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Appealing Loss of Aid |
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Re-establishing Eligibility for Financial Aid f you have lost your Financial Aid due to poor academic performance, you may appeal to have it reinstated by filing an Appeal for Financial Aid Reinstatement form (available in the Financial Aid Office or on the web at http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/fa/forms/). By filing an appeal you are, in effect, asking to be reconsidered for aid after you have taken further classes at your own expense (or with financial help from a third-party source, such as a scholarship) and brought your academic performance back into line with requirements. Demonstrating successful academic performance If you lost your aid because your cumulative GPA fell below the 2.0 minimum level, you must demonstrate eligibility by getting high enough grades in your self-funded classes to bring it back up to the 2.0 minimum. If you lost your aid because you did not meet the quarterly requirement to earn at least 75% of the credits for which you enroll (for example, if you enrolled for 15 credits but only completed or passed enough classes to actually earn 10), you must go back and fulfill that requirement by retaking the classes you did not successfully complete. In doing so, you must continue to earn at least 75% of the credits for which you enroll.Extenuating circumstances Extenuating circumstances and hardships are considered when the college reviews appeals for Financial Aid reconsideration. Extenuating circumstances are events beyond your control, such as an automobile accident, an illness, or death of a family member. If such circumstances affected your performance, please describe and document them in writing as part of your appeal. If approved your aid would be available for your next quarter of attendance. Appeals requesting reconsideration due to extenuating circumstances must be automatically denied if no written supporting documentation is submitted.Filing your appeal Begin by picking up an Appeal for Financial Aid Reinstatement form from the Financial Aid Office (room B124) or downloading it from our website at bellevuecollege.edu/fa/forms. After you fill out the form, attach a copy of your BCC transcript (an unofficial copy is acceptable) as well as a written description and documentation of any extenuating circumstances you wish to cite. Then submit the entire package to the Financial Aid staff in room B124.Be sure the transcript reflects your recent academic progress. If you have retaken courses that you did not pass or complete previously, the transcript must show your most recent grades for those classes. (Instructions on how to have old grades replaced on your transcript are provided in the BCC Student Handbook. Decisions on appeals are made by a committee that meets weekly. You will receive a response in writing, but you also are welcome to call the Financial Aid office (ext. 2227) for an update on the status of your appeal.If your appeal is approved and you subsequently regain your eligibility, your Financial Aid will be reinstated for the current and future quarters but not for any prior quarters. You will also still be responsible for any prior repayment obligations. (Proof of satisfactory payment arrangements with the Department of Education can be used to waive this requirement on federal aid). If your appeal is denied you still have the option of taking more classes to demonstrate that you meet the minimum academic requirements, and then filing a second appeal. Again, your current transcript, showing your academic improvement, must be submitted with the appeal form. Please note that successfully completing additional, self-paid quarters or simply filing an appeal do not guarantee reinstatement of financial aid.Loss of aid after tuition has been paid Because Financial Aid is normally released soon after you register for next quarter's classes - often before the current quarter ends -- it is possible you could be notified of a loss of eligibility after your next tuition bill has already been paid. In that case your Financial Aid will be withdrawn, but you will still have the option of keeping your place in the classes you want by paying the tuition yourself. However, the time window you have for doing so will be short. If you feel you may be in danger of losing your eligibility please watch for a notice in either your postal mail or email and be prepared to take contact the Financial Aid office or the cashiers in the Student Services Building promptly. If you do not pay your tuition by the first day of the quarter, your registration will be dropped. Return to the Financial Aid Office's main web page. Last updated on |