<p>I've been having the darnest time with all the paperwork for financial aid! I applied to start school this spring (2011) and turned in all my financial aide paperwork in months in advance. I waited and waited to hear anything back. I went to the school orientation and registered for classes and I still hadn't heard anything regarding financial aid. (I applied for the Pell Grant). The person who helped me register said that they don't start issuing the checks until school starts. (April 4th). I try not to worry until I get these two letters in my email one dated March 25th saying that I've been put on Financial Aid suspension and then another dated March 26th saying that they received my application for Financial Aid dated March 27th. </p>
<p>The letter regarding the suspension says that the last time I went to college I didn't take enough classes/failed classes and/or I dropped out and didn't adhere to the Financial Aid agreement. But, that doesn't make any sense because, even though, twenty years ago when I tried going to college, yes, I did end up dropping out but I never, ever applied for any Financial Aide back then! My tuition was all paid for out of pocket from my family! This is the first time ever I've tried to get help with money to attend school. </p>
<p>So, due to getting those emails so close to the start of Spring Quarter I'm pretty much screwed about attending this Spring but maybe I can still go this Fall or Winter. </p>
<p>I am worried; I've already registered for classes starting April 4th and I literally have no money to pay for any of it. (Hence the Financial Aid). Will they allow me to drop the classes and re-register once my Financial Aid is back in order? And is it possible that they mixed me up with someone with the same name as me who got Financial Aid in the past? Sorry if this is confusing. It's mega confusing for me! Just trying to figure out what I need to do next, what paperwork needs filled out next is unnervingly confusing!</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>~Ami </p>
<p>P.S. I am attempting to (someday!) go to Spokane Falls Community College.</p>
<p>Schools are required to have a have SAP (satisfactory academic progress) policy for determining eligibility for aid. One of the SAP requirements relates to having successfully completed a certain % of all classes attempted at college ever. **It does not matter whether you were receiving financial aid or not when you were taking previous classes.<a href=“this%20happened%20to%20my%20son%20-%20he%20dropped%20a%20semester%20of%20classes%20that%20were%20payed%20for%20out%20of%20pocket,%20when%20he%20returned%20to%20school%20a%20few%20years%20later%20he%20was%20initially%20denied%20FA%20because%20he%20did%20not%20meet%20SAP”>/B</a>. The school should have an appeals process. Usually something along the line of writing a letter explaining why you failed/dropped classes and what you will do differently this time round. If they grant the appeal they will probably put you on probationary FA and you will have to make sure you meet all requirements of the probationary period in order to retain aid for the following semester. Ask the school about their appeals process.</p>
<p>Not sure how your school handles situations like yours. Where I work, you would be required to submit an appeal. You would explain the situation that led to the unsatisfactory academic progress (what was going on in your life?), and you would outline the things that are now different … in other words, admit that you screwed up when you were young, and explain the changes since that time that will inspire them to take another chance on you. Do realize that all schools are different, though, and some don’t budge … they may tell you that you must pay for a semester to prove that things have changed. You won’t know until you appeal, so do it soon!</p>