Students may appeal SAP disqualification or request additional time to complete their degree.
Appeals based on the following may be considered: extended illness, one-time extenuating circumstances that have since been resolved and enrollment limitations due to academic advisement. Appeals based on the following will not be considered: student’s need of financial aid or lack of knowledge about the SAP policy.
Appeal Format
Students should carefully consider the information in their appeal. Appeals should be made in writing to the Office of Financial Aid, should be typed and must be signed by the student. We highly encourage students to seek help from their academic adviser when writing an appeal.
Appeals must include the following:
- Reasons/circumstances that prevented the student from meeting GPA/pace requirements and/or completing their degree on-time
- A clarification of how those circumstances have been resolved or addressed
- An academic plan outlining courses required and steps needed to meet GPA/pace requirements and/or graduate within an additional semester
- Support/acknowledgement from an academic adviser that the academic plan will result in meeting GPA/pace requirements and/or graduating within an additional semester
Appeal Granted
If an appeal is granted, the student will receive a SAP Contract outlining the terms, requirements and expectations of the appeal. The contract will outline GPA and/or coursework completion requirements for the period of the contract. If the student needs more than one semester to regain eligibility, the contract will include an academic plan.
Qualitative (GPA)/Quantitative (Pace) Appeal
If the appeal is granted, the student is placed on “probation” for the period(s) outlined in the SAP Contract and/or Academic Plan. During the probation semester(s), financial aid is reinstated.
If the student does not meet SAP by the end of the “probation” semester(s), the student becomes ineligible for federal, state and institutional financial aid.
Maximum Timeframe (aka 9th semester) Appeals
If the appeal is granted, the student receives one additional semester of institutional financial aid to complete their degree. If the degree is not earned within this extra semester, no additional institutional financial aid is granted. Students with remaining federal or state financial aid may continue to receive those funds if they meet program eligibility requirements.
NOTE: Students who successfully appeal SAP disqualification or are granted a 9th semester must adhere to the terms of their SAP Contract/Academic Plan. If the student does not meet the terms of their SAP Contract/Academic Plan, they may be allowed a second appeal only if new circumstances arise since the initial appeal.
Appeal Denied
Qualitative (GPA)/Quantitative (Pace) Appeal
If the appeal is denied, the student may regain eligibility for future semesters of federal, state or institutional aid by enrolling at Pitzer (at the student’s own expense) and bringing their GPA up to a 2.0 and/or pace of progression rate up to 67%. If SAP requirements are met during this semester, eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid will be reinstated for the following semester. Semesters where a student enrolls at their own expense do count toward the maximum semesters or maximum courses of eligibility as listed above in Maximum Timeframe.
Students may choose to take a leave of absence from Pitzer and pursue transferable coursework at another institution to bring their pace of progression rate up to 67%. However, GPAs earned at other institutions do not impact the student’s GPA at Pitzer. Students who are ineligible for financial aid due to GPA can only raise their GPA by enrolling at Pitzer without financial aid.
NOTE: Coursework taken for transfer credit must be approved by the Registrar’s Office and meet outstanding degree requirements.
Maximum Timeframe (aka 9th semester) Appeals
If the appeal is denied, the student may still complete their degree by enrolling at Pitzer (at the student’s own expense).
The student may choose to take a leave of absence and pursue transferable coursework at another institution. This allows the student to complete courses at another school and transfer courses to Pitzer to complete their degree. However, not all courses may transfer; students in this situation should seek advice from an academic adviser.
NOTE: Coursework taken for transfer credit must be approved by the Registrar’s Office and meet outstanding degree requirements.