Financial Aid Appeals

1. Submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form available on our Forms page
   1. You must provide:
      1. Completed appeal form
      2. Detailed statement explaining why you did not meet SAP guidelines and the steps you’ve taken to meet them in the future
      3. Supporting documentation
      4. Your Academic History
      5. An Academic Plan signed by your advisor detailing your courses from the semester for which you are applying through graduation (if your advisor is unable to provide a plan through graduation they will need to indicate why)

All of these items must be provided before the appeal can be reviewed. Once all requested documentation has been received, the Appeal Committee will review your appeal.

Situations that may be considered in an appeal include, but are not limited to:

• Extenuating circumstances that prevented you from maintaining satisfactory academic progress, but have since been resolved
• Serious illness or injury
• Death of an immediate family member
• Class cancellations
• Dual degree objective
• Change in major (only one change in major per student will be considered)
• Academic second opportunity

If you have a grade change after you have been notified that you are not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, and you feel the grade change would allow you to meet the standards, you can submit a written request to review your status. The request should explain why the grade was changed after the Registrar certified grades for the semester.

UT will take into consideration the total number of appeals you submit. If your appeal is granted, your progress will be reviewed at the end of your probationary term. You do not need to submit additional documentation for this review to occur. Once you’ve been reviewed, we will notify you of the results of your semester’s progress and future aid eligibility via your UT email account.

You’ll receive one semester of aid on a probationary status. You must meet all the following criteria to be back in good standing and off probation:

1. Achieve a 2.0 GPA for the probationary semester
2. Complete 67% of the hours attempted for the probationary semester
3. Follow your Academic Plan submitted with your appeal without deviation

If you meet the cumulative 2.0 GPA and 67% completion standards after your probationary term, your Satisfactory Academic Progress hold will be cleared.

If after your probationary term you meet the criteria (above) but do not meet the cumulative standards, you may be eligible for continued probationary status on a term-by-term basis. However, you must continue to pass 67% each term with a minimum 2.0 GPA and follow the academic plan you submitted with your appeal.

At the end of your probationary term, you may be eligible to complete a Request for Review of Academic Plan form and submit an updated Academic Plan to be considered for an additional probationary term. If you are eligible, your requirements will be updated in the MyUTK portal to link you directly to the form. If you do not meet the term requirements, you will no longer be eligible for financial aid.

If you have a SAP hold or you’re on SAP probation, you must follow your Academic Plan closely. Deviation from the plan without prior authorization will result in failing the probationary period, and you will no longer be eligible for financial aid.

You will not be eligible for financial aid until you meet the cumulative SAP standards.

You may attend the following semester(s) at UT or another institution and successfully complete enough credit hours to reach the cumulative 67% credit hours requirement with the required GPA. You will not receive financial aid during this time.

If you choose to attend another institution, aid cannot be awarded until an academic transcript is received and reviewed. Please note your GPA from another institution will not transfer to UT or increase your UT GPA to meet the SAP requirements. Only credit hours taken at the other institution can be considered towards meeting the 67% completion requirement and will count toward your maximum time frame.

Situations that may merit appeal include, but are not limited to:

• Physical or emotional abuse
• Severe estrangement
• Abandonment
• Parental drug abuse
• Parental mental incapacity
• Parental incarceration

Situations that do NOT merit appeal include, but are not limited to:

• Self-sufficiency
• Unwillingness of the parent(s)/stepparent(s) to assist you financially
• Parent(s) do not claim student as dependent on tax return
• Reluctance to request information from parent(s)/stepparent(s)

First, contact One Stop Student Services to explain your situation. You will be directed to a Financial Aid Counselor who will discuss the specifics of your situation to determine if you should submit this appeal.

If the Financial Aid Counselor determines that you are eligible to submit this appeal, they will update your account with the list of documents required for the type of appeal you request. When all requested documentation has been received, your appeal will be reviewed by the Appeal Committee.

Your FAFSA and financial aid (if required) will be updated according to the Appeal Committee’s findings. Please note that an approved appeal is not a guarantee of additional financial aid.

Appeal results are final. Your appeal will be closed and will not be reviewed again by the Appeal Committee unless you can provide additional documentation that was not submitted with the original appeal.