Financial Assistance Appeals
The Financial Assistance Office recognizes that unexpected life circumstances may interfere with a student’s ability to meet academic goals. The student then fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, and is no longer eligible for financial aid.
Students who find themselves denied assistance may submit a Financial Assistance Appeal form for the appropriate aid year to our office. Appeals must be submitted along with supporting documentation that thoroughly explains circumstances that occurred during the term(s) in which a student failed to meet SAP requirements. The Appeals Committee will review the appeal and notify the student of its decision.
Please note that the Financial Assistance Appeal is a different and separate process than an Academic Appeal. If you had an Academic Appeal approved in Admissions, you are not automatically eligible for financial aid again. To request that your financial aid be reinstated, you must also submit a Financial Assistance Appeal.
Please contact our office if you have questions about the appeals process.
The Appeal Process
You must begin by submitting a Financial Assistance Appeal form; if you prefer, you can pick one up at our office, 301 North Shepler.
Please read the form carefully. For each term that Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements were not met, you must detail the reasons or events that occurred during that term that prevented you from meeting SAP. The Appeals Committee will look closely at two primary points in your statement:
- What happened in that term that interfered with your academic progress?
- Has your situation changed since that time, enabling you to now be successful as you progress toward your academic goals?
You may also attach documentation that supports your statement. This may include but is not limited to: medical documents, insurance records, obituaries, death certificates, court documents, letters from professional third party resources, or personal statements from someone who is familiar with your situation. Please make sure the dates referred to in your documentation line up with the terms which affected your academic progress.
Please refer to the Appeals Review Schedule below to determine when you will be notified of the committees decision. Once the committee reviews your request, you will be notified of their decision via student email. ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
If your request is approved, you will receive an email from the Appeals Coordinator advising you of the conditions of your probation or academic plan, and you will be required to reply to that email as confirmation of your understanding of the conditions of your probation or academic plan. After you confirm your conditions, your financial aid will be reinstated.
We believe your academic success is key to your confidence as you work to meet your goals at Cameron. With that in mind, your appeals terms will include a plan designed to help you pace yourself to reach attainable goals. You do not have to enroll full-time to receive financial assistance (you must enroll at least half-time to receive federal loan funding).
If you are placed on probation , you must be meeting the cumulative SAP requirements at the end of the term or you will be required to either submit a subsequent appeal for the next term of enrollment, find an alternative form of financial aid, or pay out of pocket. If you are on an academic plan , you must be meeting the term-based requirements outlined in your plan each semester until you are able to meet cumulative SAP requirements. If you do not meet the requirements of your plan, you will be required to either submit a subsequent appeal for the next term of enrollment, find an alternative form of financial aid, or pay out of pocket.
If your appeal request is denied, you will not be eligible for federal (Title IV) financial aid. Appeal denials will not be reconsidered. The way to receive federal (Title IV) financial aid in the future is to successfully complete enough credit hours to improve your GPA and Pace to meet SAP standards.
Appeals Review Schedule
We strongly encourage students to submit their appeals as early as possible. The schedule below will help you determine when you will be notified of the committee's decision based on the date you submit your appeal.
