To demonstrate qualitative progress, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at the conclusion of each semester.
The Office of Financial Aid is required to make sure students are making steady progress toward their degree. We measure a student quantitative progress by comparing the percentage of units completed versus units attempted; students must have a cumulative completion rate of 67% after each semester.
Students cannot receive federal or state financial aid for more than 12 semesters but Occidental-funded financial aid is limited to eight semesters. Students pursuing double majors or minors are expected to complete all degree requirements within these limits.
How Courses are Counted
Attempted Courses
Attempted courses are courses in which a student remains enrolled after the last date to drop. All courses count toward academic progress, including the maximum number of semesters allowed, regardless of whether a student receives financial aid. Credit earned by examination also counts as an attempted course, but audited courses do not count as attempted.
Grade of Incomplete
Credit for an incomplete course is not counted as an attempted course until the Registrar has posted a final grade.
Grade of Withdrawal
Withdrawals recorded as a W on a student academic transcript are counted as attempted courses.
Repeated Courses
If a student does not receive a passing grade and repeats the course for credit, both the original course and the repeated courses are counted as attempted for purposes of determining SAP.
If a student receives a passing grade and chooses to repeat a course, the repeated course does not count as completed and does not contribute to meeting SAP requirements. The units for the repeated course are not counted unless the course is designated as repeatable in the Course Catalog.
Repeating a course does not remove the original course from a student academic transcript. Therefore, the grades earned in both the original and the repeated courses are used to calculate the student cumulative GPA.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credits from other institutions accepted by 91ΑΤΖζ are included when measuring the maximum timeframe for degree completion but do not factor into a student cumulative GPA.
Frequency of SAP Review
The Office of Financial Aid monitors all SAP requirements at the end of each semester. For students returning to the College after a leave of absence, SAP eligibility is reviewed when the student is approved to return.
Before financial aid is disbursed to a student account, it is possible to see estimated or anticipated aid on the eBill. The appearance of estimated or anticipated aid does not guarantee that a student is meeting SAP requirements as this can occur prior to the end of semester review.
Failure to Meet SAP Requirements
Students who do not meet all SAP requirements will be given a financial aid warning semester. During a warning semester, students remain eligible to receive financial aid. At the end of the warning semester, students who do not meet all SAP requirements will become ineligible for any further financial aid.
Students may receive multiple warning semesters during their time at Occidental; however, warning semesters may not occur consecutively.
Students who lose financial aid eligibility at the end of a warning semester, but are permitted to enroll by the College Student Progress Committee, may appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility.
How to Appeal
Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Office of Financial Aid. An appeal may not be based solely on a student financial need or lack of knowledge of the SAP policy. Instead, the appeal must describe an extenuating circumstance that prevented the student from meeting SAP requirements.
The appeal must also include an academic plan outlining how the student will meet the SAP requirement(s) and specifying the changes the student has made to ensure future compliance.
Students may obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form from the Office of Financial Aid. Completion of the form requires a meeting with the Senior Director of Advising.
If Appeal is Granted
If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. During probation, the student must follow the requirements of the approved academic plan. The student must meet the conditions of the academic plan each semester to remain eligible for financial aid.
If Appeal is Denied
If an appeal is denied, a student may regain financial aid eligibility in a future semester by enrolling at Occidental at their own expense, earning a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, and meeting the required cumulative unit completion standards.
A student may also take a leave of absence from Occidental and complete transferable coursework at another institution to address unit deficiencies and demonstrate academic progress. Grades earned at another institution will not affect the student Occidental GPA. Students should consult with the Registrar Office before enrolling elsewhere to confirm that the coursework will transfer to Occidental.
Merit Scholarships
Occidental merit scholarship recipients are selected by the Office of Admission at the time of admission. First-year students may receive their merit scholarship for up to eight semesters, provided they meet the required renewal criteria; transfer students receive a prorated period of eligibility based on their grade level at the time of admission. Students enrolled in fewer than 6 units are not eligible for merit scholarships and merit scholarships are prorated for enrollment in 6 to 11 units. The amount of Occidental merit scholarships remain constant each year of eligibility.
Students who entered before the fall of 2026 had their total four-year scholarship amounts and GPAs required for renewal outlined in each their initial financial aid offer letter.
Merit scholarships for students who entered in and after the fall of 2026 are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined in financial aid policy.
For any merit scholarship recipient who does not meet the required cumulative GPA, a one-year probation period is granted to regain merit scholarship eligibility. If their cumulative GPA is not at the required level after a one-year probation period, no further extensions are granted.
Part-Time Adjustments
Financial aid is awarded based on the assumption that a student will be enrolled full-time in 12 or more units each semester. If a student enrolls in fewer than 12 units at any time, their financial aid will be adjusted/reduced to reflect their actual enrollment. These adjustments will be made regardless of whether the student has been approved for part-time enrollment or is being charged as a full-time student.
The Office of Financial Aid can provide students with an estimate of how part-time enrollment impacts financial aid eligibility.
Leaves/Withdrawals and R2T4
Generally, financial aid is posted to student accounts at the start of each semester under the assumption that the student will attend for the entire term. If a student withdraws during the semester or takes a medical leave of absence, the amount of financial aid for the semester may change.
Initiating a Withdrawal or Medical Leave of Absence
Students initiate a withdrawal or medical leave of absence by submitting a Leave/Withdrawal Form which is available on the Office of the Registrar website. Only current 91ΑΤΖζ students or members of the Dean of Students Office can initiate this process; the Dean of Students Office only initiates the form when a student is unable to do so under extenuating circumstances.
Unofficial Withdrawals
An unofficial withdrawal occurs when an enrolled student does not earn any course credit in a semester but did not officially withdraw resulting in failing or unsatisfactory grades. In these cases, the Office of Financial Aid reviews faculty comments for each failed course to determine if the student ever attended the course and to determine an unofficial withdrawal date. The Office of Financial Aid determines the unofficial withdrawal date for the student 30 calendar days from the end of the semester at the latest. If faculty notes do not document any attendance, the student will be treated as if they never began attendance. If any faculty member indicates that the student attended some classes, the student withdrawal date is considered the midpoint of the semester only if the last date of an academically related activity cannot otherwise be documented.
Date of Withdrawal
In accordance with federal regulation, a student withdrawal date is the earlier of:
- The date the student begins the official withdrawal process (as defined by beginning the Leave/Withdrawal Form online)
- The date that the student otherwise notified the Dean of Students Office
- In cases where the student does not start the withdrawal process or notify the Dean of Students Office, the midpoint of the semester or, if documented, the last date of a student academically related activity
Withdrawals After Rescinding a Previous Official Withdrawal
In the unlikely event that a student withdraws after rescinding a previous official notification to withdraw, Occidental defines the student official date of withdrawal as the student original withdrawal date from the previous official notification. The date that the Dean of Students Office becomes aware that the student did not, or will not, complete the semester will be considered the date that the institution determined that the student withdrew; this date will be provided to the Office of the Registrar who will then convey the student official withdrawal date to the Office of Financial Aid. The date of the Registrar notification is the date the institution determines that the student withdrew.
Institutional Refund Calculation/Policy
Students who withdraw or take a medical leave of absence receive grades of W on their transcript and are charged according to the Occidental Refund Policy. 91ΑΤΖζ merit scholarships, need-based grants and institutional loans are prorated at the same percentage of tuition charged. If a student retains 91ΑΤΖζ funds but does not earn course credit for the semester, the semester still counts as one of a student semesters of financial aid.
The requirements for federal refund calculations are separate and distinct from the 91ΑΤΖζ institutional refund policy. Therefore, after federal and 91ΑΤΖζ funds are adjusted, a student may still owe funds to cover unpaid institutional charges or charges that had previously been paid with unearned federal student aid funds.
Federal Title IV Refund Calculation/Policy
When a student officially enrolls but does not complete at least 60% of the semester because of a withdrawal or a medical leave of absence, federal regulations require Occidental to calculate what portion of federal student aid was earned versus unearned. The amount of aid earned is based on the percentage of the semester completed; however, if a student completed at least 60% of the semester, they are considered to have earned 100% of their federal student aid.
The amount of federal financial aid a student has earned for the semester is determined by a specific federal formula. If a student receives less aid than they earned, they may be eligible to receive the remaining amount as a post-withdrawal disbursement. If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes federal loan funds, 91ΑΤΖζ must obtain a student permission before disbursing those funds. 91ΑΤΖζ will automatically apply post-withdrawal grant funds to eligible tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and meal plan charges.
Returning Federal Student Aid
When federal student aid funds must be returned, both 91ΑΤΖζ and the student may have a responsibility to return funds. 91ΑΤΖζ first completes a calculation to determine the amount of federal aid the College must return to the federal programs. After the college share of the return has been calculated, the student repayment obligation is determined.
In total, Occidental must return the lesser of: the amount of federal student aid funds that the student did not earn or the amount of institutional charges that the student incurred for the semester multiplied by the percentage of funds that was not earned.
A student is responsible for returning all unearned federal student aid that Occidental is not required to return. If any portion of this amount is from a federal student loan, the student does not have to immediately return loan funds; rather, they repay the loan in accordance with the loan promissory note. If any of the unearned aid is from a federal grant, the student must only return the amount that exceeds 50% of the total grant funds disbursed, or that could have been disbursed, to the student. In cases where Occidental has returned the grant overpayment on behalf of the student, the student no longer repays the federal government but instead repays the college.
Order of Return
The required return of federal student aid funds will be processed as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date 91ΑΤΖζ determines the student withdrew. The college must return unearned funds to the federal student aid programs in the following order, up to the total net amount disbursed from each source:
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
If, after the student account has been updated with the correct amount of financial aid earned for the semester, this calculation results in a credit balance on a student account, it will be disbursed to either the student or parent no later than 14 days after the calculation is complete unless otherwise allowed in writing.
Cal Grant Program
Cal Grant recipients that do not complete their semester will have their Cal Grant returned at the same percentage as their federal student aid. If a student retains any earned Cal Grant funds, it will count as a semester of Cal Grant usage toward the maximum of eight semesters.
Financial Aid for Study Abroad
Students participating in an Occidental-approved off-campus study program are charged a comprehensive fee that is equivalent to on-campus tuition, mandatory fees, housing, and meals for the semester abroad. As a result, students generally receive the same merit scholarships and need-based grants they would receive while studying on campus.
Student loan and employment eligibility may change while studying abroad. Students cannot participate in Federal Work-Study or the 91ΑΤΖζ Work Award program while abroad. Instead, the student employment portion of the financial aid offer is replaced with a student loan to help offset the loss of employment income.
Financial aid may be available to help with airfare and other travel expenses. Students with demonstrated financial need may be eligible for a travel grant to help cover the cost of traveling to their study abroad location. Travel grants are estimates of travel expenses and are not intended to reflect a student actual costs.
Funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs cannot be used to pay for a study abroad program. If you receive VA funding and would like to discuss other options for funding your study abroad program, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Computer Purchases and Obtaining Textbooks
Through our Oswald's Essentials program, students are charged a per-unit fee that provides access to required course materials, both physical and digital, before the first day of class. A student financial aid offer already includes an estimated amount for books and supplies, which may help cover the cost of the Oswald's Essentials program. Students may opt out of the program each semester. For more information, visit the 91ΑΤΖζ Bookstore.
A student cost of attendance may be increased to accommodate the documented cost of purchasing a computer. Students can request financial aid to help cover this additional expense but computer expense requests are limited to once every two years and students may need to borrow additional student loan funds to cover the cost.
Consortium Agreements
A consortium agreement is a written agreement between eligible schools that allows an Occidental student to take courses at another institution while continuing to receive federal student aid through Occidental. As your Home School, Occidental will process your financial aid for attendance at a Host School only if the courses are transferable to Occidental.
It is your responsibility to verify with the Registrar Office that the courses you plan to take are transferable and will count toward your degree requirements.
Occidental is not required to develop or agree to consortium agreements and such agreements are extremely rare. For more information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
How Aid is Calculated and Disbursed
Whose Financial Information Is Required?
Dependent students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile with financial information from their custodial parent. For financial aid purposes, the custodial parent is the parent who provided the most financial support in the past year. Although the FAFSA considers a student independent at age 24, Occidental requires parental information on the CSS Profile through age 30 unless waived in writing beforehand.
Students applying to 91ΑΤΖζ, and currently enrolled students whose parents have recently separated, must also have their noncustodial parent submit a CSS Profile.
How is Aid Disbursed?
Scholarships, grants, and educational loans are disbursed each semester directly to the student account and reflected on the eBill. Financial aid is disbursed only after your enrollment is confirmed. All students are assumed to be enrolled full-time until the Census Date. If you are not enrolled in at least 12 units as of the Census Date, your financial aid will be adjusted based on the number of units in which you are enrolled.
Will My Aid Change?
Several factors are considered when determining a family expected contribution, including parent and student income (taxable and untaxed), parent and student assets (including home equity), household size, and whether the student has a sibling who is also an undergraduate.
Changes in any of these factors affect your family expected contribution and, as a result, your eligibility for need-based grants, loans, and work-study. For more information, please refer to How Financial Aid Works.
Students who indicate on their admission application that they will not apply for need-based financial aid will not be considered for 91ΑΤΖζ need-based aid programs during their first year. If they apply for financial aid by March 2 of a subsequent academic year, they may be considered for need-based aid for the folliwng year.
Financial Aid for Summer
Limited financial aid may be available for students enrolled in summer courses at Occidental. Financial aid is not available for internships or independent study courses. To find out if you may be eligible for summer financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid after April 1.
How Do I Find a Job?
Student employment positions are posted online through your my91ΑΤΖζ portal. To view available positions, go to the Human Resources/Student Employment section.
Once you find a position you are interested in, submit an application and complete the Student Employment New Hire Packet, available through Human Resources. If selected, the hiring department will contact you with information about your job duties, work schedule, and timesheet requirements before your first paycheck.
What is Federal Verification?
The U.S. Department of Education selects some Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants for a review process called verification. If you are selected, Occidental is required to collect documentation to confirm data reported on the FAFSA.
If you are selected for verification, you will be notified through your Financial Aid Portal and by email. Your Financial Aid Portal will also list the specific documents you need to submit.
Emergency Funding
91ΑΤΖζ has limited funds available to provide emergency financial assistance to students experiencing unexpected or unforeseen circumstances. Students who need emergency assistance may contact the Office of Financial Aid to learn more and apply. Emergency funds are intended to help with unexpected expenses and cannot be used to pay charges owed to 91ΑΤΖζ.
If you are experiencing a short-term financial emergency, you may be eligible for a Dean Loan. Dean Loans are available for up to $500 and must be repaid by the end of the semester in which the loan is received. To apply for a Dean Loan, please contact the Dean of Students office in Berkus Hall.
Resident Advisor Compensation
Students who are hired as Resident Advisors (RAs) receive compensation that must be included in their overall financial aid eligibility. RAs receive a credit on their eBill equal to the cost of a double room and Meal Plan D. Residential Education and Housing Services (REHS) also provides a biweekly stipend throughout the academic year. Stipend amounts are determined by REHS and are based on your prior experience as an RA.
If you are considering an RA position, the Office of Financial Aid can provide an estimate of how the RA credits and stipend will affect your financial aid offer.
OSHIP Grant
All students must have health insurance to enroll at Occidental. Students are automatically charged for the Occidental Student Health Insurance Program (OSHIP) but those who have coverage through another insurance policy may apply for a waiver (strict deadlines apply for the waiver).
Students who do not have health insurance or who are covered by a Medicaid plan outside Southern California may apply for a grant to help cover the cost of the OSHIP. Grants are limited and are intended for those who have exhausted all other options and meet specific financial criteria. Students are invited to apply via email and applications for the fall semester are due in mid-August.
Named Scholarships
Occidental need-based grants are made possible through the generosity of individual donors, private corporations, agencies, alumni, and other College resources.
Donors who support 91ΑΤΖζ financial aid programs appreciate hearing from the students they help. During the academic year, you may be asked to write a thank you letter to a specific donor and that all or part of your need-based grant has been funded by a specific donor.
This does not mean you have received additional grant funding. Instead, a specific donor has provided funding for all or part of your existing need-based grant. When this occurs, the donor-specific fund will replace the corresponding portion of your need-based grant on your financial aid offer and your eBill.