Notice and Required Pause


Fall 2026 Required Academic and/or Progress Pause Petition

Academic Notice:

A student will be placed on academic notice if they have attempted a minimum of twelve (12) graded cumulative semester units and have earned a grade point average of less than 2.0 at the college. A student on academic notice will be removed from academic notice when the student's cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher.   Students on academic notice are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment to meet with their assigned academic counselor soon and get back on track toward academic success.

Progress Notice:

A student will be placed on progress probation when they have attempted a minimum of twelve (12) cumulative semester units and the percentage of all units for which entries of "W," "I," "NC," and "NP" were recorded reaches or exceeds 50 percent of the total units attempted at the college. A student on progress notice will be removed from progress notice when the percentage of units in the categories of "W," "I," "NC," and "NP" drops below 50 percent of the total units attempted at the college.

What happens when a student is on either Academic Notice or Progress Notice?

Students on academic or progress notice are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic counselor to discuss their academic standing, learn why they are on academic and/or progress notice, update or create their student education plan, and discuss strategies to return to good standing and avoid required academic and/or progress pause. 

For students who are part of a special program, e.g., EOPS, Raices, Transfer Academy, Umoja, and Transfer Achievement Program (TAP), please contact your special program for an academic counseling appointment. If you are not part of a special program, please visit https://www.sbcc.edu/counselingcenter/ for information on our same-day services, available in person or remotely through the first week of the semester.

**F-1 Visa students must also meet with their International Student Advisor to learn how this may impact their F-1 Visa status.

To schedule an appointment with an academic counselor, please:

  1. Log onto the SBCC campus portal.
  2. Click on the "Starfish" tab at the top of the page.
  3. Click on the "Home" tab in the upper left-hand corner.
  4. Click the "My Success Network" icon on the left-hand side
  5. Find your Primary Academic Counselor and click on "Schedule Appointment."
    • To Display your counselor's weekly schedule, click the "week" tab.
    • Available slots will say "sign up".
    • Please email your counselor for possible schedule adjustments or if they are fully booked and have no open slots.

If you need help making or changing an appointment, please call the Academic Counseling Center at (805) 730-4085.

Students' financial aid may also be impacted by academic or progress notice. Check with the Financial Aid office to see if this is the case for your situation.

Required Pause

Students who do not meet specific academic or progress requirements must petition the Dean of Student Affairs to continue attending Santa Barbara City College in the subsequent semester. Students can enroll in summer courses without a petition.

Required Academic Pause:

A student will be placed on required academic pause if they have earned a cumulative grade point average of less than 1.75 in all units attempted at the college in three (3) consecutive semesters - a summer session is not considered a semester. For purposes of this section, semesters are considered consecutive based on the student's enrollment. For example, a fall semester followed by a fall semester will be consecutive if the student was not enrolled for the intervening spring semester.

A student placed on required academic pause will be unable to attend the college for the subsequent semester. However, the student may petition the Dean of Student Affairs to be reinstated and, if approved, will be permitted to enroll in the following semester.

Required Progress Pause:

A student who has enrolled in at least twelve (12) semester units will be placed on required progress pause when 50% or more of the cumulative units in which they have enrolled at the college are recorded as W, I, NC, and NP grades for three (3) consecutive semesters.  For purposes of this section, semesters are considered consecutive based on the student's enrollment. For example, a fall semester followed by a fall semester will be consecutive if the student was not enrolled for the intervening spring semester.

A student placed on a required progress pause will be unable to attend the college for the subsequent semester. However, the student may petition the Dean of Student Affairs to be reinstated and, if approved, will be permitted to enroll in the following semester. 

Combined Required Pause

A student with three consecutive semesters of:

  1. having a cumulative GPA of below 1.75 and/or
  2. having 50% or more of their cumulative units recorded as W, I, NC, or NP.
  3. No matter the combination of these two situations, the student will be placed on combined required pause. The student will need to submit a petition to attend the next semester.

See FAQ for more details.

What can a student do to avoid being put on required pause?

When a student is placed on academic and/or progress notice, the student will receive a campus email notification from the college regarding their academic standing, and they will be allowed to continue enrollment in the subsequent semester(s). To avoid being put on required pause, the student must improve their academic standing. Meeting with an academic counselor, talking to professors, and finding a tutor are steps students can take to improve their academic status and avoid being placed on required pause.

Students on required academic and/or progress pause may still be allowed to re-enroll in subsequent semesters through the Exception policy, which you can click on for more details.

How do I return to school after a required pause for one semester?

A student placed on required academic and/or progress pause and who has spent at least one semester out of attendance may reapply to the college, and they will be readmitted. Returning students are strongly encouraged to meet with an academic counselor to discuss and review their educational plan.