Re-Establishing Financial Aid Eligibility

Students may pay out of pocket or secure alternative financing for their course work until they meet SAP standards and are back in “good” standing.

Appeals

Students may file an appeal to re-establish their aid eligibility if they have experienced extenuating circumstances. In general, extenuating circumstances may include, but are not limited to, illness, injury, death of a relative or friend, difficulties with accommodations for students with disabilities and adversity due to unforeseen events. If the appeal is approved, the student’s aid eligibility is reestablished. To do so, the student must:
- submit a letter of appeal to the Financial Aid Office at: financialaid@paloaltou.edu with the subject line: “Letter of Appeal”.
- explain in writing how the situation has changed to allow the student to meet the minimum requirements by the end of the next quarter.
- submit supporting documentation that demonstrates what contributed to the student’s inability to meet the minimum standards of academic progress. Supporting documentation or supporting statements are detailed statements from someone (preferably in a professional capacity) familiar with those circumstances described in the appeal. Statements from doctors, counselors, teachers, advisors, etc. are acceptable. Statements from roommates, family members, and/or friends are usually inadequate for an appeal.
Students who will require more than one payment period to meet the progress standards must submit an approved academic plan developed in conjunction with the student’s academic advisor. The academic plan must clearly outline the time it will take the student to meet the minimum SAP standards and bring them back in good standing.
Students who have exceeded the maximum timeframe to complete their program must submit an appeal along with an approved academic plan that clearly outlines the time it will take to complete their program.
If a student is on probation status and is meeting the requirements of the academic plan.