Financial Aid

Citrus College students are evaluated against the following standards:

Qualitative Standard
Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA)

• Minimum of a 2.0 Citrus College cumulative GPA
• Grades F, FW, and NP are calculated in the GPA
• Grades I, EW, MW, and W are not calculated in the GPA

Quantitative Standard
Pace of Progression - students must maintain progress by successfully completing at least 67% of units attempted.

Total units with (EW, F, FW, I, MW, NP, and W) divided by total units attempted = % attempted, not passed.

• EW - Excused Withdrawal (excludes EWs for spring 2020 only)
• F - Failing
• FW - Failing/Withdrawal
• I - Incomplete
• MW - Military Withdrawal
• NP - No Pass
• W - Withdrawal

All units attempted at Citrus College and/or units earned at all other colleges attended will be calculated into the total number of units attempted.

• Up to 30 attempted units of remedial coursework at Citrus College may be deducted from the total units attempted.
• ESL classes are counted towards the total number of units attempted.
• Students who enroll in excessive remedial courses that don't apply to their degree or certificate may exhaust their financial aid eligibility prior to completing their program.
• Students who have completed a bachelor's degree or higher (including a foreign degree) or attempted more than 150% of the units required for their degree or certificate program at Citrus College, will be denied financial aid.

To determine the student's GPA, the most recent grade for a repeated course will be used.

• All units (both current and prior) from repeated courses are counted toward the 150% maximum units a student is permitted to have.
• Students are not eligible to receive aid for more than one repetition of a course that has been previously passed with a grade of "D" or better.

Students who fail to meet the SAP standards for one semester due to GPA and/or Pace requirements will be placed on warning for one semester.

• During the warning period, students may be eligible to receive financial aid.
• Students may not be on a SAP warning for consecutive semesters and will only have one semester to meet all SAP Standards.
• All students who are notified of their warning status should:
  • Seek academic counseling from the Counseling and Advising Center
  • Complete the GetSAP online counseling
  • Take advantage of all other student services available to ensure student success.
• A student may be dismissed prior to starting the semester and/or after just one semester without receiving a warning if they exceed the number of maximum units allowed for their program or complete a degree.

Students who do not meet the SAP standards for more than one term, will be disqualified from receiving financial aid.

• SAP is checked after each fall, spring, and summer semester/term.
• A student may be dismissed prior to starting the semester and/or after just one semester without receiving a warning if they exceed the number of maximum units allowed for their program or complete a degree.
• Being on disqualification status does not prohibit a student from continuing their education.
• Students who have been disqualified for financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after the next evaluation period once they demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.

To re-establish eligibility for financial aid, students must:

• meet all financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards (qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time frame)
  OR
• submit a completed SAP Appeal by the advertised deadline including uploading all supporting documentation.

Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards may be eligible to appeal the denial of financial aid if they meet the appeal eligibility criteria and submit a completed SAP Appeal by the advertised deadline including uploading all supporting documentation. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation during that semester. At the end of each semester, SAP will be reviewed to determine continued financial aid eligibility for the following semester.

Students who have attempted 150 or more units are not eligible to appeal the denial of aid regardless of the reason (total attempted units include units earned from all other colleges). If a student has been approved on appeal prior to reaching 150 units, the student may continue to receive aid until the end of their program as long as they meet the requirements of their probation. If the student fails to meet the requirements of their probation and is beyond 150 units, the student is no longer eligible for appeal.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Policy and Procedures
If a student is determined ineligible for financial aid due to not meeting SAP standards, the student can appeal this decision by providing additional information surrounding any unusual circumstances beyond their control that has led to not meeting the SAP standards by following these instructions by submitting a completed SAP Appeal by the advertised deadline including uploading all supporting documentation. Check your Citrus College student email for updates, requests, and the status of your appeal.

A complete SAP Appeal must include the following:

1. A statement from the student including the following:
   
   
   1. A statement detailing the reason for the deficiencies.
   2. Any extenuating circumstances that caused you to fail to meet SAP.
   3. What has changed that will enable you to meet SAP at the next evaluation.
   4. The steps you will take to ensure you continue to meet SAP requirements in the future.
      
      
2. Supporting documentation and eligible circumstances:
   
   
   1. Medical documents that support that you were medically unable to attend classes for reasons beyond your control
   2. Verification (obituary or death certificate) of death in the student's immediate family. Immediate family for purposes of a financial aid appeal is parents, siblings, children, spouse, or grandparents
   3. Verification of military orders for military personnel and their families that have been temporarily reassigned or called to active service
   4. Verification of a natural disaster beyond the student's control that impacted the student's academic performance
   5. Personal tragedies that are beyond the student's control and is documented by a third party professional, i.e. police, courts, medical, or clergy
      
      
3. A signed student education plan (SEP) created by a counselor from the Counseling and Advising Center.
   
   
4. Copy of confirmation page of successful completion of the online GetSAP counseling.

Please allow four to six weeks for your appeal to be reviewed by the SAP Appeals Committee. It is important that you check citruscollege.verifymyfafsa.com regularly to view the status of your appeal and if additional documentation has been requested. Students may appeal (once) either for the fall or spring semester and once for the summer semester for a total of two times per the academic award year.

If a student does not submit documentation to support their appeal for all periods of deficiency, their appeal is subject to being denied. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement.

The committee's appeal decision is final and can only be changed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the director of financial aid. Once you have resolved your deficiencies and meet the satisfactory academic progress criteria, your financial aid eligibility will be reinstated.