Eligibility rules are complex and vary from program to program. Students need to be aware of the eligibility requirements of the financial aid programs they are expecting to be awarded or have already been awarded to avoid unpleasant surprises. The most common way to lose eligibility is to fail to meet our academic standards, which are referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards.
SAP Overview
SAP is a federal requirement that is additionally used by most forms of state and local aid to determine eligibility.
Some programs do not use SAP eligibility, such as the Solano Promise, Basic Needs emergency grants, and EOPS. Additionally, the CCPG uses a modified version of SAP standards that is slightly more lenient.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
You will generally be SAP eligible if you meet all of these conditions:
- You have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above
- You have passed 67% or more of the units you have attempted
- You haven’t attempted more than 150% of the units in your program length (for most associate’s degrees, that is 60 units x 1.5 = 90 units)
For detailed information on SAP standards, visit our SAP Help Center page.
Other Common Eligibility Issues
Beyond SAP, there are some other common ways to lose eligibility:
- Dropping below the unit requirement for a program, e.g., below 6 units for a student awarded direct loans
- Going beyond the cumulative unit cap for a program, e.g., past 70 degree-applicable units for EOPS or 90 units for most associate's degrees (this is a part of SAP many students are not aware of)
- Not being fully enrolled (still waitlisted) by the freeze date
- Verification
What Happens If I Become Ineligible?
While different financial aid programs vary in their eligibility requirements, almost all require students to be meeting some form of academic standards. At Solano, we refer to these academic standards as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Nearly all forms of financial aid require you to be meeting SAP standards. Exceptions include Basic Needs emergency grants, EOPS, Solano Promise, and the CCPG, which has its own set of academic eligibility standards which are nearly identical to SAP standards.
If you find yourself having trouble in class and you’re worried about whether you’ll continue to be eligible for financial aid, we have resources to help:
- Contact the Academic Success and Tutoring Center (ASTC) to get FREE tutoring
- Talk to a counselor about your options
- Contact your instructors about the challenges you’re facing
- Contact the Financial Aid Office to find out how your choices may affect your financial aid
To become eligible for financial aid again after being deemed Ineligible, you must submit a SAP appeal. Alternatively, students may reestablish their eligibility by taking classes without receiving Title IV aid and meeting all qualitative and quantitative SAP standards listed above.