Community College District or evaluated and applied from other regionally accredited institutions. Academic renewal is not recognized for SAP calculations, so all grades (A, B, C, D, F) are considered.

2. Cumulative Pace of Unit Completion (Quantitative Measure)

Students must complete at least 67% of their attempted units. Attempted units include grades of A, B, C, D, F, P, W, I, IP, NP, NC, EW and repeated courses. Completed units include grades of A, B, C, D, and P. Units evaluated and applied from external transcripts are also included. Academic renewal does not affect this calculation.

3. Maximum Timeframe

Students may receive financial aid for up to 150% of the units required to complete their program of study. 

    • For an associate degree or transfer, aid is available for up to 90 units.
    • For certificates requiring 30 units, aid may cover up to 45 units.
    • Units from evaluated external transcripts counting toward the student’s program of study are included.
    • Remedial coursework is excluded from the timeframe calculation.
    • Students appealing for the maximum time frame must have at least a 2.0 GPA or higher and 67% completion rate or higher.
    • Students must submit transcripts from all previously attended colleges to Admissions and Records and have the transcripts evaluated before a Lock in list plan can be created.


Additional Policies

Program of Study 
Students must enroll in an approved program listed in the college catalog to be eligible for financial aid. 

Repeating Coursework

    • Financial Aid is provided for two repeats of courses never passed within District policies. 
    • When students reach the Maximum Time frame for aid, the CCPG will be the only aid awarded for repeat courses. 


Transcripts from Other Institutions
Units evaluated for Unusual Enrollment History (UEH) will be included for SAP determinations.

SAP Status Outcomes

Good Standing: Meets all SAP requirements.
Warning: One semester to meet cumulative SAP requirements. Failure results in disqualification.
Disqualified: Fails to meet SAP after a warning or exceeds the maximum timeframe.

FINANCIAL AID DISQUALIFICATION 

Students who do not meet the SAP standards listed above will be subject to disqualification from receiving further Federal and State Financial Aid (may include the CCPG). SAP standards are checked and verified during the following terms: Fall, Spring, & Summer. Generally, a student who is disqualified from financial aid must meet SAP standards by completing at least a successful semester without financial aid, and meet all SAP eligibility criteria to regain eligibility. 

Students may not meet SAP for the following reasons:  

    • Students have reached the maximum time frame of their program. 90 units have been attempted (unit count varies for certificate programs).
    • Did not complete with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.
    • Did not complete 67% of attempted units cumulatively.  

 

Once the student reaches their maximum time frame, and/or does not meet the SAP Policy after one semester of financial aid warning, they will be disqualified from receiving additional assistance other than the CCPG fee waiver. Under certain conditions, a student may be eligible to appeal for reinstatement of aid, without meeting the SAP Policy. Each institution has the option of allowing or not allowing appeals and if allowed, must explain what options are available and who is eligible for an appeal. At Compton College, appeals are offered in the FalI, spring, and summer terms during the academic year.

Students who are disqualified will receive notification of their option to appeal via myCompton, and will include the time period that appeals will be accepted during a given semester/term. 

Reasons a student may be eligible to appeal include:

    • Extenuating circumstances (beyond the student’s control) that prevented him/her from meeting SAP standards (documentation substantiating statements must be submitted.) 
    • Change in major or program of study. In order for an appeal to be approved, the new unit count must be under the new maximum time frame. A Lock In List plan would be required. A formal change of major form must be submitted prior to completing the appeal process. 

Extenuating circumstances must ALWAYS be documented or the appeal will not be approved. 

    • Serious illness, injury or medical condition requiring doctor’s care.
    • Death of an immediate family member (provide Obituary that shows you are related to the decreased)
    • Extenuating circumstances that were beyond the student’s control. 


APPEAL PROCESS

Students will be able to complete the appeal electronically at the https://compton.studentforms.com/school/ website. Supporting documentation for extenuating circumstances is required for the appeal process and must be submitted in order for the student’s appeal to be reviewed. Students are required to upload all supporting documents using a scanner, smartphone, or PDF via the https://compton.studentforms.com/school/ website. Incorrect or incomplete appeals will be denied and the student will not be able to resubmit their appeal during that academic year.

On the appeal, students must provide the following information for consideration: 

    • Why the student failed to meet SAP
    • What has changed to allow the student to meet SAP at the next evaluation 



Each appeal will be reviewed by the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee and either approved or denied based upon the student’s individual circumstances. All decisions are final. Appeals approved will be placed on financial aid probation and receive payment for one semester. Appeals considered for approval must pass the litmus test of determining that the student will be able to meet the SAP Policy at the end of the financial aid probation period. If a student’s progress is such that there is no way they will be able to meet the SAP Policy at the end of the semester, their appeal will be denied. Students will be notified via email of the decision. 

Disqualified Students 
Students must state in their appeal what event(s) took place that were out of their control that caused them not to meet SAP. If a student has not met SAP for more than one semester/term (may not be consecutive) they will need to provide a statement for each individual semester or term progress was not made. Each statement of the extenuating circumstances must have its own supporting documentation, uploaded as a third-party document in the Verification Portal. If a student is unable to provide documentation for the extenuating circumstance stated on the appeal, it should not be mentioned or stated on the appeal. Failure to provide supporting documentation for each circumstance will cause the appeal to be denied.  

Steps to Appeal 

Students who will be submitting a SAP appeal for financial aid should follow the following steps: 

    • Check your MyCompton email to see if you received a disqualification email. 
    • View the online SAP Workshop video. 
    • Meet with a Financial Aid Counselor (If at the Maximum Timeframe). Please click here for contact information. 
    • Complete the electronic SAP appeal form online at https://compton.studentforms.com/school/ and upload all supporting documents. 

It is important to remember that generally, students become eligible for financial assistance again when they are once again meeting the SAP Policy. Students should identify why they were disqualified and what their reasons are before they consider submitting a formal appeal. 

For further information on the steps to take if you lose your CCPG, please click the link CCPG Appeal Fact Sheet

  • Financial Aid Warning

    Students who do not meet SAP Standards for progress (indicated above) will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. If, while on Financial Aid Warning, students do not meet the SAP Standards for the second time will be placed on Disqualified Status and all aid for the term will be canceled. 

  • Maximum Time Frame

    Students who have attempted 90 units (the maximum time frame limit of 150%) or more, are required to appeal to receive financial aid. Individual certificate programs have their own maximum time frame. To identify the maximum time frame, 100% of units required are taken plus an additional 50%. For example, a 30 unit certificate program has a maximum time frame of 45 units. It is critical that students take the correct classes required for their degree, as even passing one's classes with a high GPA, does not ensure the student will be able to graduate within the 150% maximum time frame. Taking courses not required for one's major, will result in the student not receiving financial aid for those courses. 

  • Important Information

    A student must have a 2.0 GPA or higher and at least 67% completion rate or higher to be eligible to submit a Max Time Frame appeal.  

  • Regaining Eligibility
    Students who are DISQUALIFIED from receiving aid can regain their eligibility by meeting the standards which is to complete the required 67% of the attempted units and raise the cumulative GPA to at least 2.0, and be under the maximum time frame for their program. 

All appeal decisions from the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee are FINAL. 

References 

    • California Student Aid Commission Institutional Participation Agreement, Article IV, B 15 
    • Federal Student Aid Regulations: 34 CFR 668.42(c)(2) 

 

California College Promise Grant (CCPG) eligibility is different and separate from the SAP eligibility for Financial Aid. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for further details. 

The U.S. Department of Education requires the Compton Community College District  to establish and enforce Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for students receiving financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. 
 
SAP is assessed at the end of each term after grades are posted. Students must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completing an associate degree, an eligible vocational certificate, or transferring to a four-year college/university. 
 
This policy applies to all federal financial aid programs, including the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), and Direct Loans. It also governs state aid programs such as the Cal Grant, Full-Time Student Success Grant, and Completion Grant. A separate policy applies to the California College Promise Grant (formerly the BOG Fee Waiver). 

 

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