Need some advice on my confusing fin aid situation

<p>Hello everyone, I am in a bit of a pickle and was hoping for some advice, thoughts, and opinions.</p>

<p>Bit of a long story, but a familiar one: I went to college about six years ago, goofed off for a year and a half, failed a bunch of classes and wound up joining the military; helped me put my head back on straight. </p>

<p>I've been back at school for a year and a half now. My GPA was a dismal 0.8 when I started and I've gotten it up to a 2.3. However, this semester I had to drop a math class because I had no idea what the heck I was doing: moreover, it was a five hour class and I'm a Nursing Major - It's quite enough I had to climb out of the hole I dug myself into, I don't need a bad grade in a 5 hour math course blemishing my nursing school application as well. </p>

<p>Particularly since the Nursing program uses your grade average rather than the highest, but W's are ignored. For example, when I retake this math and say get a B, the nursing program sees a B. But if I eeked by with a D, and later retook it and got a B, I'd get a C, because they use the average. And If I failed it and got a C, it would average to a D and I can forget about getting into Nursing school, period.</p>

<p>So I dropped the class.</p>

<p>At this point in the semester I can confidently say I am getting nothing but A's and B's in my remaining 12 hours of classes.</p>

<p>Here's the issue: I called the school and let them know. They informed me that any financial aid appeal I filed would be rejected since I was still on probationary status and was not allowed to drop a class. I've been in school year round and also summer (not sure if a good summer helps count towards financial aid eligibility) but I did get onto the dean's list during summer.</p>

<p>I am confused because:</p>

<p>The school said I will be denied because I just filled out an appeal for this semester: I did not do any appeal, I actually thought I was fully in the clear. I DID have to do an appeal back in Spring for the same reason, (dropped class) but the stated reason was my GPA and I got a 4.0 that semester and the same for summer.</p>

<p>I have W's from when I had a short notice deployment to Iraq and had to drop all my classes. No problem, documented, except they are still W's on my transcript and still counted against me in terms of 'completion rate.' School counts them whether I like it or not.</p>

<p>That's my situation. I will likely appeal anyway in the hopes that I will somehow be heard (i only get 70% of the post 9/11 GI Bill so every little bit helps, plus I am paying for my wife's school since her financial aid doesn't quite cover tuition) but I was not aware an appeal could be denied or out of the question automatically; particularly when a student has made such a dramatic turnaround as I have tried to.</p>

<p>Thanks for any thoughts or opinions or information. I am upset because it just doesn't seem fair that I can't drop a class and save my GPA like any normal student might, and it seems like I will never climb out of this hole or if I am on some kind of permanent financial aid probation until I graduate.</p>

<p>Again, thanks for reading.</p>

<p>Go to your financial aid office and talk to them directly. Do not rely on E-Mail or phone calls. Talk to them about what can be done. In my mind you should be able to submit an appeal letter. In future you should be talking to the FA office before dropping any classes.</p>

<p>Thanks. While I did call them up before I dropped the class and then dropped it anyway (because to take a bad grade would be completely foolish due to the school of Nursing’s grade averaging policy,) I managed to speak with the university’s head of financial aid and she examined my record and transcript and ultimately informed me that the information I was given was an utter crock.</p>