Appeal Process

Role of the Student

The Department of Education does not believe it is appropriate for students who are not making progress towards program completion to continue to receive Title IV, HEA aid. Students who experience circumstances that interfere with their ability to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards may appeal their SAP status. The intent of the appeal process is to provide information to the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee that is not captured on the student’s academic record but has impacted the student’s academic progress.

Students who wish to appeal their financial aid suspension must first submit the Intent to Appeal Satisfactory Academic Progress Form. Once the form is submitted to Student Financial Services, someone from SFS will contact the student to discuss the next steps to appeal. Students who appeal their SAP status must provide a detailed explanation for why they are not making satisfactory academic progress despite multiple opportunities to do so, and must also present convincing evidence of their ability to meet the SAP standards and to finish their degree program. The satisfactory academic progress policy does not limit the number of times students may appeal an SAP status during a student's career; however, it is the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee’s objective to ensure that Title IV, HEA aid is awarded to students who demonstrate a capacity for completing their degree program. You may only appeal once per semester and cannot appeal for the same reason more than one time.

The satisfactory academic progress appeal has several components and it is the responsibility of the student to submit a completed appeal and to ensure that it is received by Student Financial Services. Only completed appeals will be reviewed by the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee.

In order to be eligible for financial aid for a term in which financial aid has been suspended, an appeal must be approved during that term. For example, if your financial aid eligibility is suspended for the fall 2023 term, your appeal must be approved before the end of the fall 2023 term. To ensure that an appeal is reviewed by the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee, you must meet the deadlines published below. Appeals submitted after the deadline for a term are not guaranteed to be reviewed by the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee.

Deadlines for Submitting Your Completed Appeal

Fall 2023 Term
 
Date the Appeal is received by SFS Will I be considered for all State and University funds, such as AccessUVA? Will I be considered for all forms of Federal funds?
Through November 30, 2023 Yes Yes
December 1 through December 15, 2023 Maybe* Maybe*
December 16, 2023, and after No No

* If your appeal is submitted after November 30, 2023, consideration for State, University, and Federal funds will be dependent on whether the appeal is complete and requires no additional documentation, allowing the Appeal Review Committee the necessary time to provide due consideration of the merits of the appeal. For this reason, we strongly encourage students to ensure their completed appeal is submitted to SFS prior to December 15, 2023.

Spring 2024 Term
 
Date the Appeal is received by SFS Will I be considered for all State and University funds, such as AccessUVA? Will I be considered for all forms of Federal funds?
Through April 25, 2024 Yes Yes
April 26 through May 10, 2024 Maybe* Maybe*
May 11, 2024, and after No No

* If your appeal is submitted after April 25, 2024, consideration for State, University, and Federal funds will be dependent on whether the appeal is complete and requires no additional documentation, allowing the Appeal Review Committee the necessary time to provide due consideration of the merits of the appeal. For this reason, we strongly encourage students to ensure their completed appeal is submitted to SFS prior to May 11, 2024.

 

Summer 2024 Term
 

Date the Appeal is received by SFS Will I be considered for all State and University funds? Will I be considered for all forms of Federal funds?
Through July 24, 2024 Yes Yes
July 23 through July 29, 2024 Maybe* Yes
July 30 through August 5, 2024 Maybe* Maybe*
August 6, 2024, and after No No
* If your appeal is submitted after July 22, 2024, and before the end of the day on July 29, 2024, consideration for State and University funds will be dependent on whether the appeal is complete and requires no additional documentation, allowing the Appeal Review Committee the necessary time to provide due consideration of the merits of the appeal. For this reason, we strongly encourage students to ensure their completed appeal is submitted to SFS prior to July 22, 2024. After July 29, 2024, and through August 6, 2024, federal funding may be dependent as well on whether the appeal is complete and requires no additional documentation.
 
It is the responsibility of the student for satisfying all outstanding balances on his/her student account while waiting for the appeal decision of the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee. Students whose financial aid eligibility has been suspended are subject to the University’s policy for failure to pay financial obligations even if a completed appeal has been submitted.

Role of the Academic Dean or Advisor

The Department of Education does not believe it is appropriate for students who are not making progress towards program completion to continue to receive Title IV, HEA aid. Students who experience circumstances that interfere with their ability to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards may appeal their SAP status. The intent of the appeal process is to provide information to the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee that is not captured on the student’s academic record but has impacted the student’s academic progress.

Students who appeal their SAP status must provide a detailed explanation for why they are not making satisfactory academic progress despite multiple opportunities to do so and must also present convincing evidence of their ability to meet the SAP standards and to finish their degree program. The satisfactory academic progress policy does not limit the number of times students may appeal an SAP status during a student's career; however, it is the Student Financial Services Appeals Committee’s objective to ensure that Title IV, HEA aid is awarded to students who demonstrate an ability to complete their degree program. A student may only appeal once per semester.

The satisfactory academic progress policy continues to include an Academic Advisor Support form as part of the appeal process. This form allows the dean to comment on the student’s special circumstances, to discuss the changes or resolutions the student has made to address the challenges he/she faces, and to remark on the probability of the student’s ability to succeed academically.  

In addition, the policy requires the student to submit an academic plan that has been developed by the academic dean and the student. The academic plan must demonstrate how the student will meet the SAP standards by a specific point in time. The satisfactory academic progress policy allows a student’s appeal to be approved based upon the student following the academic plan. If the student deviates from the academic plan, he/she will have their financial aid eligibility suspended. Consequently, it is critical for the academic plan submitted to reflect realistic and attainable goals for the student.