Students may appeal the determination that they are not meeting satisfactory academic progress standards while on academic/financial aid warning by petitioning the Institution for reconsideration of the student’s eligibility for Title IV program funds.
Basis for Appeal – Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to:
- illness of the student or death in the student’s immediate family
- unavoidable conditions arising in connection to the student’s employment, such as geographical transfer or change in hours or conditions of employment
- immediate family or financial obligation beyond the control of the student
- unanticipated legal or military obligations of the student beyond the control of the student
All extenuating circumstances must be documented to the satisfaction of the school.
Submitting an Appeal
The student must provide the following to the Director of Student and Career Services or designee:
- A written explanation of why the student failed to meet the standards
- A written explanation of what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress by the next evaluation point.
- A written request to be placed on academic probation.
If the submitted appeal is denied, the student is not enrolled and is not eligible to receive Title IV funds. If a student does not understand the appeal decision, they can contact the Campus President. Students with successful appeals are placed on Academic/ financial aid probation.
Students are encouraged to seek assistance for any type of concern or problem from an appropriate department Director or Campus President. The various Directors and Campus Presidents are identified with contact information in the administration rosters in this document.
Appeal for re-enrollment following termination: An appeal must be submitted in writing thoroughly explaining why the student feels they should be approved for re-enrollment. If the termination was due to failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress, the appeal letter must include details on why the student failed to maintain SAP (mitigating circumstances), what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to demonstrate SAP by the next checkpoint, and how and why the student feels they would be successful if permitted to re-enroll. The student must also provide any supporting documentation regarding the mitigating circumstances (e.g., doctor’s note for medical condition) leading up to the failure to meet SAP. See the SAP policy for additional details.
An Appeals Committee will consist of at least three of the following administrators or their designees: Campus President, Director of Student Services, Director of Financial Aid, Director of Career Services, Education Director, or Campus Admissions Director/Supervisor.
Appeals received with complete supporting documentation will be reviewed within seven business days by the Appeals Committee, which is made up of at least three Directors.
Students will be notified in writing, in person or via telephone of the panel’s decision. If a student is approved for re-enrollment by the Appeals Committee and later decides to re-enroll at another campus, another appeal hearing generally is not required.
Students are protected from retribution under the harassment policy listed in this document.