SAP Appeal Information and Instructions
Students with a status of Not Meets SAP may appeal their status to the Office of Financial Aid.
SAP Appeal Information
An appeal must be based on extenuating circumstances. Supporting documentation may be requested and/or required as part of your appeal (depending on your circumstances). Circumstances for appeals include, but are not limited to:
- Illness, accident, or injury experienced by you or a significant person in your life
- Death of a family member or significant person in your life
- Divorce experienced by you or parent
- Significant trauma in your life that impaired your emotional and/or physical health
- Loss or change in employment
- Pregnancy or birth of a child (or adoption)
- Loss of, limited access to, or difficulty finding, childcare
- Homelessness or difficulty in securing reliable housing
- Limited or loss of access to personal or public transportation
- Impacts from a Natural Disaster
- Change of Major*
- Other significant unexpected and documented circumstances beyond your control.
*Note: Double majors or attempting a minor are not viewed as extenuating circumstances, since the standard is quite generous in the time frame allowed to complete a degree.
To appeal your failure to meet SAP due to any of these or similar personal issues, create and submit the SAP Appeal using Student Forms.
In your appeal, you must add a statement including the following:
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Explanation of What Happened and When:
- Why you were unable to meet the SAP Standards?
- What term was affected?
- Be sure to address the original term of F and/or W grades forward even if it's three or four terms before not meeting Pace or GPA.
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Explanation of What Has Changed:
- What has changed?
- What corrective measures you have taken, or will take, to be successful in the future?
Follow these steps to provide a successful SAP appeal to the Office of Financial Aid.
- Be aware of key deadlines, including cancellation, disenrollment, tuition/fee refund dates, and SAP Appeal deadline etc.
- Type Your Appeal statement: Your letter of explanation should include the extenuating circumstances that prevented you from meeting financial aid SAP requirements and steps you have taken to ensure your academic success. If you did not meet the requirements of your prior SAP appeal and would like to be reconsidered for financial aid, your new letter of explanation must include a detailed statement explaining why the steps you outlined in the prior appeal did not work.
- Give Examples: In your letter, include changes you will make and/or resources you will use to ensure your future academic success (e.g. EOP advising, counseling, tutoring, reduce work hours, etc.). Include an explanation of what has changed in your circumstances that will enable you to meet SAP.
- Gather Documentation's (If available). Documents you may submit to support your letter of explanation are (e.g. medical documentation, pay check stubs, transcripts, etc.).
- Meeting with an Academic Advisor Recommended: Meet with an advisor if you have concerns and need additional help and guidance.
- Additional documentation or explanation may be requested by the committee members before a decision is rendered.
- Prepare a Backup Plan: If your appeal is not approved, you may need to seek alternative enrollment options or sources of funding.
- Expect approximately to wait 4 to 6 weeks for your appeal to be reviewed. You will be notified of the committee’s decision via email.
Approved Appeals
If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for your next semester of enrollment.
- Make sure you understand what successful completion means and the numbers of units you must complete each semester to maintain you financial eligibility.
- If your approval included an Academic Plan and you are considering a change in your course load, you might want to discuss your academic plan options with both your academic advisor prior to making any adjustments to your schedule.
- Read your approved SAP Appeal to make sure you are following any approval requirements to maintain financial aid for the academic year you submitted your appeal.
- By signing and submitting the SAP appeal form you acknowledge your understanding of the basic requirement on that form, including any additional requirements from your approved SAP appeal.
At the conclusion of your Financial Aid Probation term, you must be meeting Cal State Fullerton's SAP standards in order to remain eligible for further financial aid.
NOTE: Receiving a grade of F, W, WU, I, NC or RD during your Financial Aid Probation semester will most likely cause you to not meet the SAP Standards at the end of your Probation term.
Denied Appeals
If your appeal is denied, you will not be eligible for financial aid until you are able to meet the SAP Standards based on your academic work in future semesters.
Appeal of Denial (2nd Level Appeal)
If you wish to challenge the denial of your appeal, your challenge must be submitted in writing to the Associate Director of Financial Aid, Kellye MacLeod.
Contact information for Kellye MacLeod
800 N State College Blvd, GH 146
Fullerton, California 92830
You must provide a clear written statement with the rationale for your challenge of the denial. The deadline to submit your statement is two weeks from the date of notification.
The Associate Director of Financial Aid will consult with the Director of Financial Aid as appropriate in evaluating, and responding to, your challenge.
Maximum Timeframe Appeals
The Maximum Timeframe Appeal process is available for you to request a continuation of financial aid eligibility until you complete your degree.
In general, the appeal is considered only if:
1. You are within 1-2 semesters of completing your program;
2. Your academic performance at Cal State Fullerton has been acceptable; and
3. You have extenuating circumstances for attempting excess units.
The following reasons may be documented for having attempted excessive units:
- DOUBLE MAJOR/MINOR: In general, adding a second major or a minor after you have already attempted 120 units is not an acceptable reason for extending the unit cap. If you declared a second major or minor prior to 120 attempted units and you have been making progress toward your degree, you may submit this appeal. Be sure to have each academic department determine your remaining required units.
- FIRST CHANGE OF UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR: In general, making multiple changes of major, particularly after you have already attempted 120 units, is not an acceptable reason for extending the unit cap. If you changed your undergraduate major for the first time and you have been making progress toward your degree, provide an explanation and be sure to have each academic department determine your remaining required units.
- SECOND BACHELOR’S DEGREE: If you are enrolled in a second bachelor’s degree program, have your academic department determine your remaining units.
- PREREQUISITES FOR MASTER’S PROGRAM: If you are pursuing a master’s degree in a field different from your undergraduate program, obtain a statement from your academic department indicating the total number of prerequisite units you were required to complete in addition to the program requirements.
- OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES: If you attempted excessive units before transferring to California State University, Fullerton and a large number of these units do not apply to your degree program, explain the circumstances and have your academic department determine your remaining required units.
Please note: You can not receive financial aid for courses that are not required for your current program.
How to Submit your SAP Appeal
StudentForms allows you to submit documents electronically to CSUF, Office of Financial Aid.
Please review the following steps before continuing to StudentForms.
1. You will need to register with your student information before requesting a SAP Appeal. Once you are logged on, you may request the appeal by selecting the "Manage Requests" button.
2. When requesting a SAP Appeal, please specify the term, and SAP standard(s), you are appealing. Review SAP standard(s) in your letter regarding your Academic Progress.
3. Once you have submitted the request, you will see the documents needed before completing the appeal submission process. Please be prepared to complete the following:
a. SAP Appeal web form that includes a statement*
b. Third Party Documentation supporting the circumstance noted in the statement*
After we review the appeal, additional documentation may be requested. This additional request may also be labeled as "Third Party Documentation" or "statement."
4. Once all appeal documents are uploaded, click the "Submit" button, then the "Finish" button. General processing time is between 2 to 4 weeks, but may take up to 6 weeks.
Submit a SAP Appeal in StudentForms
Appeal Deadlines
SAP Appeals are due three weeks prior to the last day of finals for the semester you are trying to get aid for.
Be sure to submit your appeal early, before the start of the term if possible, so you can receive a timely decision allowing you to plan accordingly.
Appeals may not be accepted after the deadline has passed. If you do not submit your appeal in a timely manner and your appeal is denied after the term has started, you will be responsible for any and all costs incurred, including any costs related to a decision to withdraw from the semester.
- Fall Semester - November 28
- Spring Semester - April 24
- Summer Term - July 17
Appeals received after the term ends cannot be considered for financial aid award or reinstatement.
Academic Plans
There are times when your appeal may require the submission of an Academic Plan. This generally occurs for the following:
- If you are appealing your status after failing to meet SAP during your SAP Probation semester.
- If, when reviewing your appeal, it is determined that even if your appeal is approved you will not be able to meet the GPA or the Pace Standard at the end of your Probation semester.
To develop your plan, you should meet with your Academic Advisor and discuss your circumstances, review your transcript and your goals, and prepare a manageable academic plan that will enable you to be successful academically and to return to meeting the SAP Standards at a specific point in the future.
Following this plan successfully allows you to either regain aid eligibility by meeting SAP standards or by continuing to follow your plan through completion of your program of study.
Progress is reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid at the end of each semester. If, at the end of the semester, you make progress as stipulated in your academic plan, your new SAP status will be Meets SAP (based on your adherence to your academic plan).
If you are not making progress as stipulated in your academic plan, your new SAP status will change to Not Meets SAP (did not adhere to plan). You will not be eligible to receive aid unless you submit a new SAP Appeal – which must include a NEW Academic Plan. You may also choose to continue to enroll without aid & work to improve SAP Status through academic work.