At Mission College, understanding financial aid policies is essential to maintaining eligibility and making the most of your resources. This page outlines key regulations, deadlines, and procedures to help you stay on track.
Navigating financial aid requirements can be complex, but we're here to help. Below,
you'll find clear guidelines and important policies to support your success and ensure
continued eligibility. From Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to appeal procedures,
knowing the rules empowers you to make informed decisions. Take the time to familiarize
yourself with these policies to avoid interruptions in your financial aid.
Students must maintain SAP to remain eligible for federal financial aid. SAP is evaluated at the end of every term: Fall, Spring, and Summer.
All periods of enrollment are considered when assessing academic progress, even if financial aid was not received during that time. A valid photo ID is required when submitting documents or inquiring at the Financial Aid Office.
| Term | Appeal Deadline | WIP Form Required on or After |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | December 6, 2024 | October 9, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | May 13, 2025 | March 12, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 | July 25, 2025 | First Week of Course |
| Appeals submitted after the 6th week of the semester must include Work-in-Progress (WIP) Form, available on the Mission College Financial Aid website under "Forms". | ||
Once you submit your appeal, it will be reviewed by the Financial Aid staff and/or the SAP Appeals Committee. You’ll receive the decision through your campus email.
If your appeal is approved, you must sign and return the SAP Appeal Decision to complete the process.
If your appeal is denied, you have the option to challenge the decision through the college’s formal grievance process.
Make sure your appeal application is complete before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed or accepted.
The Appeals Committee meets each week to review appeals in the order they are received. Before your appeal goes to the committee, the Financial Aid staff will take a first look to make sure it meets the basic eligibility requirements.
If your appeal doesn’t meet the requirements, it will be returned to you. If it does, it will move forward to the committee for a full review.
The committee will then decide whether to approve your appeal, deny it, or ask for more information if something is missing or unclear.
Once a decision has been made, you’ll be contacted by the Financial Aid office through your campus email with the result.
If your appeal is approved, you’ll receive a SAP Appeal Decision Letter by email. You’ll need to read it, sign it, and send it back to the SAP Appeals Coordinator. Once that’s done, your financial aid will be reinstated.
Keep in mind that if your appeal is approved, your aid will only cover the current or future semester(s) listed in the decision. Financial aid won’t be given for any previous terms.
Financial aid recipients who withdraw completely or reduce the number of units in which they are enrolled before or equal to 60% of the semester is over, may have to return a portion or full amount of the aid received, as it is considered financial aid that was not earned.
Students who withdraw and do not repay funds will have an institutional hold placed on future WVMCCD registration and a national hold is placed on future aid eligibility at any institution. Repayments must be made in a timely manner to prevent from being sent to collections.
Contact Financial Aid to schedule an appointment to meet with the Financial Aid Advisor before withdrawing from any or all of your classes.
Cal Grant is contingent upon being enrolled in a qualifying program of study and meeting satisfactory academic progress. This fund is disbursed only once a term after the census date for full-term courses; late start courses will not be paid after receiving first disbursement.
Cal Grant recipients will have their "Access" or "Books and Supplies" portion applied to outstanding balances on their accounts unless they request personal receipt of the funds prior to disbursement. This request may be rescinded at any time prior to the disbursement of funds.
To request personal receipt of the funds, you must fill out the Cal Grant A/B/C Refunds Confirmation and submit it when your file is completed. Please contact the Financial Aid office for more information on submission of the form. To opt out of payment of outstanding balance you must request the Cal Grant A/B/C Refunds Confirmation and submit it directly to financial aid.
Cal Grant B funding is limited to four academic years. In order to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree from a 4-year institution within the four-year limit, students are encouraged to attempt 15 units or more per semester.
In order to meet this target at the community college level, you must also take 15 or more units, but no more than two years of Cal Grant award to maintain eligibility at a four-year college.
To keep your financial aid, you need to meet a few important academic standards each semester. These are part of what's called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Here’s what you need to stay eligible:
Cumulative GPA
You must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of each semester.
Pace of Progression
You need to complete at least 67% of the classes you attempt. For example, if you enroll in 12 units, you should complete at least 8 of them successfully.
Maximum Time Frame
You must complete your program within 150% of the published length. For example, if your program normally takes 60 units, you must finish it before attempting 90 units. ESL and up to 30 remedial/basic skills units are excluded from this limit.
Institutional Policies
Each school may have additional policies or rules, so it’s important to be familiar with your college’s SAP policy.
To learn more, check out the full Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy or contact the Financial Aid Office for guidance. Staying on track with your GPA and course completion helps you stay eligible for financial aid and reach your academic goals.
If you’ve lost your financial aid because you didn’t meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you can earn it back by improving your academic performance.
To reestablish your eligibility, you’ll need to:
Appealing Your SAP Status
You may be able to appeal your financial aid suspension if you experienced serious challenges that affected your academic performance. This includes situations like:
When submitting an appeal, you’ll need to provide documentation that explains what happened, why you couldn’t meet the SAP requirements, and what has changed to help you succeed going forward. The Financial Aid Office may ask for additional documents if needed.
About ESL and Remedial Courses
If you’re taking ESL (English as a Second Language) classes or need basic skills/remedial courses, here’s some good news:
All ESL classes and up to 30 units of remedial coursework are not counted toward the 150% maximum unit limit for financial aid eligibility.
This means if you’re required to take extra English or Math classes to reach your goals, you’re allowed up to 30 additional units without losing eligibility based on the unit limit.
Need More Info?
Be sure to review the full SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) policy or contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions or need help with the appeal process. They’re here to support you.
To keep your California College Promise Grant, it’s important to stay on track with your grades and course completion.
If your overall GPA drops below 2.0 for two main terms in a row (like fall and spring), you could lose your fee waiver. The same goes for your progress—if you complete less than 50% of your classes in two straight terms, your eligibility may be affected.
Even a mix of low GPA and not completing enough classes over two terms can put your fee waiver at risk.
You’ll be notified by email within 30 days after the term ends if you're being placed on Academic Probation (for GPA), Progress Probation (for class completion), or both. This notice will let you know that if it happens again the next term, you could lose your fee waiver for future registration.
If you do lose your eligibility, don’t worry there are ways to get it back. You can work on raising your GPA or completing more classes to meet the standards. You can also submit an appeal if you had special circumstances that affected your performance, like health issues, family emergencies, or other challenges beyond your control.
Appeals may also be considered if you’ve shown real academic improvement, or if you’ve been away from the college for two full terms.
There are extra considerations for students in programs like CalWORKs, EOPS, DSPS, or for veterans. Also, if you’re a current or former foster youth under age 25, these rules don’t apply to you. You won’t lose your CCPG for not meeting these standards.
If you have questions or need help, reach out to the Financial Aid Office.
Come visit us in the Student Engagement Center (SEC), Office 118.