Furman students who are not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the semester will be notified via email that they are not meeting federal standards. These students will not be awarded federal financial aid for the upcoming semester. To appeal, you may write a formal letter (email) of appeal and include documentation, as necessary.
Submitting an Appeal
A formal letter, or email from the student including applicable documentation explaining any mitigating circumstances and how the circumstances have or will be resolved in order to achieve academic progress must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. Mitigating circumstances are considered to be any situations beyond the student’s control that prevent them from successfully completing the required number of hours attempted or earning the required cumulative GPA.
Some examples of mitigating circumstances include student illness, family illness, other family problems, interpersonal problems with other students, problems adjusting to college life, balancing school, employment obligations, and others. A financial aid counselor may determine if other circumstances documented by the student may be considered.
Examples of acceptable documentation include:
• Medical records- Letter from a physician or counselor on letterhead indicating the dates you were under their care
• Signed letter on official letterhead from a therapist, counselor, member of a religious organization, or another person with a professional relationship with the student & who was aware of the circumstance
• Third-party documentation of death such as an obituary, funeral notice, or death certificate
• Accident reports, police records, court records, etc.
• Documentation to support attempting more than the maximum number of units allowed for your program (Maximum Time Limit appeals only)
Do not submit original documents; they will not be returned. Make sure all copies are legible. Letters from relatives and friends are not accepted.
Appeal Decision Process
In most cases, financial aid counselors have the responsibility of reviewing and making a decision regarding an appeal. However, if the counselor can not make a decision, the financial aid appeals committee will meet and make the decision to approve or suspend aid.
If the appeal is approved, the financial aid counselor will award aid only for one semester on a probationary status. The student will be sent an email explaining that if the student fails to make satisfactory academic progress for that semester, financial aid will not be awarded in the future unless the student passes an academic plan or passes the SAP measurements.
If the financial aid appeals committee agrees that the student should be denied aid based on the latest appeal, notification will be sent to student via email, and alternative financing options will be suggested to the student. The student may decide to self-pay or take a leave of absence. However, a student does not regain eligibility for aid by sitting out a semester. Instead, that student will need to make an additional appeal prior to returning to Furman to be considered for eligibility. A student does not automatically regain eligibility for aid if it has been suspended for a semester.