SAP Appeals Letter

Paying for College
1

Please read my letter and let me know how it is. Thank you in advance to everyone, I really appreciate it!

P.S. Should I be saying my school’s full name each time or can I use abbreviations?

To the [School Name] SAP Committee:

I would like to begin this letter off by saying how deeply ashamed I am of myself for taking my education for granted to the point where I no longer have a passing percentage of classes I have enrolled in versus classes I have successfully completed. Being able to attend the [School Name] is a privilege, not a right, and allowing myself to fall so behind, no matter the reason is inexcusable and will always be something I berate myself for. With that being said, I strongly believe that this was meant to be my wakeup call to begin prioritizing my education, and I hope that after reviewing my appeals application that the committee will allow myself and my education a second chance here at the [School Name].

My name is [name] and I am currently a sophomore at [School Name]. This letter is an appeal for my failure to meet the requirements in order to receive Financial Aid. My performance during Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 resulted in one withdrawal and two “F” grades, therefore dropping my Minimum Cumulative Pace to an approximate 61%. In this letter, I will explain the reasons for these unsatisfactory results and what I will do beginning this very summer, if the committee will allow it, in order to regain my academic standing at the University.

This past year was my first year of college, and I began as an engineering major. I realized that I was not meant to be in the field, but wanting to believe I could handle it, stuck it out for the first two exams which I studied for harder then I had ever studied before. I ended up with a C on the first one and an F on the second. I remember feeling incredibly discouraged walking into my advisors office to discuss the class, where it was recommended that I drop it immediately in order to keep it from ruining my GPA. I thought it was incredibly unfair that I had studied so hard and long for that one class only to have to withdraw and said as much, to which my advisor very kindly reminded me that it was only my first semester and not to give up hope. I spent the rest of Fall 2017 taking University required courses but felt my desire for engineering continue to sink. My despair lead me to switch majors when it came time to select new courses for Spring 2018, in which I chose Biochemistry. I felt confident going into Spring 2018 as I felt I would do well in Biochemistry, as I did well in science courses all throughout my schooling pre-college.

However, the beginning of 2018 brought a whole new set of challenges to my life and to that of my families. My brother, who had been unemployed for 8 months at that point moved, back home which resulted in daily arguments between my him and my father and between my father and mother. It got to the point where my father moved out and into his sisters home in [City]. Wanting to stay neutral and desperately wanting my family back together, I began making weekly or biweekly trips between the two homes, staying with my mother for a few days then with my father. As a result, my attendance in classes suffered greatly as it felt exhausting to have driven between the two homes and then to drive to school as well. When my parents expressed their concern about my education I convinced them and myself that I could just watch the lectures on my own and keep up, however such excuses that we give to subdue our own anxieties hardly ever pan out. Looking back, I should have taken that moment to be honest with my parents about how the weekly two hour long drives between the two homes was affecting me, but I chose to remain silent in hopes that my neutrality would keep one from thinking I loved them less then the other. The result of my lack of prioritizing my education: the two failing grades I received in my two most critical classes this past semester: Biology and Psychology, as failing to attend critical lectures caught up with me and left me failing come exam time.

I do not mean for my above reasons to be interpreted as a child trying to rationalize their bad behavior by placing the blame on someone or something else. I recognize that the only person to blame is myself and that I should not have taken my education for granted for so long, believing I had all the time in the world to make up for it. If the committee will allow me a second chance by reinstating my aid I will begin the following regiment this very summer to ensure my education does not fall back any further. The conflict which kept me from attending lecture has also been resolved, as my parents have made up and are in one home again and my brother has gotten a job and moved out. Upon receiving the email informing me about my loss of aid I decided it was time for me to be honest with my parents, as they believed I was doing fine in school this entire time. I came clean to them about my grades, the possible loss of aid I could be facing, and my poor academic standing. They were admittedly shocked and deeply disappointed, which is why I did not tell them what had been going on for so long, but I now know that lying about how I am performing in school will get me nowhere. We have decided as a whole that this next year I will be completely focused on my education and very little else. I will begin by retaking the two courses in which I received the failing grades, by either taking both in the Fall or Psychology in the summer and Biology in the fall. I will ensure that I do not lag behind in attendance and will make use of resources that are provided to me, such as office hours and tutoring hours at the tutoring center, both of which are resources that I failed to take advantage of before. My next door neighbor has a daughter who will be a senior this year at [School Name] in the same major as me, and we have come to an agreement in which I will attend weekly tutoring sessions with her, in return for me giving her a ride to and from school everyday for free, which will not only be my way of paying her back, but will also ensure that I will have to go to school everyday, thus keeping up with my attendance. I will begin a part-time job after I fix my two failing grades at a local tutoring center as well, in order to stay refreshed in my knowledge. Finally, starting in fall 2018 I will begin taking a less active stand in on campus activities. I have always strived to be a well-rounded student, which was why I signed up for over 15 organizations my first year of college. My attendance in the actual on campus meetings was low, but I spend many weekends attending volunteer events hoping to boost my resume while I allowed my education to suffer. I hope that the committee will give me an opportunity to put the above steps to use this next academic year and allow me to prove myself as a worthy student of [School Name]

[continues below]

2

I have an opportunity that most kids would never even dream of by being able to say that I am in the process of obtaining a college degree. I know just how fortunate I am to be a student of this institution. However, my family EFC of 0, means that it is not possible for me to attend this fine establishment without financial aid. If reinstated I will go above and beyond all measures to prove myself and show the real student that I am and the potential that I have. My education is everything to me and I know that continuing my studies at [School Name] is what I need to reach my pinnacle of success in life and I am willing to fight for it and do whatever is necessary to get back on track towards a successful future. I will attach with my letter my degree plan signed by my advisor as well as three separate Character References/Letter of Recommendations from three separate third parties to better show who I am in all aspects of my life. Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read my letter.

Sincerely,

[Name]

3

Your letter is WAYYYYYYYY too long.

Just state the information succinctly. No need to go into minute detail.

So briefly state why you had the low grades.

Briefly state what you have already done to reconcile the situation.

Briefly state what you will continue to do if you are granted reinstatement of your financial aid.

The end.

Remember…these committees are reading many, many letters, not just yours.

4

Should I discuss mental and emotional health, like my anxiety attacks or how my parents made us hide their separation?

5

^ No, you don’t need to add those things.

The first paragraph can be deleted as the second paragraph is a good way to start. There is too much of a novel here - just state the facts. You could try to cut the word count by 2/3.

6

Ok, so I cut out some parts. Let me know what you think!

To the [school name] SAP Committee:

My name is X and I am currently a sophomore at [school name]. This letter is an appeal for my failure to meet the requirements in order to receive Financial Aid. My performance during Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 resulted in one withdrawal and two “F” grades, therefore dropping my Minimum Cumulative Pace to an approximate 61%. In this letter, I will explain the reasons for these unsatisfactory results and what I will do beginning this very summer, if the committee will allow it, in order to regain my academic standing at the University.

This past semester was very stressful and overwhelming because I was not only transitioning to a new major but was also going through my parent’s separation, which had come as a huge shock for my entire family. Mid-February, my father moved into his sister’s home in [city], and I began making weekly and sometimes biweekly trips between the two homes in an effort to keep both my parents happy. As a result, my attendance in classes suffered greatly as it felt exhausting to have driven between the two homes and then to drive to school as well. My parents being very old-fashioned South-Asians believe a divorce is an act that brings great shame on the family. Instead, they decided we would keep up the ruse of a big, happy family in public and keep the truth of their separation hidden. It became emotionally exhausting to keep up the lie everywhere we went and resulted in many emotional breakdowns and an anxiety attack anytime we had to go somewhere I thought that we would have to lie. However, I kept all this hidden from my parents as discussing mental or emotional health has a stigma attached to it in our community, which I felt forced me to keep it to myself, instead of trying to talk to someone, such as the counselors on campus. I acknowledge that it is nobody’s fault but my own for not using resources that are provided for students going through a difficult time.

It became very difficult for me to concentrate and do well in class as I convinced myself that I could just watch the lectures on my own and keep up. While I did attempt to keep up with my class assignments and studying, I fell behind and earned poor grades. I thought I could handle this all on my own but I understand now that I made mistakes and should have communicated with my professors what was really going on and devise a plan early on to get my education back on track. I completely acknowledge my mistakes. The results of my lack of prioritizing my education: the two failing grades I received in my two most critical classes this past semester: Biology and Psychology, as failing to attend critical lectures caught up with me and left me scrambling come exam time.

I realize that I neglected my studies and would like another chance to do better. If the committee will allow me a second chance by reinstating my aid I will begin the following regiment this very summer and will continue it throughout my time at [school name] to ensure my education does not fall back any further:

  1. I came clean to my parents about what has been going on these past few months and we agreed that this next year I will be completely focused on my education, by taking classes over summer and winter to catch up.
  2. I will retake the two courses in which I received the failing grades, by either taking both in the Fall or Psychology in the summer and Biology in the fall.
  3. My primary care physician has referred me to a counselor in order to learn how to deal with my emotions and stress and to have someone to discuss my parents' separation with.
  4. I will talk to my professors to find ways to succeed in their classes as well as seek help during their office hours when needed.
  5. I will manage my time wisely by setting aside time to study and organize goals to a level of importance so that I can balance my school work appropriately.
  6. My next door neighbor will be a senior this year at UT Arlington in the same major as me, and we have come to an agreement in which I will attend weekly tutoring sessions with her, in return for me giving her a ride to and from school every day for free, which will not only be my way of paying her back but will also ensure that I will have to go to school every day, thus keeping up with my attendance.
  7. I will begin using the provided hours at the tutoring center on campus as well as the writing center to ensure I am getting the most out of my education.
  8. I will begin meeting with my advisor on a regular basis to review grades and any issues that may prevent me from succeeding in class.
  9. I will step back from the numerous extracurricular activities I joined in order to better my academic standing.
  10. I will begin a part-time job after I fix my two failing grades at a local tutoring center in order to stay refreshed in my knowledge

I am grateful for being granted the opportunity to appeal and I know just how fortunate I am to be a student of this institution. However, my Estimated Family Contribution of 0 means that it will not be possible for me to attend the university this fall without financial aid. I will attach with my letter my degree plan signed by my advisor as well as three separate Character References/Letter of Recommendations from three separate third parties. Attending [school name] is a privilege, not a right, and I hope you will give me a chance to prove myself. Thank you for your time and for considering this appeal.

Sincerely,
X

7

To the X SAP Committee:

My name is X and I am currently a sophomore at X. This letter is an appeal for my failure to meet the requirements in order to receive Financial Aid. My performance during Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 resulted in one withdrawal and two “F” grades, therefore dropping my Minimum Cumulative Pace to an approximate 61%. In this letter, I will explain the reasons for these unsatisfactory results and what I will do beginning this very summer, if the committee will allow it, in order to regain my academic standing at the University.

This past semester was very stressful and overwhelming because I was not only transitioning to a new major but was also going through my parent’s separation, which had come as a huge shock for my entire family. Mid-February, my father moved into his sister’s home in X and I began making weekly and sometimes biweekly trips between the two homes in an effort to keep both my parents happy. As a result, my attendance in classes suffered greatly as it felt exhausting to have driven between the two homes and then to drive to school as well. My parents being very old-fashioned South-Asians believe a divorce is an act that brings great shame on the family. Instead, they decided we would keep up the ruse of a big, happy family in public and keep the truth of their separation hidden. It became emotionally exhausting to keep up the lie everywhere we went and resulted in many emotional breakdowns and an anxiety attack anytime we had to go somewhere I thought that we would have to lie. However, I kept all this hidden from my parents as discussing mental or emotional health has a stigma attached to it in our community, which I felt forced me to keep it to myself, instead of trying to talk to someone, such as the counselors on campus. I acknowledge that it is nobody’s fault but my own for not using resources that are provided for students going through a difficult time.

It became very difficult for me to concentrate and do well in class as I convinced myself that I could just watch the lectures on my own and keep up. While I did attempt to keep up with my class assignments and studying, I fell behind and earned poor grades. I thought I could handle this all on my own but I understand now that I made mistakes and should have communicated with my professors what was really going on and devise a plan early on to get my education back on track. I completely acknowledge my mistakes. The results of my lack of prioritizing my education: the two failing grades I received in my two most critical classes this past semester: Biology and Psychology, as failing to attend critical lectures caught up with me and left me scrambling come exam time.

I realize that I neglected my studies and would like another chance to do better. If the committee will allow me a second chance by reinstating my aid I will begin the following regiment this very summer and will continue it throughout my time at X to ensure my education does not fall back any further:

I came clean to my parents about what has been going on these past few months and we agreed that this next year I will be completely focused on my education, by taking classes over summer and winter to catch up.

I will retake the two courses in which I received the failing grades, by either taking both in the Fall or Psychology in the summer and Biology in the fall.

My primary care physician has referred me to a counselor in order to learn how to deal with my emotions and stress and to have someone to discuss my parents’ separation with.

I will talk to my professors to find ways to succeed in their classes as well as seek help during their office hours when needed.

I will manage my time wisely by setting aside time to study and organize goals to a level of importance so that I can balance my school work appropriately.

My next door neighbor will be a senior this year at X in the same major as me, and we have come to an agreement in which I will attend weekly tutoring sessions with her, in return for me giving her a ride to and from school every day for free, which will not only be my way of paying her back but will also ensure that I will have to go to school every day, thus keeping up with my attendance.

I will begin using the provided hours at the tutoring center on campus as well as the writing center to ensure I am getting the most out of my education.

I will begin meeting with my advisor on a regular basis to review grades and any issues that may prevent me from succeeding in class.

I will step back from the numerous extracurricular activities I joined in order to better my academic standing.

I will begin a part-time job after I fix my two failing grades at a local tutoring center in order to stay refreshed in my knowledge

I am grateful for being granted the opportunity to appeal and I know just how fortunate I am to be a student of this institution. However, my Estimated Family Contribution of 0 means that it will not be possible for me to attend the university this fall without financial aid. I will attach with my letter my degree plan signed by my advisor as well as three separate Character References/Letter of Recommendations from three separate third parties. Attending X is a privilege, not a right, and I hope you will give me a chance to prove myself. Thank you for your time and for considering this appeal.

Sincerely,
X

8

ok, i cute some stuff ^, what about now?

9

The paragraph about your parents separation should be two short sentences long max.

The paragraph about the difficulty concentrating…too long.

Then you have a string of one liners that really make no sense written that way.

Write ONE short paragraph stating what happened…SHORT.

Write one short paragraph that states what you have already done to reconcile your situation.

Write one short paragraph stating what you will continue to do if your aid is reinstated.

10

the one-liners are meant to be a numbered list of how I will do better, but it didn’t copy over correctly. Should those be in paragraph form or can they be numbered?

11

It should be shorter. Try something like this. Leave out the part that driving your neighbor will ensure that you get to class. You need to ensure you get to class.

To the [School Name] SAP Committee:

My name is [name] and I am currently a sophomore at [School Name]. I am writing to appeal the loss of my financial aid for my failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. My performance during Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 resulted in one withdrawal and two “F” grades which dropped my Minimum Cumulative Pace to an approximate 61%.

I began my freshman year as an engineering major. I struggled with (insert course) and my advisor recommended that I drop it to protect my GPA. In Spring 2018 I changed my major to Biochemistry. My parents separated that semester and I began making frequent trips home which led to exhaustion and negatively affected both my attendance and my grades. I failed Biology and Psychology which dropped my completion rate below SAP levels.

I have learned from my mistakes. If I am given another chance I will be completely focused on my education. My primary care physician has referred me to a counselor who will help me learn how to deal with my emotions and stress. I will talk to my professors to find ways to succeed in their classes as well as seek help during their office hours. I will manage my time wisely by setting aside time to study and organize goals so that I can balance my school work appropriately. I will reduce the number of extra curricular activities I participate in so that I can spend more time focused on my studies.

My family is low income so it is not possible for me to attend college without financial aid. If reinstated I will follow the degree plan I developed with the help of my advisor. The plan and three Letters of Recommendation are attached. Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read my letter.

Sincerely,

[Name]

12

Alright, thank you all so much! Last question: Is submitting the LoR a good idea or is that pushing it? What about attaching my SAR report from FAFSA to show my EFC of 0?

13

They already know how much your EFC is

14

A LOR attached might be fine. But your EFC is already known by the college…and frankly has no bearing on your appeal.

15

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update since you were all so helpful. I turned in all my paperwork for SAP, and then 3 weeks later got an email stating that I WAS meeting SAP somehow (?) and that my appeal wasn’t necessary. So, I basically stressed out for no reason (I still don’t understand how that happened?), but thanks again!