I am having a hard time receiving my financial aid this year, I had an Unusual Enrollment history back in 2011 due to health issues and now it has come back to haunt me. Has anyone at UA successfully appealed financial aid? What was the process? Any help is welcome I just want to go back to school this year.
You will need to give us more info, so we can answer your question. Do you mean financial aid, not scholarship money, loans, Pell Grant, work study? What is your family’s EFC etc?
Are you being denied aid for Unsatisfactory Progress?
robotbldmom, yes I am being denied finacial aid(fasfa) as well Parent loan. The dispute dates back to 2011 when I was in com college. I was ill and struggled through that year but they are saying I did not go to school at all.
mom2collegekids, yes it is for that. I have document and reason though.
Have you contacted the community college? Do you have a transcript that supports completion of your classes? Did you attend UA last year? Complete classes? I need clarification as to your timeline and GPA.
@robotbldmom yes I have contacted the cc and they have my transcript on file and they were posted to my degree works and gpa. They say it looks like I dropped out which is insane, the only problem I have is that from being ill back in 2011 I incurred very poor grades and some of the classes were remedial but never dropped. Shouldn’t my trans. show I stayed in school? That same year I transferred into another school(online) so I could focus on health and school at the same time. I have trans. for this cc too. And I’ve been at UA since 2014, completed classes as well.
GPA: 2.9
Timeline:
May 2011: grad. HS (SICK)
Aug 2011: 1ST CC (SICK)
May 2012: transfer to 2ND CC Online (SICK AND IMPROVING)
May 2012-May 2014: Accepted to UA, Summer semester.
Okay, so you were accepted and attended UA form May 2012 through May 2014. Have you been taking the require amount of credits to stay a full time student each semester and has your progress been good, overall GPA for UA? What exactly does your denial letter state?
Have you personally spoken to someone at UA’s Financial Aid Department about what you need to do?
@robotbldmom I apologize for the confusion, I was accepted to UA in Jan. 2014 and attended since Summer 2014.
I went to my 2nd cc from may 2012 until May 2014.
And yes I have been taking the require amount, I ran into an issue in Fall 2014 but that was resolved. And my gpa is 2.9 after transcripts were added.
the letter states I have and unusual enrollment history from 2011 and I have to appeal it for financial assistance this year.
no every time I call it goes to voicemail.
Okay,so you only attended UA starting summer 2014, is that correct? Have you attended each of the subsequent semesters? How many credits for each semester and what is your UA GPA? Are you an instate or out of state student?
The financial aid office is open 24 hours a day to answer questions, if you call at an unusual hour you should be able to speak with someone. Have your CWID number ready. You can contact them also by email. Have you already submitted your appeal form yet?
Office of Student Financial Aid
Box 870162
106 Student Services Center
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487
Phone: 1-205-348-6756
Toll Free Phone: 1-855-4MYBAMA (1-855-469-2262)
Fax: 1-205-348-2989
@robotbldmom yes this is correct. And yes I have.
Fall 2014 I got 12 credits. Spring 2014 12, this fall 2015 will be 17. Gpa 2.9. I am an oos but I have the Alabama GI Bill from my father.
Thank you and I haven’t submitted it yet, I will sometime this week.
Although not at Bama I went through a similar thing ‘a few’ years ago. I was enrolled in grad school when I got pregnant and had my son and wound up dropping all my classes. Years later when I went back to grad school, my financial aid was denied and I had to appeal. I was initially nervous too, but once I submitted all my medical documentation and proof of when my son was born, they reinstated the aid. They just need documentation to verify the situation. Once you submit the documentation they need, there is most likely nothing to be worried about.
Why are you waiting to submit the appeal application? Shouldn’t that have been the first thing that you would have done after your financial aid was denied. Have you spoken to anyone at the Financial Aid office yet. I am sorry, but I do not know anything about the GI Bill and how that works.
@jrcsmom after getting off the phone today this seems to be a problem I am dealing with, I have been getting the run around like crazy. I hope mine goes as smooth as yours did.
@robotbldmom My appeal is already written I am just waiting since I can’t submit the appeal until I get written proof back from my doctor stating my sickness during 2011. I just received the email Friday after many months of them holding on to my fasfa and waiting until now to tell me. I have been in contact constantly as well my parents and hope to have everything resolved by tomorrow or the following day.
I didn’t know the exact process but I did know that you needed to submit the form and documentation. Couldn’t you submit the form and have your doctor fax the documentation over to save time? I would check with the financial aid office. Please keep us updated and the best of luck with your appeal.
@robotbldmom great news, they accepted my appeal so now I can go ahead and prepare for school. Thanks for all you help and advice.
Excellent!!! Roll Tide!!!
Hold on to a paper copy of all your documentation, just in case you need to do this next semester or next year. If nothing else, you will have a copy for your own records.
Best of Luck in your classes and I am glad to see that your determination paid off.