Financial Aid Appeals

Students disqualified due to not meeting the cumulative minimum GPA of 2.0 and/or the cumulative minimum unit completion percentage of 66.5% may submit an appeal to reinstate their eligibility for financial aid. Approved reinstatement appeals are subject to academic progress conditions (GPA and completion rate) that must be met to carry the approval to the next semester of enrollment. The terms of these conditions will be stated in the approval notification.

How to submit a Reinstatement Appeal:

1. Access the appeal form on your lahc.studentforms.com account and click on the SAP Appeal Tab (this tab should be available the next business day after creating the account)
   • When prompted, explain the circumstances that caused your failure to meet satisfactory academic progress standards and describe the steps you are taking to ensure you will meet satisfactory academic progress in the future. Include any additional third party supporting documentation you wish to submit with your appeal.
2. Upload the GET SAP Workshop Certificates of Completion. Use the link below to access the GET SAP modules required for your appeal.
   • https://laharbor.get-counseling.com/flag-session/16806
   • You will need to complete one of the following GET SAP modules: The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process, or The Essentials to Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and What It Means to You.  Upload your GET SAP completion certificates to your appeal task.
3. It is recommended but not mandatory for you to attend a virtual SAP workshop. Information will be available on our LAHC financial aid website.
4. Submit the online appeal form to the lahc.studentforms.com account that you created.

Reinstatement appeals are reviewed by the LAHC Appeals Committee. There are two levels of appeals. The result of the first-level appeal will generally be emailed to the student's LACCD email account within 45 calendar days. Students whose first level appeals are denied have the option to submit a second level appeal within 14 calendar days of the notification.

Students disqualified due to exceeding the 150% unit time-frame of their stated academic program or major may appeal to extend their eligibility for financial aid. Students approved under an extension appeal will be subject to an SAP contract meaning only the approved classes on the contract will count towards financial aid eligibility. Students may review their approved courses on their Student Portal (Financial Aid & Scholarships > SAP Extension of Appeal > View/Apply SAP Appeal). The approved courses are marked as "Include towards FA Progress Units".

How to submit an Extension Appeal:

1. Prior to submitting an appeal, students must develop a comprehensive educational plan or update their existing educational plan with an LAHC Academic Counselor.
2. Once the student has an Educational Plan, log in to the Student Portal to initiate the extension appeal:
   • Click on the Financial Aid and Scholarships menu and select the current academic year, if prompted.
   • Click on the SAP Extension of Appeal from the menu on the left.
   • Follow the instructions and answer all required questions. You will be able to type your explanation as to why you have exceeded 150% of your program when prompted. Be sure to include a brief statement letting the committee know when you anticipate graduating from Harbor College.
   • Submit the online appeal form to your SIS portal.

Extension appeals are reviewed by the LAHC Appeals Committee. There are two levels of appeals. The result of the first-level appeal will generally be emailed to the student's LACCD email account within 45 calendar days. Students whose first level appeals are denied have the option to submit a second level appeal within 14 calendar days of the notification.

If you are disqualified for low GPA and/or pace of progression in addition to exceeding 150% of your program, you will need to upload proof that you have completed the required GET SAP modules. Your appeal statement must address why you have not met the GPA and pace of progression requirement in addition to the 150% of your program disqualification. Your statement must also describe the steps you are taking to ensure you meet satisfactory academic progress in the future.

How to submit a Combination Appeal:

1. Follow the steps listed above for Extension Appeal.  Your appeal statement must include a statement to explain why your overall GPA is below a 2.0 and/or why you are not meeting the pace of progression standard.
2. Upload the GET SAP Workshop Certificates of Completion
   • Use the following link to access the GET SAP modules required: https://laharbor.get-counseling.com/flag-session/16806
   • You will need to complete one of the following GET SAP modules: The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)Financial Aid Appeal Process or The Essentials to Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and What It Means to You.  Upload your GET SAP completion certificates with your appeal on your SIS portal.
   • Upload any additional third party supporting documentation you wish to submit with your appeal.
3. It is recommended but not mandatory for you to attend a virtual SAP workshop. Information will be available on our LAHC financial aid website.
4. Submit the online appeal form to your SIS portal.

Your appeal statement should explain the circumstances that caused your failure to meet the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards.  Your statement should also describe the steps you are taking to ensure you will meet SAP standards in the future.

Special Circumstances or EFC Appeal refers to the financial situations (became unemployed, change of income, etc) that justify a financial aid administrator adjusting data elements in the COA or in the EFC calculation.

If you have any Special Circumstances, you can file a Special Circumstances or EFC Appeal by following the steps below:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

1. Go to your lahc.studentforms.com account. If you do not have an account you will need to create one using your first and last name (be sure to use the same name you used for your FAFSA application) student ID, Soc. Sec#, date of birth, your LACCD email.  
2. On the main landing page after you sign in, you will click on the square titled “Manage Requests” on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Once you click on the “Manage Requests” a pop up will open.  You can then choose what type of professional judgement appeal you would like to file.
4. After selecting your request, please make sure to read the instructions carefully and provide all of the requested information and documentation.  

The decision of the financial aid administrator is final. There is no appeal. By law, neither the school's president nor the US Department of Education can override the financial aid administrator's decision.

Unusual Circumstances or Dependency Override Appeal refers to the conditions that justify a financial aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration, etc.).

If you have any Unusual Circumstances, you can file an Unusual Circumstance Appeal by following the steps below:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

1. Go to your lahc.studentforms.com account. If you do not have an account you will need to create one using your first and last name (be sure to use the same name you used for your FAFSA application) student ID, Soc. Sec#, date of birth, your LACCD email.  
2. On the main landing page after you sign in, you will click on the square titled “Manage Requests” on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Once you click on the “Manage Requests” a pop up will open.  You can then choose what type of professional judgement appeal you would like to file.
4. After selecting your request, please make sure to read the instructions carefully and provide all of the requested information and documentation.  

The decision of the financial aid administrator is final. There is no appeal. By law, neither the school's president nor the US Department of Education can override the financial aid administrator's decision.