How to write an appeal letter for financial aid?

Question

i need to write an appeal letter for financial aid

during the school year my parents were going through a seperation phase and put me in the middle of it because im the youngest and im the one away from home. so it affected me alot in school putting me through a slight depression and finding it hard to focus at school...also i was on academic probation the whole year and was struggling with that.

like how should i start it or how should i word everything...

because i really need financial aid without i cant go to school my parents cant afford that....

HELP!!!!

Answer 1

Your school will have its own published policies about financial aid appeals, so it's always a good idea to check there, first.

Keep in mind that the US Department of Education, the federal agency that coordinates government educational aid, has very strict policies that your school must adhere to with regard to aid eligibility.

Each school that participates in the federal aid program MUST adopt rules that stipulate "Satisfactory Academic Progress", and only those students that meet the institution's SAP criteria can continue to qualify for federal student aid.

Most schools have both a "qualitative" and a "quantitative" standard, with qualitative determined by your grade point average, and quantitative determined by the pace with which you are completing your degree.

Obviously, you've run afoul of your school's qualitative standard, as your cumulative grade point average has fallen below the satisfactory academic progress criteria of your program.

I warn you of this because it may be that there is nothing that your school can do until you attain the cumulative GPA and credit completion requirement. Academic probation is your "warning" that financial aid suspension is the next step, and you mention that you were on academic probation for the entire year.

The first thing to do, before you waste any time on writing an appeal letter, is contact your financial aid office and ask them. Tell them that you would like to appeal your financial aid suspension and explain that there are extenuating circumstances that you feel the financial aid office needs to be aware of. Ask them if there is a particular form that you should complete, and ask for advice about how to approach your appeal.

I hate to sound like I'm being mean, but you do have to understand that "needing the money to stay in school" is true for everyone who is denied financial aid. The fact that you needed the money so badly was supposed to be your incentive to maintain the necessary academic progress.

You also need to keep in mind that EVERYONE who runs into academic problems has a story. Please understand that I'm not doubting anything about what a terrible year you have been through, and I certainly do understand how all of those things could have taken your mind off your school work. BUT - you are still calling upon the complete and total kindness of your university to grant you some kind of special dispensation. If you do get to make an appeal, either in person, or by letter, make sure that you acknowledge that you realize that.

Again, I hate to answer any of these questions in a way that leaves the writer disappointed, but I think it's important that you know what you're up against, too.

Best of luck to you. I hope your life turns around and that your education gets back on track.