What is an example of a financial aid appeal letter due to a low GPA?
I'm writing to request an appeal for the loss of my financial aid. I understand the school requires a GPA of 3.0 to continue aid and my average dropped to 2.75. That is my responsibility and I'm working hard to bring my grades back up.
You should detail the situation that impacted your academics during the previous term. Explain how it affected your ability to focus. No matter the reason for your bad grades, be sure to take ownership of the situation and apologize. This shows the college administrator humility and may help get your appeal accepted.
- An address to a specific person. ...
- A clear “ask” and a specific “why.” Ask the office to reconsider, then offer a clear-cut reason why you need more aid money.
- Details of any special circ*mstances. ...
- Appropriate documentation. ...
- An exact amount.
- First paragraph: clearly explain the semester(s) and/or class(es) for which you are appealing. ...
- Second paragraph/section: write out the reasons for the withdrawal, grade change, or other request. ...
- Third paragraph/section: describe any supporting documents you are including with your appeal.
Valid reasons for an SAP appeal
medical emergencies. severe health issues. severe personal or family problems. financial or personal catastrophe.
To be eligible for federal student aid and college financial aid, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This generally consists of maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (i.e., at least a C average) and passing enough classes with progress toward a degree.
Grades Slipped or Haven't Completed Enough Credits
You need to make satisfactory academic progress in college or career school in order to keep getting federal student aid. Talk to your school about whether you can appeal the decision that made you ineligible to continue receiving federal student aid.
These appeals can be tougher to make, and some schools don't consider them. But, in some cases, it can be worth trying to ask for more merit-based aid. Walsh says this process would generally take place with the admissions office, not the financial aid office.
Offers won through financial aid appeals can vary greatly, usually between $1,000 and $10,000 in extra funding. If you're looking for more than that, though, a financial aid appeal likely won't be enough. You may have to explore some of the below options to cover your college costs.
- Medical emergencies.
- Severe health issues.
- Severe personal or family problems.
- Serious illness or death of a family member (parent, grandparent or sibling)
- Exceeded time frame for completing the credits required for your degree.
What not to write in an appeal letter?
Don't clutter your letter with information or requests that have no essential connection to the main message. Threatening, cajoling, begging, pleading, flattery and making extravagant promises are manipulative and usually ineffective methods.
Be as specific as possible. Provide any evidence that you were doing well until the circ*mstances occurred. If you performed well in other courses but not a specific course, be very clear about what factors influenced your performance in that specific course and why other courses were not affected.
- Your professional contact information.
- A summary of the situation you're appealing.
- An explanation of why you feel the decision was incorrect.
- A request for the preferred solution you'd like to see enacted.
- Gratitude for considering your appeal.
- Supporting documents attached, if relevant.
If income has drastically changed recently in your family, you could have a qualified excuse for filing a financial aid offer appeal. This could be due to someone losing a job, reduction in pay at an existing job, or another financial burden relating to how much income you or your family receive.
If you receive a financial aid offer letter that's less than what you need to attend your target college, you may be able to appeal your offer. To do this, most colleges require an appeal letter — a note written to a financial aid administrator asking them to reconsider their decision regarding your aid amount.
If the first-level appeal is denied, the student will have a chance to submit a second-level appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days of the notification. The result of the second-level appeal will be emailed to the student's LACCD email.
Other reasons for financial aid disqualification include: Not maintaining satisfactory progress at your college or degree program. Not filling out the FAFSA each year you are enrolled in school. Defaulting on a student loan.
The Satisfactory Academic Progress regulations require that you maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in order to remain eligible for financial aid. This cumulative grade point average is 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you drop below a cumulative GPA of 2.0, you will be placed on a financial aid Warning.
If your cumulative GPA drops below 2.0 or if you've dropped/withdrawn from several classes, you may not be meeting a requirement called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you don't meet SAP, you may not be eligible for financial aid for the upcoming term.
Students must: Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA between 1.6 and 2.0. Complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours.
How do I regain my financial aid?
- Contact your school's financial aid office. Speak with someone about the reasons for your suspension and the steps you'll need to take to get back on track.
- Appeal the suspension. ...
- Improve your grades. ...
- Get out of default. ...
- Be patient.
To maintain your eligibility for financial aid, you must meet specific academic requirements throughout your time in school. If you fail classes or need to complete more credits, you may lose your scholarships, grants or loans.
Students who are disqualified due to exceeding the 150% unit time-frame of their stated academic goal or major may submit an appeal to extend their financial aid eligibility beyond the 150% time-frame. For example, Cubby is pursuing an Associate's degree that requires 60 units.
#1 Grants. Grants are one of the most attractive types of financial aid you can receive. That's because they give you free money. In other words, when you receive a grant, you don't have to pay any federal loans back (as long as you complete the conditions of your grant program).
Appeals aren't always successful —- my success rate for my clients is a little more than 50 percent. But by using these tips, you can increase your chances of success right from the start.
References
- https://www.uh.edu/financial/undergraduate/how-apply/satisfactory-academic-progress/Satisfactory%20Academic%20Progress%20FAQS/
- https://wayne.edu/financial-aid/receiving/sap/sapappeal
- https://financialaid.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SAP_Appeal_Statement_-Examples.pdf
- https://www.collegeraptor.com/paying-for-college/articles/financial-aid/types-of-college-financial-aid/
- https://www.nitrocollege.com/blog/what-makes-effective-financial-aid-appeal-letter
- https://www.resumebuilder.org/appeal-letter-templates/financial-aid-appeal-letter-for-bad-grades
- https://financialaid.arizona.edu/policies/sap
- https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/students-lose-financial-aid-for-failure-to-make-satisfactory-academic-progress
- https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/is-there-an-income-cutoff-on-eligibility-for-financial-aid
- https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/dear-colleague-letters/2024-01-31/2024-2025-federal-pell-grant-maximum-and-minimum-award-amounts
- https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/regain
- https://financialaid.ucla.edu/how-aid-works/appeals
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/appeal-financial-aid/
- https://www.goingmerry.com/blog/financial-aid-appeal-letter/
- https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/what-is-overpayment-and-what-should-i-do-if-informed-of-overpayment
- https://finaid.vt.edu/appeals/satisfactory-academic-progress/sap-appeal/sap-guideline.html
- https://eop.berkeley.edu/faq/financial-aid/what-happens-if-my-sap-appeal-not-approved
- https://www.humboldt.edu/financial-aid/maintaining-eligibility/withdrawing
- https://www.uaspire.org/news-events/how-to-keep-your-financial-aid-throughout-college
- https://www.sparrowfi.com/blog/fafsa-requirements-everything-you-need-to-know
- https://www.nshss.org/resources/blog/blog-posts/how-to-get-the-most-financial-aid-7-tips-to-maximize-college-funding/
- https://www.navyfederal.org/makingcents/college-planning/negotiate-financial-aid.html
- https://orangecoastcollege.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/aid-limits/sap-appeal.html
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/student-finance/fail-class-with-financial-aid/
- https://students.soceco.uci.edu/sites/students.soceco.uci.edu/files/shared/AppealGuidelines.pdf
- https://www.lacc.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-appeals/sap-extension
- https://appeals.csuglobal.edu/appeals/sap-max-time-frame
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/financial-aid-appeal-letter
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/financial-aid-appeal/
- https://www.lacc.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-appeals/sap-reinstatement-appeals
- https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct
- https://www.lendingtree.com/student/how-to-ask-for-more-financial-aid/
- https://govplus.com/resources/financial-aid-types
- https://mysupport.reynolds.edu/shp/vccs-jsargeantreynolds/article?articleId=1567585&pk=191261&childPk=191261&articleTag=gh_jsrfasap
- https://www.ship.edu/paying/financial-aid/writing_a_successful_sap_appeal/
- https://www.boisestate.edu/financialaid/home/impacts-on-aid/sap/sap-appeal/
- https://www.sfa.msstate.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress/appeal-information/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-get-back-eligibility-for-student-aid/
- https://financialaid.ucr.edu/apply/sap
- https://www.gmu.edu/financial-aid/eligibility/satisfactory-academic-progress-sap-policy
- https://financialaid.ucmerced.edu/SAP_Appeal_Process
- https://gsu.my.site.com/support/s/article/What-does-66-66-percent-of-all-courses-attempted-mean
- https://scholarships360.org/financial-aid/sap-appeal-letter/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/fafsa-income-limits/
- https://www.elmhurst.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Elmhurst-College-SAP-Policy-2011.pdf
- https://scholarships360.org/financial-aid/how-does-withdrawing-from-a-class-affect-financial-aid/
- https://www.lacc.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-appeals
- https://www.spcollege.edu/financial-aid/keeping-your-financial-aid/satisfactory-academic-progress/sap-completion-ratio
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/most-generous-universities-for-financial-aid/
- https://faaaccess.ed.gov/help/fahelp28n.htm
- https://www.sfa.msstate.edu/sites/www.sfa.msstate.edu/files/Financial%20Aid%20Probation%20Semester.pdf
- https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/do-you-have-to-pay-back-fafsa
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/pell-grant-eligibility/
- https://www.appily.com/guidance/articles/paying-for-college/financial-aid-appeal-letters
- https://www.siskiyous.edu/financialaid/appeals.htm
- https://myusf.usfca.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid-appeals/sap
- https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/student-loans/what-to-do-if-you-lose-financial-aid/
- https://financialaid.umbc.edu/sap/faqs/
- https://www.augustatech.edu/skins/userfiles/files/fin-aid-forms/forms/SAP-MATF-FAQ-111122.pdf
- https://finaid.org/educators/pj/sapaappeals/
- https://studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/how-calculated
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/satisfactory-academic-progress/
- https://www.rccc.edu/financialaid/150-percent-rule/
- https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/what-is-satisfactory-academic-progress/
- https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/5_special_circumstances_populations.pdf
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-an-appeal-letter
- https://students.soceco.uci.edu/sites/default/files/shared/writinganeffectiveappealletter.pdf
- https://www.sfa.msstate.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress/terminology/
- https://www.cpp.edu/financial-aid/resources/understanding-sap.shtml
- https://www.collegiateparent.com/finances/tips-for-successful-aid-appeals/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/what-happens-to-federal-financial-aid-if-you-fail-a-class
- https://parentsguidetothecollegepuzzle.com/2019/04/18/dealing-with-a-financial-aid-warning/
- https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/how-to-appeal-for-more-financial-aid-for-college
- https://advising.unc.edu/writing-tips-academic-appeal-statement/
- https://studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/how-calculated/?sf30148583=1
- https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook/2021-2022/vol1/ch1-school-determined-requirements
- https://www.elfi.com/what-happens-to-financial-aid-when-you-fail-a-class/
- https://finaid.org/financial-aid-applications/financial-aid-appeal/
- https://www.csulb.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships/understanding-satisfactory-academic-progress-sap
- https://www.collegeraptor.com/paying-for-college/articles/financial-aid/excuses-for-financial-aid-appeal/
- https://honesty.uga.edu/Student-Appeals/Appeal-Letter-Template/
- https://www.uwlax.edu/finaid/actions/understand-satisfactory-academic-progress-sap/
- https://www.mos.com/blog/sap-appeal-letter/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/student/federal-student-loan-limits/
- https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/can-a-student-be-cut-off-from-financial-aid-after-taking-too-many-credits