Financial Aid Appeal Policy
Any student who fails to maintain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (FASAP) will lose eligibility for further participation in all Title IV (Pell, FSEOG, CWS, and Direct Loans) and/or state financial aid programs. The College understands that there may be situations where circumstances outside of the student's control negatively impact their ability to meet required standards. Based on such documented facts, a student may appeal for aid reinstatement in order to complete a particular program of study.
Appeal Process
A Financial Aid Appeal Request Form is available in any financial aid office. Only unanticipated and unavoidable circumstances will be considered in the appeal review process. Such circumstances must be beyond the student’s control and be directly responsible for the student’s failure to meet the required standards. Filing an appeal does not guarantee that the appeal will be approved.
The student must indicate clearly and in detail the circumstances of his/her failure to meet FASAP standards. Specific dates and events must be identified and documentation to support the appeal must be attached to the form. Appeals submitted without specific dates, events, or documentation are considered incomplete and will be denied. The student must attach a signed copy of their degree audit (Educational Plan), available at My Degree Audit on http://pensacolastate.edu after they have met with and reviewed their appeal with an Academic Advisor. Note: If an appeal is submitted during a registration period, the process will take longer.
The following are examples of circumstances that may be considered:
- Serious illness or injury to the student
- Serious illness, injury, or death of a student’s immediate family member (parent, sibling, spouse)
- Special documented circumstance of a unique and substantial nature.
The completed appeal form and documentation must be submitted to a Financial Aid/Veteran Services/Scholarships office located on the Milton, Pensacola, or Warrington Campus. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will consider the appeal. If the appeal is granted, additional conditions may be established which the student will be required to meet in order to continue with financial aid eligibility. The student will be notified in writing of the decision. Should the student receive a denial, the student may not submit another appeal for that award year. If the student does not agree with the denial and has substantive additional information and documentation, the student may submit a written letter of disagreement to the Director of FA/VS/Scholarships within 14 days with a new appeal packet and the additional documentation.
Helpful Definitions for Students
https://studentaid.ed.gov/glossary
Release of Student Financial Aid Information
The disclosure of student information is governed by the policies of the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees and the Florida Department of Education within the parameters established by state and federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
The written consent of the financial aid recipient is required for any disclosure or publication of any financial aid information that is personally identifiable. Parents and legal guardians of dependent financial aid recipients may have access to financial aid information only with the written consent of their dependent student. The appropriate form is available from the Office of Financial Aid/Veteran Services/Scholarships and on the College website at Financial Aid/ General Financial Aid Forms/ Release of Information Authorization.
Official Correspondence and Communication
Official communication between Pensacola State College and all college students is through Pirate Mail and SpyGlass notifications. A student email address is issued to each student one day after his or her application for admission to Pensacola State College is processed. The FA/VS/Scholarship office will communicate through Pirate Mail and SpyGlass notifications. It is a student's responsibility to regularly monitor this official Pirate Mail email site, failure to do so may result in a delay in the awarding of any and all aid or the loss of aid due to limited funding. See https://piratemail.students.pensacolastate.edu for details.