Financial Aid Appeal Policy

Financial Aid Appeals

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) is here to help students from all financial backgrounds cover college costs, including tuition, fees, housing, books, supplies, and transportation. Our goal is to help you stay focused on your academic journey and succeed at CC.

If you have questions about financial aid or the appeal process, please contact our office — we’re happy to assist you.

Apply for Aid

We encourage all students to apply for:

These applications open the door to grants, work-study, and other financial support.

California College Promise Grant (CCPG)

You must:

• Complete at least 50% of the units you attempt
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA (cumulative)
• Or a combination of both GPA and course completion issues over two terms

Federal and State Financial Aid

You must:

• Complete at least 67% of the units you attempt
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA (cumulative)
• Finish your educational program within 150% of the normal timeframe (this includes students who already have a bachelor’s degree)

If you don’t meet one or more of these standards for two semesters in a row, you may lose your eligibility for certain types of financial aid.

Submitting an Appeal

If your academic progress was affected by serious, unforeseen circumstances beyond your control, you may be able to submit an appeal to have your financial aid reinstated.

Note for the Fall 2025 appeal submission:

• Appeal submission opens: May 25, 2025
• Review begins: July 15, 2025
• Review time: Please allow 3–4 weeks from your submission date for an initial review.

Use the links below to choose the appropriate appeal option and follow the steps to submit your request via the Appeal Request Form.

• Option 1: Financial Aid & CCPG Appeal
• Option 2: CCPG-Only Appeal (California College Promise Grant)

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OPTION 1

Financial Aid & CCPG Appeal

Select this option if you are appealing for federal and/or state financial aid, including the California College Promise Grant (CCPG).

If your financial aid eligibility has been suspended due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements—and you experienced serious, unexpected circumstances—you may be eligible to submit an appeal.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) is committed to helping students afford their education at Cerro Coso by offering access to federal, state, and private financial aid programs. Our goal is to ensure financial concerns don’t stand in the way of your academic success.

SAP Requirements

To maintain eligibility for most types of financial aid, including the CCPG, students must meet the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards:

For Federal & State Financial Aid:

• Pace of Progression: Complete at least 67% of all attempted units
• GPA: Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
• Maximum Timeframe: Complete your program within 150% of its published length
  • Example: If your program requires 60 units, you must finish within 90 attempted units
  • Note: Reaching your maximum timeframe automatically makes you ineligible for aid until an appeal is submitted and approved

Common Reasons for SAP Ineligibility (Financial Aid):

• Did not meet conditions of Financial Aid Warning
• Cumulative GPA is below 2.0 and/or completion rate is below 67%
• Did not meet the terms of a previous Financial Aid Appeal
• Did not comply with a Financial Aid Suspension plan
• Exceeded 150% of required units for your program (including transfer units, even if no aid was received for them)

For CCPG (California College Promise Grant):

• Pace: Complete at least 50% of attempted units
• GPA: Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA

If you fail to meet these standards for two consecutive terms, your eligibility for financial aid or the CCPG may be suspended.

How to Submit an Appeal

To begin the appeal process, ensure that you have a completed FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) on file.

Next, complete the SAP Appeal Request Form (linked). Once submitted, your appeal will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, which may:

• Approve your appeal
• Request additional documentation
• Deny the appeal

Appeal Request Form

Examples of Extenuating Circumstances

You may be eligible to appeal if your academic performance was affected by circumstances such as, but not limited to:

• The death of an immediate family member
• A serious illness, injury, or medical emergency
• A mental health condition or crisis
• A natural disaster or housing displacement
• Legal issues or court involvement
• Personal or family-related emergencies
• Other unforeseen circumstances beyond your control

Important: Be prepared to submit documentation that clearly supports your circumstances and the impact on your academic performance.

Student Process

To determine your eligibility for an appeal, students must complete the following steps:

1. Log in to your InsideCC account and verify your current status. If you find that your status is suspended or you have reached the maximum program limit, click on the Appeal Request Form. Allow 3-5 business days for the request to show up in your Inside CC Portal. You will be notified via email once the request is placed in your Verification Connection.
   1. Access your Verification Connection (wait for your email confirmation or 3-5 business days)
      1. Login to your InsideCC Portal
      2. Click on Financial Aid at the top right-hand corner
      3. Click on Eligibility
      4. Select 2025-2026 for the fall semester
      5. Click on Verification Connection
      6. If you have already created your account, you will be able to see your tasks. If you have not created one, you will be prompted to do so. Once created, you will be able to access your documents.
2. Schedule an appointment to acquire a signed Student Education Plan from an Academic Counselor or Educational Advisor. You will need to upload this plan to your student forms.
3. Complete The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process and Understanding the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and its Effect. If this is your first time, please register before logging into the portal. When registering for your FAtv account do not include the “@” in your student account.
   Once the sessions are completed, retain a copy of the sessions to upload to student forms. Log into your Student Forms (Verification Connection) account to submit an SAP Appeal in Verification Connection. The Appeal Packet must consist of the following: 
   • Proof of completion of The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process and Understanding the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and its Effect.
     • Or attend our Satisfactory Academic Workshop, virtually or in-person. 
   • A typewritten statement explaining the circumstances that led to the student's inability to meet SAP standards, including an explanation outlining circumstances and what steps have been taken to allow the student to meet SAP standards in the future.
   • Additional supporting documentation (i.e., death certificate, letter(s) from doctor(s), medical records, divorce decree, etc.)
   • A signed Student Education Plan completed by an Academic Counselor/Educational Advisor to upload to student forms.

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OPTION 2

CCPG-Only Appeal (California College Promise Grant)

Select this option if you are appealing only for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG).

The California College Promise Grant (CCPG) helps eligible students cover the $46 per-unit enrollment fee. To qualify, you must complete the FAFSA, CADAA, or the CCPG application.

According to California Title 5 Regulations (§58621), students must meet specific academic and progress standards to maintain CCPG eligibility. Based on your academic history, one or more of the following may apply:

• Your cumulative GPA has been below 2.0 for two consecutive primary terms
• You have completed less than 50% of the units attempted over two consecutive primary terms
• Or, you have both GPA and progress issues across those terms

Important: Foster youth and former foster youth under age 25, as well as students qualifying under special classifications, are not subject to CCPG eligibility loss.

Special Classifications Include:

• Dependents of California National Guard members
• Dependents of U.S. military veterans
• Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and their dependents
• Surviving dependents of the September 11, 2001, attacks
• Dependents of law enforcement or fire suppression personnel
• Individuals exonerated by writ of habeas corpus or pardon
• Dependents/spouse/registered domestic partner of a deceased physician, nurse, or first responder who died of COVID-19 during the California pandemic state of emergency

What You Can Do Next

We strongly recommend scheduling a meeting with a counselor or educational advisor to create a plan for academic success. You should also request an updated Comprehensive Student Education Plan (CSEP). If your CSEP is less than six months old, you may not need a new one—but it's still helpful to check in.

Take advantage of the many support services on campus, including tutoring, academic counseling, and student success programs. Visit our Student Services page for more information.

Once you meet the academic and/or progress standards again, your CCPG eligibility will be automatically reinstated in future terms.

How to Submit a CCPG Appeal

You may appeal the loss of CCPG if your academic performance was impacted by extenuating circumstances, such as—but not limited to—serious illness, accident, loss of housing, or other unforeseen events beyond your control.

To appeal for CCPG only:

1. Complete the CCPG Appeal Request Form
2. Wait for a response from the Financial Aid Office within 2–3 business days for next steps.
3. Submit your appeal through the Verification Connection Portal.
   
   Foster youth and Special Classifications (see special classifications below) are exempt from this step; please contact the Financial Aid Office directly.
4. Schedule an appointment with a counselor to develop or update your long-term education plan.
   
   

   When scheduling, inform the staff that this is for a CCPG appeal.

5. If you’re part of CalWORKs, EOPS, DSPS, or Veterans Services, you must meet with your program-specific counselor. Appointments may be conducted by phone.
6. Upload supporting documentation related to your extenuating circumstances, such as:
7. Note: This form is not for appealing priority registration. Contact Counseling for that process.
8. This form is not for financial aid appeals. If you are also appealing for federal/state financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
9. Allow 2–3 weeks for the Appeals Committee to review your request.

Appeal Request Form

Student Process

To determine your eligibility for an appeal, students must complete the following steps:

1. Log in to your InsideCC account and verify your current status. If you find that your status is suspended or you have reached the maximum program limit, click on the Appeal Request Form. Allow 3-5 business days for the request to show up in your Inside CC Portal. You will be notified via email once the request is placed in your Verification Connection.
   1. Access your Verification Connection (wait for your email confirmation or 3-5 business days)
      1. Login to your InsideCC Portal
      2. Click on Financial Aid at the top right-hand corner
      3. Click on Eligibility
      4. Select 2025-2026 for the fall semester
      5. Click on Verification Connection
      6. If you have already created your account, you will be able to see your tasks. If you have not created one, you will be prompted to do so. Once created, you will be able to access your documents.
2. Schedule an appointment to acquire a signed Student Education Plan from an Academic Counselor or Educational Advisor. You will need to upload this plan to your student forms.
3. A typewritten statement explaining the circumstances that led to the student's inability to meet SAP standards, including an explanation outlining circumstances and what steps have been taken to allow the student to meet SAP standards in the future.
   • Optional: Additional supporting documentation (i.e., death certificate, letter(s) from doctor(s), medical records, divorce decree, etc.
4. A signed Student Education Plan completed by an Academic Counselor/Educational Advisor to upload to student forms.

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Appeal Submission

Appeals must be submitted to Verification Connection.

Notice of Appeal Status

• Submission of an appeal DOES NOT GUARANTEE a reinstatement of financial aid. If an appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Appeal Probation and will be reinstated for Financial Aid eligibility. Approved appeals will clearly state the condition(s) for eligibility and/or reinstatement. 
• Only one financial aid appeal submission per semester, per student. Students who submit more than one appeal must provide differing extenuating circumstances in subsequent appeal(s). Or provide proof of completion of Satisfactory Academic Progress, unless otherwise instructed by your technician. Allow 45 days from time of complete submission.
• If your appeal is denied and you don’t agree with the decision, you can request a second review. This gives you a chance to submit any new or additional information that may help your case. If your appeal is denied again after the second review, you’ll need to wait until the next semester to submit a new appeal. To request a second review, please reach out to the financial aid office. You must request the re-appeal before the submission deadline of the semester.

Deadlines for Submission

• FALL: 12/2/2025
• SPRING: 5/4/2026

*Student must be enrolled in the semester which they are requesting their appeal.

Contact Information

Email: cc_faid@cerrocoso.edu

Phone: (760) 384-6221

Fax: (760) 384-6321

Hours of Operation

M-Th 7:30 am-6:30 pm, F 8 am-12 pm.