Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Evaluation Period

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be evaluated at the end of each semester: fall, spring and summer. Non-standard sessions will be evaluated at the completion of the session.

Students not meeting SAP are responsible for paying outstanding tuition and fees. To learn more about the Payment Plan, please go our Cashier Services/Payment Plan page. To sign up, visit www.maricopa.edu.

SAP is reviewed before the first semester a student begins attendance at South Mountain Community College and then calculated at the end of each subsequent semester, taking into consideration a student’s academic history at SMCC and any transfer credits. Students can be placed on suspension for any or all of the following reasons:

• Failure to satisfactorily complete at least 66.67% of cumulative credits attempted
• Failure to meet cumulative GPA minimum
• Exceeded Maximum Timeframe

Students are responsible for knowing and understanding the SAP policy. There is often a short amount of time between semesters for SAP review that does not allow the Financial Aid Office to complete the review before the payment deadline. If you know that you may not be meeting SAP standards, it is your responsibility to pay for your classes by the payment deadline. Appeals received after the deadline (as indicated on the appeal form) will be considered for the next semester.

Students are no longer eligible for financial aid – this includes grants, work study and loan. A student is placed on financial aid suspension and can regain eligibility by:

1. Paying for their own tuition until they are meeting standards;
2. or Following the appeal procedure *

If a student’s tuition and fees are due before a determination has been made on your SAP appeal, the student will be required to pay for their tuition and fees out of pocket. Students are encouraged to submit appeals as soon as they are notified of not meeting SAP.

* Please note that filing an appeal does not guarantee that a student will be able to receive financial aid in the future. The appeal will be reviewed by a committee and a determination of eligibility will be based on the facts and supporting documentation in the appeal. Appeals can be approved or denied. All decisions are final.

Students who fail to complete at least 66.67% of cumulative attempted credits and/or fail to meet the cumulative GPA requirements are placed on financial aid suspension. Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet SAP standards and lose eligibility for financial aid may appeal the financial aid suspension. If a student has experienced extenuating circumstances that were beyond their control that prevented them from satisfying the requirements to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), they have the option to appeal that status. This is referred to as a financial aid appeal. All information contained in a student’s appeal is confidential.

Students who have attempted more than 150% of the published credits required for their program of study or have earned an Associate's degree or higher are considered to have exhausted maximum timeframe eligibility and are placed on financial aid suspension. Under certain circumstances students have the option to appeal that status. This is referred to as a Maximum Timeframe appeal.

The reason for your financial aid suspension will determine the form you need to submit. Some students will need to complete and submit both forms.

If you are on financial aid suspension for one of below reasons, you should submit the appropriate Financial Aid Appeal for the semester you are going to attend.

• Failure to satisfactorily complete at least 66.67% of cumulative credits attempted
• Failure to meet cumulative GPA minimum

Maximum Timeframe Appeal

• Exceeded Maximum Timeframe

If you were approved for a Maximum Time Frame appeal in a prior semester and are not changing your program of study, you do not need to submit a new Maximum Timeframe appeal. You must continue to select only classes that are required for your major, as shown on your approved Maximum Timeframe and Restricted Course List (RCL). We will review your enrollment at the beginning of each semester for continued eligibility and adjustments will be made accordingly.

If you are adding additional, substituted or repeated classes they will not be funded unless a Restricted Course List Addendum is filed and approved before financial aid funds are disbursed. Addendums are reviewed by the appeal committee and can be approved or denied. If you receive funds for classes other than those listed and approved, your award may be reduced or canceled and you may be suspended from any further financial aid.

If you change your program of study after the Maximum Timeframe appeal has already been approved, you will be placed back on financial aid suspension and will be required to pay for your tuition and fees.

Appeals should include a detailed explanation of how extenuating circumstances beyond your control affected your ability to meet SAP requirements. You must include an explanation for all of the classes that contributed to your being placed on suspension. In addition, you must explain how these circumstances have been resolved, and the steps you have taken that will allow you to succeed and maintain academic progress in the future. Generally, the situation must have occurred after the semester began. If your extenuating circumstance first occurred before the semester started and you choose to enroll anyway, you will need to explain what changed after the start of the term which affected your ability to remain in or pass your classes. Appeals that cannot demonstrate extenuating circumstances will be denied.

All documentation submitted is confidential. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed. For assistance in completing the SAP appeal paperwork, including examples of supporting documentation, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Students will be notified through email of the results of their appeal. Notification will include any restrictions or conditions pertaining to their appeal. The outcome of an appeal may include a probationary period or denial. Appeals granted longer than one (1) payment period must include an academic plan, which must be followed. Failure to follow an approved academic plan will result in immediate suspension of Federal Student Aid. Students are responsible for any and all debt incurred as a result of this adjustment to financial aid. Failure to successfully complete all conditions during the probationary period (as defined in the academic plan) will result in loss of future financial aid eligibility.

An extenuating circumstance is situation beyond your control which prevented you from successfully completing your course(s). Extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to:

• Documented medical condition or serious illness which limited your ability to perform life tasks (such as attending class)
• A family member having a severe illness which required your presence for a significant amount of time
• Death of an immediate family member which impacted you significantly enough to affect class attendance or participation
• Involuntary call to active military duty
• Documented involuntary change in conditions of employment that prevented you from attending classes
• Other extraordinary/emergency circumstances, such as natural disaster

• Errors in judgment involving transportation, availability of finances, academic ability, time management etc.
• Misinterpretation or lack of knowledge of college policies and procedures
• Financial Aid not processed, could not afford books, not prepared for class
• Dissatisfaction with course content or instruction
• Lack of attendance in course(s)
• Acceptance of employment or other activity impacting ability to attend class
• Incarceration
• Immaturity and bad judgment
• If you previously had an appeal approved and did not meet the terms of the appeal