Hi all, so I attended one semester of college in Fall of 2013. Due to my immaturity and family medical issues, I stopped going half way throught the semester and failed all but one two class out of five.
Since then, I’ve earned a vocational license and recieved high scores in all my vocation classes.
I feel I am ready to go back to college and have writtn a Financial Aid appeal letter and I’m hoping for the best. I do have other means to pay on a payment plan if I can’t get this aid, but it would relieve a lot of my stress.
Anyways, I was debating on if I should include that during my Fall 2013 semester that I failed and while taking vocational classes I have NEVER recieved financial aid, grants, scholarships or anything like that. I paid for all of that out of pocket and working. This is the first time in my life I’ve been in an income bracket elegible for aid. I’m not sure if including that would make a difference or not and would like some input.
Did you apply for financial aid by filling out the Fafsa? If so, what was the result? You can only appeal a financial aid decision after you’ve applied for financial aid and received a decision.
Yes. The result was that due to my academic transcript, I am on financial aid suspension and my only option is to appeal it. Of course once my gpa is raised this won’t be a problem, but I’m really hoping for financial aid to be able to lighten the number of hours I need to work, otherwise I’ll have to do two part-time semesters to reach the gpa I need to be at versus one full time.
I’m still not clear on this. You last attended college in 2013 and you had a FA award. Please let us know:
What was your FA award at that time?
When did you get the suspension letter?
Did you apply for FA for the 2018-2019 academic year?
Are you going back to the same college you attended in 2013?
What is the cost of attendance at the college you will attend in 2018-2019?
No, I never had a Financial Aid award before this. This is my first time I would ever qualify for one. I applied previously, but my parents made too much money. So I had to pay out of pocket. I then took a five year break from school.
This semester I am considered an independent student w/ 3 people in my household and our income is $20,000 which puts me able to qualify for Pell. However because I failed the Fall 2013 semester, my gpa is not hight enough so I have to submit an appeal.
I’m just not sure if in my appeal I should mention I’ve never recieved any Financial Aid in my life and paid out of pocket for the classes I failed.
I am going to a different college from the one I previously attended.
$3000 is what the cost is.
Did your new school say that you failed to make 'satisfactory academic progress"? That is a reason to deny aid. You need to talk to your new school’s FA office to find out how you can regain eligibility.
I think they are worried that you will fail again, thereby squandering the FA funds. In your appeal letter, just focus on how it is now five years later, you have matured, and you are prepared and motivated to take on the challenges of college. Talk about your goals and why a college education is important to you.
If you are an independent student and household size is 3, then are you supporting two other people who live with you financially at least 50%?
And your income is $20,000 a year?
Then it might be better to attend classes part-time for now and keep working.
Once you pass enough credits to regain SAP, you can see how much aid you can receive and if it’s enough to pay for school and support your household.