Satisfactory Academic Progress

Student Forms

Click Here to log into your Student Forms account to complete your SAP Appeal.

SAP Deadline

SAP Appeals must be submitted each semester by the drop deadline. For appeals related to second session courses within a semester, you may submit up to the drop deadline for that session. Appeals submitted after these deadlines may not be reviewed by the SAP Committee for the current semester.

SAP Policy

Staying Eligible for Financial Aid at CBU

To keep receiving financial aid, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. These requirements are set by the federal government to help ensure you’re on track to graduate.

What You Need to Do:

  • Undergraduate students: Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
  • Graduate students: Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • All students: Successfully complete at least 67% of your attempted units
  • All students: Finish your degree within 150% of the standard program time (e.g., a 124 unit undergraduate degree must be completed before you have attempted 186 units; a 36 unit graduate degree must be completed before you have attempted 54 units)

We check SAP status for all students at the end of each Spring semester.

If You Don’t Meet SAP Standards:

  • Financial Aid Suspension: You’ll lose eligibility for financial aid. You can submit an appeal, but aid will remain paused until your appeal is reviewed and approved. All updates will be sent to your LancerMail.
  • Financial Aid Probation: If your appeal is approved, you’ll receive aid for one more semester. To keep it after that, you must pass all of your classes and continue meeting SAP standards. If you don’t, your aid will be suspended again and another appeal will be required.

These policies follow federal regulations (34 CFR § 668.34) and CBU’s Academic Catalog.

Academic Plan Form

Academic Plan Form

Please meet with your Student Success Coach to complete this plan. Once completed, upload it to the Student Forms portal for review.

(.pdf, 133K)
Download 2025-26 Academic Plan (and Summer 25)

SAP FAQ's

What is SAP? Federal regulations require California Baptist University to establish, publish, and apply standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid eligibility. The purpose of measuring and enforcing these standards is to ensure financial aid recipients’ progress towards graduation. Students who fail to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements become ineligible to receive financial aid until they are in compliance with these requirements.
How do I appeal? Submit your appeal through CBU's Student Forms website.

A complete appeal consists of the following:
  • SAP Request Form: This form must include your statement of any extenuating circumstances, your plan of action to resolve these circumstances, along with your signature and date.
  • Supporting Documentation: This may include, but is not limited to, letters or bills from healthcare providers, a death certificate, obituary, or college transcripts to demonstrate progress and improvement.
  • Academic Plan Completed with Your Student Success Coach: This plan should include your expected graduation term, course numbers, and units for each semester. It must be signed by your Student Success Coach. You are responsible for coordinating with your Student Success Coach to complete your academic plan. Find your Student Success Coach here.
What is an Academic Plan? An Academic Plan must be developed with the assistance of your Student Success Coach and the provided Academic Plan Form submitted with your SAP Appeal. If your appeal is approved, it is essential that the Academic Plan is realistic, as adherence to the plan will be closely monitored. Failure to follow the outlined courses and units may result in future denial of financial aid.
How soon will I hear about my appeal? Appeals are reviewed by the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee on a regular basis, typically weekly. You will be notified via Lancermail of the decision made on your appeal shortly after the hearing.
What if my appeal is denied? If your appeal is not approved, you will receive information regarding other alternatives available to you. Some options include:
  • Continuing enrollment at CBU without any financial aid assistance.
  • Continuing enrollment at CBU with the assistance of private loans.
  • Taking a leave of absence from CBU to make up a portion or all of the deficient units at a Community College. In this case, you will need to file an additional appeal to have aid reinstated after completing the required units and demonstrating the ability to continue at CBU without incurring any additional deficiencies. The Financial Aid Office recommends consulting with your Student Success Coach to ensure that any classes taken elsewhere will count toward your area of study.
Additionally, if your initial appeal is denied, you may request a second review by sending an email request to finaid@calbaptist.edu. This review will be conducted by a different reviewer who did not participate in the first evaluation, offering a fresh perspective on your appeal.
I received a termination letter, but have had a grade change. What do I do? You still must submit a SAP Appeal to the Financial Aid Office. Please include supporting documentation regarding the grade change in your appeal (i.e., your transcript or a grade report showing the change).
How is the 12 semester limit determined? The federal government states that for an undergraduate program the time frame for aid eligibility cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program. 150% of a four-year program would allow 6 years of eligibility, or 12 full-time semesters. CBU does not offer a mandatory fifth year program. Additionally, an undergraduate course of study at CBU requires 124 units; 150% of the program would be a total of 186 attempted units. Eligibility of aid will cease when a student reaches either of these 150% marks.
Where would I have seen the information regarding SAP? The Satisfactory Academic Policy is listed in the undergraduate catalog and the graduate catalog in the Financial Aid section. The policy is also listed on the Financial Aid tab of InsideCBU.