If a student is ineligible for student aid due to lack of satisfactory academic progress or exceeding the limit of eight semesters of aid and believes that there are extenuating circumstances that may merit aid being reinstated, the student may submit an appeal to the Dean of Students and the Director of Student Aid within 7 days of being notified of their review status.
Student Aid Appeal Procedures
Students have the right to appeal their status by submitting an appeal form with letter and related documentation to the Student Aid Office by the established and published deadline. Generally, the Student Aid Appeals Committee will consider appeals that involve circumstances beyond the student’s control that had a negative impact upon the student’s academic performance.
In order to appeal, the student MUST include the above and submit a typed statement which includes:
- A narrative of the extenuating circumstances (e.g., the student or an immediate family member suffered a serious illness or injury, death of a close relative, separation or divorce) that prevented the student from meeting the minimum requirements.
- A reasonable explanation of the expectation that the event/circumstances will not recur.
- A description of their plan to succeed in their program of study. Students are permitted to submit any additional documentation that will explain their circumstances and support their appeal. Late appeals will not be accepted. The deadline to appeal for the Fall Semester (mid-June) and Spring semester (early January) will be stated in the e-mail correspondence.
The appeal will be reviewed by committee; all committee decisions are final. The committee will only accept typed appeals submitted by the deadline. Again, no late appeals will be accepted.
Student Aid Appeal Approval Conditions:
Appeals can only be approved if the Student Aid SAP Appeals Committee determines that the student:
- Will be able to meet the College’s satisfactory academic progress standards after the next payment period, OR
- Has agreed to follow an academic plan that, if followed, will ensure that the student can meet the College’s satisfactory academic progress standards by the end of the academic year.
If an appeal is granted: A student whose appeal is granted will receive aid on a conditional (probation) basis for one semester. The Appeals Committee will review the student’s record at the end of the respective semester to determine his/her status for the subsequent semester. Students who fail to meet the conditions outlined in their individualized academic plans during their conditional semester will have their financial aid for that following semester cancelled and will not be allowed to submit an appeal for it.
NOTE: The institution has a right to establish the number of credits a student may take during their probation period.
Any student granted an approved appeal will have financial aid reinstated in accordance with their eligibility. Any additional requirements will be communicated via email. It is the student’s responsibility to complete any requirements and submit all requested documents. Future aid eligibility will be based on completing and meeting all deadlines and stated conditions of this policy.
Students who do not wish to appeal or whose appeal is denied may consider applying for alternative/private student loans and/or make other out-of-pocket payment arrangements.
Number of Appeals accepted
While a student can appeal their Student Aid SAP status more than once, federal regulations prohibit a student from using the same reason for a subsequent appeal. When considering an appeal, the Student Aid SAP committee will review the academic history of the student, remaining financial aid eligibility, and the student’s ability to mathematically recover SAP standards, as well as prior appeals to get the most comprehensive picture of the student.