Satisfactory Academic Progress

Your academic record will be evaluated based on your progress at the end of each Spring semester, to determine if you are meeting the SAP requirements to maintain financial aid eligibility for future terms, including summer. The UC Berkeley SAP requirements for undergraduate students are as follows:

• Maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) at or above 2.0.
• Maintain a satisfactory pace of progress towards your degree by completing at least 67% of all units attempted cumulatively
• Completing your degree within a maximum number of attempted units not to exceed 150% of the published length of your program. (often referred to as "Maximum Time Frame")

Cumulative Grade Point Average At or Above 2.0

You are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above at the end of the annual SAP evaluation period to remain eligible for financial aid for the subsequent academic year.

Satisfactory Pace of Progression Toward Degree Completion

A minimum percentage of units attempted must be successfully completed cumulatively by the end of each SAP evaluation period to maintain a satisfactory pace toward degree completion and remain eligible for financial aid. Students must successfully complete 67% of all units attempted cumulatively during their undergraduate career, including accepted transfer units.

Please Note:

• The 67% completion rate still applies even if you were approved for a reduced course load by your college and/or the Disabled Students Program (DSP)
• Courses taken P/NP are still factored into SAP. "P" is considered to be attempted and completed, while an "NP" is considered attempted, but not completed, when determining completion rate %

Maximum Number of Attempted Units/Maximum Time Frame

You may receive financial aid for attempted units not to exceed 150% of the published length of your program, if needed to complete degree requirements. The attempted unit limit applies to time you have spent at any college or post-secondary institution, including non-AP college transfer units earned in high school, semesters during which you withdrew, and semesters in which you did not receive financial aid. It does not include semesters when you were not registered.

The published length for an undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley is 120 units. Students are only eligible to receive financial aid for up to 180 attempted units, including accepted transfer units.

The following classes/units DO NOT count as units attempted or completed, and are excluded when determining SAP:

• Remedial courses for which no credit is received
• Advanced Placement (AP) units
• International Baccalaureate (IB) units
• Classes taken at other colleges that are not reflected on your UC Berkeley transcript as transfer units
• Courses dropped before the fifth week of instruction (for Summer: after the session deadline to drop Summer courses)
• Certain Incomplete or Withdrawn units from 2019-20 and 2020-21, that were not completed as a result of COVID-19 related circumstances.

The following classes count as units attempted, but NOT completed, and can impact the maximum time frame and the 67% completion rate requirement:

• Repeated courses (in which you previously received a passing grade)
• Courses dropped after the fifth week of instruction.
• Courses attempted in a semester in which you withdraw after the fifth week of instruction (for Summer: after the session deadline to drop Summer courses)
• Failed or incomplete courses

Calculating Your Pace of Progression

To determine if you have maintained a satisfactory pace of progression toward your degree, you will need to know how many units you have attempted and completed during your undergraduate career.

Divide the number of units successfully completed by the number of units attempted to calculate your percentage. For example, 18 units successfully completed divided by 24 units attempted would be 18/24 = 0.75 or 75%. This exceeds the 67% minimum and meets the satisfactory pace requirement.

Transfer units that are accepted by your college toward your academic program, including those earned while in high school, after high school, or after being admitted to UC Berkeley, are counted as both completed and attempted. These units are factored into your cumulative pace of progression in the evaluation.

Examples:

• A transfer student admitted with 70 transfer units will have 70 units attempted and completed included in the pace of progression calculation.
• If the same transfer student completes 14 units out of 24 attempted units during their first year at UC Berkeley, they would have 84 units completed out of 94 units attempted.
  • This student's cumulative measure would be 84/94 = 0.8936 or 89.36%. Cumulatively, this student is meeting SAP (67% or higher).
  • This student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress and is eligible for financial aid.

SAP Appeals

We understand that circumstances sometimes prevent students from making satisfactory progress towards their degree. If you are ineligible for financial aid because you are not meeting SAP requirements before the beginning of the academic year, and extenuating circumstances have hindered your academic progress, you may submit a SAP Appeal to have your eligibility reconsidered.

Please be aware that submission of an appeal is not a guarantee of approval. We review appeals on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks to review your appeal and notify you of the decision via email. We strongly encourage you to submit your SAP Appeal immediately after you receive notification that you are not meeting SAP requirements so that you may receive a decision on your appeal in a timely manner. 

If a SAP Appeal is required, one will be made available for you on CalCentral. Please review the appeal form to ensure you include all required documentation by the appropriate deadline. Incomplete appeals may require follow-up for additional information or documentation prior to a decision being made- you are encouraged to monitor your email regularly in case additional information is requested.

A copy of the Undergraduate Academic Plan (required as part of the SAP Appeal) will be available to download when completing the electronic appeal form. For your convenience, you may also access a copy of the Undergraduate Academic Plan form using the link below, to bring with you when meeting with your advisors.

Undergraduate Academic Plan Form

Your academic record will be evaluated after spring semester, after spring grades post, to determine if you are meeting the SAP requirements to maintain financial aid eligibility for future terms, including summer. For Graduate students, SAP impacts eligibility for federal aid, such as Federal Loans and Work Study, but does not impact eligibility for Graduate Division or Department funding. The UC Berkeley SAP requirements for graduate students are as follows:

• Maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above.
• Maintain a satisfactory pace of progress towards your degree by completing at least 67% of all units attempted cumulatively.
• Completing your degree within a maximum amount of attempted terms not to exceed 150% of the published length of your program.

Students in Graduate programs with a published length of one year or less will be evaluated after each semester to determine SAP.

Cumulative Grade Point Average At or Above 3.0

You are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above at the end of the annual SAP evaluation period to remain eligible for financial aid for the subsequent academic year.

Satisfactory Pace of Progression Toward Degree Completion

A minimum percentage of units attempted must be successfully completed both cumulatively and by the end of each academic year to maintain a satisfactory pace toward degree completion and remain eligible for financial aid. Students must successfully complete 67% of all units attempted cumulatively during their graduate program.

Maximum Number of Attempted Terms

You may receive financial aid for attempted terms not to exceed 150% of the published length of your program, if needed to complete degree requirements. The attempted term limit includes Summer enrollment, semesters during which you withdrew, and semesters in which you did not receive financial aid. It does not include semesters when you were not enrolled.

For example, students in a graduate program with a published length of 6 terms would only be eligible to receive financial aid for up to 9 attempted terms.

The following classes/units do not count as units attempted or completed:

• Classes taken at other colleges that are not reflected on your UC Berkeley transcript
• Courses dropped before the fifth week of instruction.
• Certain Incomplete or Withdrawn units from 2019-20 and 2020-21, that were not completed as a result of COVID-19 related circumstances.

The following classes do count as units attempted, but do not count as units completed:

• Repeated courses (in which you previously received a passing grade)
• Courses dropped after the fifth week of instruction.
• Courses attempted in a semester in which you withdraw after the fifth week of instruction.
  Failed or Incomplete courses

Berkeley Law Students: Berkeley Law does not award traditional letter grades. Satisfactory Academic Progress for Berkeley Law students aligns with the academic standing at the Law School. Students who are not in good academic standing with Berkeley Law are not considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress and are ineligible for financial aid. Berkeley Law students are eligible to submit SAP appeals.

SAP Appeals

We understand that circumstances sometimes prevent students from making satisfactory progress towards their degree. If you are ineligible for financial aid because you are not meeting SAP requirements prior to the beginning of the academic year, and extenuating circumstances have hindered your academic performance, you may submit a SAP Appeal to have your eligibility reconsidered.

Please be aware that submission of an appeal is not a guarantee of approval. We strongly encourage you to submit your SAP Appeal immediately after you receive notification that you are not meeting SAP requirements so that you may receive a decision on your appeal in a timely manner.

If a SAP Appeal is required, one will be made available for you on CalCentral. Please review the appeal form to ensure you include all required documentation by the appropriate deadline. Incomplete appeals may require follow-up for additional information or documentation prior to a decision being made- you are encouraged to monitor your email regularly in case additional information is requested.

A copy of the Graduate Academic Plan (required as part of the SAP Appeal) will be available to download when completing the electronic appeal form. For your convenience, you may also access a copy of the Graduate Academic Plan form using the link below, to bring with you when meeting with your advisors.

Graduate Academic Plan Form

Have you received a message advising you to complete a SAP Appeal? Not sure what steps to take to re-establish your financial aid eligibility? Follow these steps or see an adviser in Cal Student Central for assistance:

Note: We must receive a complete SAP appeal before the end of the term for which you are appealing. 

Preparing Your Appeal

• Calendar: Be aware of key deadlines, including cancellation and tuition/fee refund dates and the SAP Appeal deadline. Make advising appointments ASAP.
• Write Your Letter: Your letter of explanation should include the extenuating circumstances that may have prevented you from meeting financial aid SAP requirements. When writing your letter, be sure to address the following:
  
  • What were the circumstances that prevented you from meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress? 
  • What has changed since then that will allow you to successfully follow your academic plan?
  • What steps will you take, or which resources will you use, to ensure your success moving forward?
  • Click here to see some sample appeal letters. 
• Give Examples: In your letter, provide specific examples of changes that you will make or resources that you will use to ensure your future academic success (e.g., EOP advising, counseling, tutoring, etc.).
• Gather Documentation: Ensure your submission is complete; include documentation to support your letter of explanation (e.g., medical documentation, pay check stubs, transcripts, etc.). If supporting documentation cannot be reasonably obtained, you may instead provide an additional signed statement affirming your circumstances. Please reach out to Cal Student Central for any questions regarding supporting documentation.
• Meet With Your Academic Adviser(s): Discuss your circumstances, review your transcript and your supporting documentation, and prepare a manageable academic plan.
  • If you are an Undergraduate student: The academic plan accompanying your SAP Appeal must be reviewed, approved and signed by your College Advisor before it is submitted to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office. It must also be reviewed, approved and signed by your Undergraduate Major Advisor, if you are a declared Letters & Science major, and your DSP Specialist, if you are approved for a reduced course load through DSP.

Undergraduate Academic Plan Form

• • If you are a Graduate student: The academic plan accompanying your SAP Appeal must be reviewed, approved and signed by both your Faculty Graduate Advisor/Head Graduate Advisor and the Dean of Graduate Division (318 Sproul Hall or gradsapappeal@berkeley.edu), Dean of Optometry School, Director of Program Office at Haas or Dean of Students at Berkeley Law before it is submitted to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.

Graduate Academic Plan Form

• Prepare Backup Plan: If your appeal is not approved, you may need to seek alternative enrollment options or sources of funding.

Submitting Your Appeal

SAP Appeals are submitted through the Berkeley Financial Aid Forms website. You will be asked to complete and sign the electronic SAP Appeal form first. Once your form is signed and submitted, you will be prompted to upload your supporting documentation and signed Academic Plan. Be sure to click “Submit”, and then “Finish” so that your appeal is on file for review.

Reviewing Your Appeal

If approved, review the terms of your appeal. Make sure you understand what successful completion means and the number of units you must complete each term to maintain your financial aid eligibility. The terms of your appeal will be communicated to you in your approval message.

If you have been approved and are considering a change in your course load, discuss your academic plan options with both your academic adviser(s) and a Financial Aid Counselor prior to making any adjustments to your schedule. Students can connect with a Financial Aid Counselor through Cal Student Central.

Questions?

​Contact Cal Student Central: 510.664.9181 or in person by visiting 120 Sproul Hall