Financial Aid Appeal

The Financial Aid Office is required to monitor each student’s academic progress toward his/her declared program of study. An eligible Financial Aid Program of Study is an AA/AS degree, a Transfer Program, or a certificate that is at least 16 units, 15 weeks long and is state approved. In order to monitor your progress, this institution has established a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) and all students receiving financial aid must be in compliance.

A maximum of three (3) appeals district-wide will be considered by the appeals committee during a student’s attendance at West Valley and Mission Colleges. No exceptions. Students with a BA/BS degree may be eligible, if approved, for up to a total of one year.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal: will only be reviewed for documented extenuating circumstances (i.e., serious illness, severe injury, car accident, death in the family, etc.) which affected academic progress. Wrong or difficult class, too many units in the term, bad time management, transportation issues, too many work hours, etc. are NOT extenuating circumstances.

Appeals must include an explanation of the contributing factors, documentation of those circumstances, and must outline corrective or preventative measures to ensure satisfactory progress in the future

Maximum Timeframe (Over Units) Appeal: Federal guidelines state the total number of units attempted may not exceed 150% of the declared educational goal.

All Appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The student will be notified the Committee’s decision by email or mail, including written committee recommendations and requirements. The decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final. No in-person appeals will be considered. Students not eligible to appeal should contact the Financial Aid Office if they have regained eligibility during the aid year.

1. The Appeals Committee generally meets weekly to review Appeals. Your appeal will be date stamped and reviewed in the order that it is received. Supporting documentation must accompany your appeal.
2. The Appeal packets are reviewed by Financial Aid staff for completeness and to determine if the appeal is eligible for review by the Committee.
3. The Appeals Committee will approve, deny, or have the appeal re-submitted with additional information.
4. The Financial Aid staff will contact students (generally by e-mail) to inform them of the committee’s decision. The student is notified of the committee’s recommendations and conditions of the appeal.
5. The student will be taken off DQ status and may be eligible for financial aid.

A student is placed on Financial Aid Warning when the minimum requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Policy are not met. (1) must have minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 and (2) must successfully complete at least 67% of the semester units attempted and, THIS IS NEW, 67% of the cumulative number of units attempted and (3) may not have attempted over 150% of units required to meet the student’s educational goal.

A student is on Financial Aid Disqualification (DQ) when the student has:

1. two consecutive semesters with a Warning status and/or
2. 90 or more attempted units, including transfer units. Attempted units are units at West Valley College and any units from other college(s) evaluated and listed on the West Valley transcript
3. already earned a BA/BS degree, even if it is from a foreign country

No, you may not benefit from these programs without submitting an Appeal and having it approved. A DQ status does not affect the California College Promise Grant (CCPG), formerly known as the Board of Governors’ Fee Waiver (BOGW).

The appeal allows you to explain in writing any circumstances that may have contributed to your inability to meet the minimum requirements of our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Appeals should be prepared thoughtfully and should focus on the reason(s) for the appeal. Attach supporting documentation for the committee to review. Please, complete your responses before seeing a counselor. Incomplete appeals will not be reviewed.

Yes. This is your opportunity to discuss with a counselor your particular situation. Schedule a one hour appointment; this cannot be completed on a drop-in basis. The counselor will also help you complete an Educational Plan. The Ed Plan and your current semester enrollment must match.

No, a student regains eligibility only for the semester in which the appeal is approved.

No, an eligible Financial Aid Program of Study at WVC is an AA/AS degree, a Transfer Program, or a certificate that is at least 16 units, 15 weeks and is state approved.

Financial Aid can only pay for one program of study at a time.

No, the decision of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee is final.