Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations mandate that a student receiving financial assistance under Title IV programs must maintain satisfactory academic progress in their course of study regardless of whether or not financial aid is awarded each semester. All students, including dual enrollment students, must adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to be eligible for financial aid upon enrolling as an entering freshman at Long Beach City College. The requirements of the policy you should know include: 

1. Maintain a 2.0 GPA Overall: Once your grades have been calculated, you must make sure that your overall GPA is at or above a 2.0. That is equivalent to a C average.
2. Completing 67% of Credits Attempted Cumulatively: Failing grades, drops, withdrawals, and incompletes may lower your completion percentage. If you receive a letter grade “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “P”, they will be considered credit hours earned in favor of the 67% rule. If you receive a letter grade “F”, “W”, “WP”, “WF”, “DP”, “DF”, “IP”, or “I”, they will not be considered credit hours earned in favor of the 67% rule.
3. Graduate within the Maximum Time Frame (MTF): For financial aid purposes, students cannot exceed 1.5 times the number of credit hours needed to complete their degree. To calculate your max, look at your degree plan to see how many hours that degree requires. Then, multiply that number by 1.5 and the result is your max.

MTF= Required hours to graduate from your degree x 1.5
Example: If your degree requires 60 credit hours to complete… MTF= 60hrs x 1.5= 90hrs…your Maximum Time Frame is 90hrs.

How SAP is Measured

• All students, with no previous college coursework, begin with their financial aid status in good standing.
• If a student fails to meet one or both of the first two requirements in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, they will be placed on warning status. Students with a warning status may still receive financial aid.
• If a student’s status is warning and they meet both requirements, they will be placed back on good standing.
• However, if a student’s status was already warning and they fail to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, they will be placed on suspension. Students on suspension will not be eligible to receive financial aid unless they have successfully appealed (see below).

Statement of Equal Opportunity: No Person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity sponsored or conducted by Long Beach City College on the basis, of race, color, national origin, religions, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What will happen if I drop a course?

Students who drop before the 12th college class day (see Academic Calendar) will not be penalized. Students who drop a course after the 12th college class day, risk not satisfying the 67% rule. Any course dropped after this date will not be considered completed credits for the 67% rule.

What will happen if I drop all my dual enrollment courses in a
semester?

Students who drop all their courses after the 12th college class day will face a lower completion percentage (see requirement #2). These courses will be counted as attempted; however, they will not be counted as earned in favor of the 67% rule.

How do I get out of suspension or warning?

If you are on suspension and meet all requirements, you will be placed on warning status the following semester. If you are on warning status and meet all requirements, you will be placed back on good standing the following semester.

What will happen to my status if I skip a semester?

It will remain unchanged. If your status was warning, it will remain on warning. If your status was suspension, it will remain on suspension.

I am planning on attending Long Beach City College next semester, but I am on suspension. Can I attend?

If you are on Financial Aid suspension when you enroll as an entering freshman at STC, though you may qualify for financial aid, we will not be able to release any of your funds unless you are able to satisfactorily complete the appeal process (see below). Financial aid suspension does not mean that you have been suspended from the institution.

What if I attend a different institution after graduating from high school?

Please check with your prospective college or university.

Appeal Process

Students who fail to meet the policy because of unusual circumstances, such as serious illness, death in the family, accidents, etc., have the right to appeal. If you had an extenuating circumstance and your Financial Aid status is suspension upon enrolling as an entering freshman at Long Beach City College, you may submit a financial aid appeal for review.

To view more information, visit LBCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.