Financial Aid Suspension and Appeal

Financial Aid Suspension

Students who fail to earn the minimum requirements during the warning semester will be considered as not making SAP and all financial assistance will be terminated or suspended until the student regains minimum satisfactory academic progress standards. Students may re-establish eligibility for upcoming periods by achieving the satisfactory progress standards. After a student has re-established eligibility, he/she may be considered for aid for upcoming periods but not for periods during which the standard had not been met.

Financial Aid Appeals

A student who is denied aid because of a failure to meet satisfactory progress standards after the warning semester may appeal this determination by completing a Financial Aid SAP Appeal by published deadlines. An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances, circumstances that seriously affected academic performance. Examples of possible mitigating circumstances are serious illness, severe injury, death of a family member, and other similar situations. The appeal must include an explanation of why the student failed to meet SAP standards, and what has changed that will now allow the student to regain satisfactory SAP status. Appeals can only be approved if it appears that the student can regain satisfactory SAP status after the end of the following semester of enrollment, or if the student can regain satisfactory SAP status by following an academic plan that will lead to timely completion of the degree program. Students with approved appeals are placed in probationary status for one semester or placed in an academic plan lasting more than one semester. Students placed in an academic plan must meet all requirements of the academic plan in order to continue receiving financial aid. Probationary or academic plan status ends when the student regains SAP status or does not meet the requirements of the academic plan. Students whose appeals are denied remain in financial aid suspension until satisfactory progress standards are regained.

The Appeals Committee of the Financial Aid Office will review the appeal within ten business days of receiving a completed appeal and required documentation. Decisions are made after a careful evaluation of the student’s unique circumstances, Federal Title IV regulations, and UTRGV guidelines. The student will be notified of the committee’s decision via e-mail and the student portal. During this time, the student is responsible for any tuition and fees (including late fees) that are charged to their account. Students that are placed on Academic Plan will receive an e-mail indicating the conditions of this plan. Students can also view the conditions of the Academic Plan via the student portal.

The Appeals Committee is composed of professional staff from the financial aid office that function in a student advisory or administrative capacity and are knowledgeable of federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies may include staff from other departments when deemed that their expertise may be necessary for a decision. Appeal decisions are final.

(Note: The Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal is submitted online through the Enrollment Services Online Appeal Portal)