SAP Finacial Aid Suspension appeal. Do i have a case?

Paying for College
1

<p>THIS IS NOT MY LETTER JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED.</p>

<p>My GPA for my first semester of college was a 0.9 do to the fact i was ill prepared for the college work load and i have trouble making big transitions(from college to high school) i lacked motivation my first semester I had no friends i went in and out of depression worrying about my family and where i was going in my life my mom and dad are separated and my dad lost his job which was how my mom brother and i got by. my mom takes care of me and my brother who are both in college she has suffered two heart attacks in the past and has many heart problems i was the last kid to leave home so now she is there alone working one low paying job putting me and my brother through college paying bills and paying of her own student loans and she has no car because the summer prior my brother got in a crash and totaled our car all this is a lot of stress on her with her heart problems it being my first time away from home i spent a lot of time worrying about her and feeling depressed, i felt bad for leaving her and worried if shed be ok on her own but college was always the only option in my family. i didn't seek any help i didnt want it i just stayed in bed for days at a time not going to class and self loathing. I decided to join a sorority in an attempt to make friends but not only did i make friends I meet people who helped me realize what i wanted to do with my life and help me find my motivation and a way to get through it all i changed my attitude and stopped feeling sorry for my self and got my stuff together because i realized sitting around moping wasn't helping my family and a lot was riding on my education. the next semester i changed mt attitude i realized that iam my own worry and doubt that only i can make this better being sad and depressed doesn't help things and put my education and betterment of my life and future first i changed my major from theater to psych. i got a 3.6 GPA for the semester making my cumulative GPA a 2.64. i also became an executive board member of the multicultural Greek council as well as a dual chair holder in my sorority i did all of this while being a full active member of my sorority and working a full time job to help my family.sadly I fell short of my 75% of credit hours since i retook a class i failed that was a prerequisite for most classes in my major and was unaware that retaking a class didn't count in the calculation of hours and i was also unaware that the 75% was for all credits not just the semester and a few other details, if i had known the details of my suspension i would have taken more class to compensate but also my advisor told me to to take no more then 15hrs and to retake courses and that's what i did unaware that this was not gonna cut it for my SAP. i am fully capable of achieving the 75% my next semester as shown in my ability to pull my GPA up so high getting all a's and a b this semester i have truly changed my ways and now my mom has a car and my dad found another job things are still hard for us but they are looking up and i have changed my attitude and found people i can lean on. if given another semester i will more then surly be able to achieve my 75% now that i know what is needed to do so. if need be i will drop all extracurricular activities to focus on my school work to ensure i succeed i will invest in a tutor and find a mentor as well to guide me through the semester.</p>

2

<p>I stopped trying to read this halfway through.</p>

<p>Paragraphs are your friends. So are periods and commas.</p>

3

<p>sorry about how horribly written that was i tried to make it a little better. . . . . .please bear with me and read i through thank you. . . .
just need to know if i have any kind of case here. . . .this is not anywhere close to what i will be submitting</p>

<pre><code> My GPA for my first semester of college was a 0.9, do to the fact i was not prepared for the college work load, i have trouble making big transitions(from high school to college), and i lacked motivation self esteem and self worth. my first semester i went in and out of depression i had no friend. i was worrying about my family and where i was going in my life. my mom and dad are separated and my dad had just lost his job which was how my mom brother and i got by, we had no money to get the proper things to start school my dad was supposed to pay for that stuff. my mom takes care of me and my brother who are both in college, she has suffered two heart attacks in the past and has many heart problems. i was the last kid to leave home she was there alone working one low paying job putting me and my brother through college paying bills and paying of her own student loans and she had no car because the summer prior my brother got in a crash and totaled our car all this is a lot of stress on her with her heart problems. it being my first time away from home i spent a lot of time worrying about her and feeling depressed, i felt bad for leaving her and worried if shed be ok on her own, college was always the only option in my family. i didn’t seek any help i didn’t want it i just stayed in bed for days at a time not going to class and self loathing. I decided to join a sorority in an attempt to make friends but not only did i make friends I meet people who helped me realize what i wanted to do with my life and help me find my motivation and a way to get through it all i changed my attitude and stopped feeling sorry for my self and got my stuff together because i realized sitting around moping wasn’t helping my family and a lot was riding on my education.

the next semester i changed my attitude i realized that iam my own worry and doubt that only i can make this better being sad and depressed doesn’t help things and put my education and betterment of my life and future first. i changed my major from theater to psych. i got a 3.6 GPA for the semester making my cumulative GPA a 2.64. i also became an executive board member of the multicultural Greek council as well as a dual chair holder in my sorority i did all of this while being a full active member of my sorority and working a full time job to help my family.

sadly I fell short of my 75% of credit hours since i retook a class i failed that was a prerequisite for most classes in my major and was unaware that retaking a class didn’t count in the calculation of hours, i was also unaware that the 75% was for all credits not just the semester and a few other details. if i had known the details of my suspension i would have taken more class to compensate but also my advisor told me to to take no more then 15hrs and to retake courses and that’s what i did unaware that this was not gonna cut it for my SAP. i am fully capable of achieving the 75% my next semester as shown in my ability to pull my GPA up so high getting all a’s and a b this semester i have truly changed my ways and now my mom has a car and my dad found another job and my moms friend is moving in with her so she is not alone. things are still hard for us but they are looking up and i have changed my attitude and found people i can lean on. if given another semester i will more then surly be able to achieve my 75% now that i know what is needed to do so and i have a cleaer out look on life and a good group of people around me to help keep me on the right path. if need be i will drop all extracurricular activities to focus on my school work to ensure i succeed i will invest in a tutor and find a mentor as well to guide me through the semester.
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4

<p>You probably do have a reasonable case (doesn’t hurt to try). But, for heaven’s sake, clean up your prose. It’s really bad.</p>

5

<p>Please slow down and carefully edit your letter. Start each sentence with a capital letter. Eliminate run-on sentences. “Gonna” should not be in any business communication. The letter “I” should always be capitalized when it is used as a pronoun.</p>

6

<p>Dear Financial Aid Appeal Committee
My name is . . . . and I am writing this letter in hopes of appealing the suspension of my financial aid for the 2013 fall term. I would like to begin by thanking you in advance for taking the time to read this letter and consider my request to reinstate my financial aid at Sam Houston state university. </p>

<pre><code> My first semester here at Sam Houston, fall 2012, was a struggle for me. I ended off the semester with a GPA of 0.9 and was put on grace/warning for a combination of personal reasons. My father just lost his job and though my parents are separated he helped with experience from time to time. I worried about how my family would get by with one pay check, bills, two kids in college, my mom paying off loans, not having a car but on top of all this the thing that really put me in a bad place was, all this is a lot of stress for one person, being my mom, who suffers from heart and other health problems and has already suffered one heart attack I didn’t want her to have another. It being my first time away from home I spent a lot of time worrying about her, I felt bad for leaving her and worried if she’d be ok on her own, and how my family would make it. I had no friends no one to lean on so I went through a deep spell of depression I didn’t seek any help I didn’t want it I just stayed in bed for days at a time and self-loathing and angry about my life and having no one. I decided to join a Greek organization in an attempt to make friends but not only did I make friends I met people who helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life and helped me, through the course of the term, find my motivation and a way to get through it all. I changed my attitude and stopped feeling sorry for myself and got my stuff together because I realized sitting around moping wasting this opportunity to get an education and better my life wasn’t helping my family and a lot was riding on my education.

 The spring semester, with a total change of attitude, hard work, dedication and having the right people around me I was able to get a GPA of 3.6, compared to my 0.9 the previous semester, and an overall cumulative GPA of 2.64. I also became an executive board member of the multicultural Greek council and a dual chair holder in sigma kappa omega while working a part time job to help my family. Sadly I fell short of the 75% completion rate required, due to the huge deficit of hours from the previous semester and the fact I was unaware that the 75% was for all credits, not just the semester. To be able to have achieved a completion rate of 75% I would have had to take 18hrs not repeating any courses, which would have been un wise, I was advised, due to how I struggled in the fall and my low GPA, to take no more than 15hrs and to retake courses I failed to build my GPA which I did. I take full responsibility for not finding out the important details of my probation but, if given the chance to return in the fall now knowing more about SAP and my change in attitude and new found dedication to my responsibility as a student that I showed during the previous term  I will surely be able to achieve the 75%. To achieve the 75% completion rate I will need to take 14 hours, which I had already planned to, and receive satisfactory marks in all courses. To ensure that I achieve this goal I will seek a mentor and a tutor, I will also not be working and will step down from my executive board and chair positions to give complete focus to my academics I will not retake any courses and speak with an adviser to find the best academic path to ensure my success.

In conclusion, the committee should consider my appeal because, yes, I went through a low time in my life my first semester that showed in my GPA, But I found a way to get through it, changed my attitude and was able to achieve more than I ever thought I would the next semester I received all As and one B dramatically increased my GPA and was elected into executive positions. If given the chance to return I will more than surly be able to achieve my 75% completion rate during the fall 2013 semester proven but my performance during the spring term. I have learned that the future is uncertain and I know life can be hard and may knock you down but you have to look at the bigger picture and stay focused and get back up, I now have the right mind set, people around me, and a plan to get things done correctly. I have come to take my time at this university very seriously and will do everything it takes to consistently earn good grades. If given a second chance, I will not squander it. Thank you.
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7

<p>Big improvement.</p>

<p>I suggest you break up these run-on sentences:
Paragraph 2: I worried about how my family would get by with one pay check, bills, two kids in college, my mom paying off loans, not having a car but on top of all this the thing that really put me in a bad place was, all this is a lot of stress for one person, being my mom, who suffers from heart and other health problems and has already suffered one heart attack I didn’t want her to have another.</p>

<p>Paragraph 3: To be able to have achieved a completion rate of 75% I would have had to take 18hrs not repeating any courses, which would have been un wise, I was advised, due to how I struggled in the fall and my low GPA, to take no more than 15hrs and to retake courses I failed to build my GPA which I did. </p>

<p>Paragraph 4: In conclusion, the committee should consider my appeal because, yes, I went through a low time in my life my first semester that showed in my GPA, But I found a way to get through it, changed my attitude and was able to achieve more than I ever thought I would the next semester I received all As and one B dramatically increased my GPA and was elected into executive positions. (And, in the subsequent sentence, change “surly” to “surely” --spellcheck can’t catch that one.)</p>

<p>Paragraph 4: I have learned that the future is uncertain and I know life can be hard and may knock you down but you have to look at the bigger picture and stay focused and get back up, I now have the right mind set, people around me, and a plan to get things done correctly.</p>

8

<p>Read through your letter. There are issues beyond the run-on sentences. Check your spelling, and yes, things like surly are correctly spelled, but you meant surely.</p>

<p>Names/titles should be capitalized, for example (and not just limited to this in your letter)… Sam Houston State University.</p>

<p>Others can advise better, but perhaps some mention of what would happen if your financial aid award was not reinstated. Don’t just moan, but say… it would not be possible for me to attend school in the fall without the FA award. If this is the situation, I will then use the time to… (work, study, find myself, move, start an organization… whatever). I hope that SHSU would then allow me to restart my studies (in a year, in a semester).</p>

<p>I’m also not sure that I would say that the committee should consider your appeal… I hope (find a better way to phrase that) the committee will consider my appeal. (<- period). I have reorganized my study efforts, etc to be more successful in dealing with the low/difficult times in my life… blah blah blah…</p>

9

<p>My name is . . . . . I am writing this letter in humble hopes of appealing the suspension of my financial aid for the 2013 fall semester. I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this letter and consider my request to reinstate my financial aid.</p>

<p>My first semester here at Sam Houston State University was such a struggle for me. A lot of things were happening in my life that I was unable to manage. My mom who has heart problems and has already suffered a heart attack was living alone now that I also left for college along with my older brother. This being my first time away from home I worried a lot about her. To make things worse my father just lost his job. Even though my parents are separated he helps us with expenses. Because of this sudden financial blow I was unable to get the things needed to go off to college and now that he lost his job, my mom had to stress more and work overtime to make ends meet. I worried about how my family would get by with one pay check, bills, two kids in college, my mom paying off loans, all this is a lot for one person I was scared to death that this added financial stress would cause her to have another heart attack. This put me in a really bad place. Coupled with the fact I was in a strange place, with no friends and nobody to talk to, I wondered if I was even cut out for college. I went through a deep bout of depression. I did not seek any help I just stayed in bed for days at a time paying no attention to school.</p>

<pre><code> In an attempt to make friends I joined Sigma Kappa Omega Sorority. In joining I met people who helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life and helped me find my motivation and a way to get through it all. I got myself together and was able to make it through the semester. I ended the semester with the lowest imaginable GPA of 0.9 and a warning. This was the last straw and the wake up call I desperately needed I realized sitting around moping wasting this opportunity to get an education and better my life wasn’t helping my family. So I quickly snapped out of my stupor and was determined to do my best in the coming semester.

I tackled the spring semester with courage, determination, hard work, dedication and having the right people around me and beat it with a bang! I earned a whopping GPA of 3.6, compared to my previous 0.9, and a cumulative GPA of 2.6. I also became an executive board member of the Multicultural Greek Council, A dual chair holder in Sigma Kappa Omega Multicultural 5 star Sorority and was nominated for two pantheon individual awards; All while working part time at Kroger to help my mom. This has been a huge source of encouragement to me. Sadly I fell short of the 75% completion rate due to the huge deficit from last semester. To be able to achieve 75% I would have had to take about 23 hours which would not have since we are allowed to take a maximum of 19 hours. Due to the way I struggled in the previous semester, I was advised to take no more than 15 hours and repeat courses I failed.

Please reconsider my plea and give me another chance to return in the fall. Now that I know more about SAP, my change in attitude and new found dedication to my responsibility as a student and not having to worry about GPA, I believe that I will be able to achieve and even exceed the required 75% by the end of the semester… And this is how I plan to do so
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<ol>
<li>I am currently taking six credit hours at my Houston community college this first summer session to alleviate the number of hours I will need to during the fall semester to achieve 75%. Doing so will bring my current 61% completion rate to 68%, meaning if given the chance to return during the fall 2013 term I will only need to take and pass 9 credit hours to achieve my 75%. I have already registered for 14 hours meaning that if I get satisfactory marks in all courses my completion rate will be 78%.</li>
<li>I will speak with an adviser to find the best academic path to ensure my success</li>
<li>I will seek a private tutor</li>
<li>I will step down from my executive board and chair positions to give complete focus to my academics</li>
<li><p>I will also enroll in the study skills course provided by the university</p>

<p>Thanks again for taking the time to read this letter. It is my deepest hope you reinstate my financial aid without which I may never be able to finish college, due to my family’s financial situation. If given the chance to return I will more than surely be able to achieve my 75% completion rate during the fall 2013 semester proven but my performance during the spring term. I have learned that the future is uncertain and I know life can be hard but you have to look at the bigger picture and stay. I now have the right mind set, people around me, and a plan to get things done correctly. I have come to take my time at this university very seriously and will do everything it takes to consistently earn good grades. If given a second chance, I will not squander it. Thank you.</p></li>
</ol>