Students who fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for grade point average (GPA) and/or credit completion will be suspended. Riverland students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and complete 67% of the credits they are enrolled in at Riverland.
While you can sit out for a year and be academically qualified to return to Riverland, students who are suspended from financial aid must successfully appeal before they are eligible to receive further financial aid.
Appeals for a second suspension are more difficult. Make sure that you are clear about the extenuating circumstances that caused you not to make progress while on probation. You should provide all documentation necessary when you submit your appeal. Make sure that you address your academic plan for success should the appeal be approved, and address anything you committed to completing in your previous appeal. A copy of your previous appeal letter can be requested from the Records or Financial Aid Office.
There is a new online SAP Appeal form! Click the button below to access the appeal form.
Appeal FormAppeals must be approved before the end of the academic term the student is seeking aid for. Note that Federal Direct Loans must be certified by the last day of the term.
Appeal FormIf you do not understand your suspension, we encourage you to contact your Academic Advisor for further information.
If your suspension is appealed successfully, you will be placed on probation and may continue to take courses and possibly receive financial aid. In order to remain on probation and not be re-suspended, for each term you attend you must earn a minimum GPA of 2.1 or higher until you bring your cumulative GPA to 2.0, and complete 75% of your classes until you bring your cumulative completion rate to 67%. You can’t withdraw from classes or get a majority of Cs during probation. If you have questions, talk to an academic advisor or the Director of Advocacy Services.
Before you begin, brainstorm the following and use it as a framework for writing your appeal. You should be thoughtful and complete in your responses, so that the appeal committee fully understands your situation. The appeal is found online on the Registration and Financial Aid webpages. This worksheet walks you through the questions you’ll need to address.
Address all unsuccessful terms. (Section III: Appeal Information – Question #1)
Think of steps, be specific and thoughtful. (Section III: Appeal Information – Question #3)
Please be prepared when you submit your appeal to add any appropriate supplemental documentation such as:
If you don’t have an electronic version, take a picture of your document with your phone and attach an image.