Appeals

Understand the process for appealing financial and and scholarship decisions

Financial Aid Appeals

Professional Judgment

If you or your family have experienced a recent hardship that is not reflected on your FAFSA, such as loss of employment, you may qualify for a professional judgmentappeal to have your financial aid package re-evaluated by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. 

There are two different appeal processes available to you and your family: Special Circumstances Appeal and Dependency Override. For ETSU to grant an appeal, there must be compelling reasons.

Should I Appeal?

What Special Circumstances We DO Consider:

  • Loss or change of employment
  • Loss or change in untaxed income (child support, Social Security, or other benefits)
  • Divorce or separation of parents or student
  • Death of parent(s) or spouse
  • Unusual medical expenses (not covered by insurance)
  • One-time taxable income used for life changing events (e.g. IRA, pension distribution, back-year Social Security payments)

What Special Circumstances We DO NOT Consider:

  • Standard living expenses (e.g.utilities, credit card payments, children's allowances, etc.)
  • Mortgage payments
  • Car payments
  • Credit card or other personal debts
  • Vacation expenses
  • All other discretionary expenses

Conditions That COULD warrant a Dependency Override:

  • Documented abandonment
  • Parental drug use
  • Parental mental incapacity
  • Physical or emotional abuse
  • Severe estrangement from parents
  • Parental incarceration

Conditions That DO NOT warrant a Dependency Override:

  • Parents refuse to provide information on the FAFSA application or for verification
  • Parents do not claim student as dependent for income tax purposes
  • Parents unwilling or unable to contribute to student's education
  • Student demonstrates self-sufficiency
  • Student reluctant to request the income information from parents
  • Student does not wish to communicate with parent

 

If you are unsure about whether or not your circumstances warrant an appeal, contact your personal Financial Aid Counselor. 

Dependency Override

For financial aid purposes, a student is considered a dependent of their parents unless the student is:

  • 24 years old
  • married
  • serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces
  • a veteran
  • a parent with dependents
  • an emancipated minor
  • homeless
  • assigned a legal guardian before the age of 18 

How to Appeal

Contact your Financial Aid Counselor to discuss your circumstances. They will help you through the process, advise as to required documentation, timeline, and next steps. 

Please note: Response times vary depending on the complexity of the issues involved, as well as the time of year. We will make every effort to respond as quickly as possible. 

Academic Appeal Forms and Links

In certain circumstances, students have the option to appeal based on their academic performance. Read about Satisfactory Academic Progress policy here, and Academic Performance Scholarship policy here.

 

APS Appeals

Recipients who fail to meet the credit hour or GPA requirement may file a written appeal to regain their APS award for future terms with the APS Appeal Committee in the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships:

  • Documentation of extenuating circumstances is required.
  • APS recipients in the Department of Music may file a written appeal with the Chair of the Music Department

Recipients who fail to meet the 75 service hours requirement may file a written appeal to regain their APS award for future terms with APS Appeal Committee in the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships:

  • Documentation of extenuating circumstances is required.
  • APS recipients in the Department of Music may file a written appeal with the Chair of the Music Department

If an appeal is granted, the student's appeal form and documentation will be filed in the student's folder in the Office of Financial Aid.

Student will be notified in writing of the decision of the Appeals Committee. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Department of Military Science or the Math and Science Scholars Programs when appropriate.

Recipients will not be granted more than one appeal.

APPEAL FORM

Athletic Appeals 

Summary
In accordance with National Collegiate Athletic Associate (NCAA) regulations, the following outlines East Tennessee State University’s policies and procedures for conducting an appeal hearing related to the cancellation, reduction, or non-renewal of athletic aid.

Policy
A student-athlete who wishes to appeal any decision related to his or her athletic grant-in-aid must submit their statement, along with any supporting documentation, to the Financial Aid & Scholarship office. 

The Financial Aid & Scholarship office will schedule a hearing before the Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee so that the committee may review statements and documentation made by the student-athlete and the Intercollegiate Athletics department (Head Coach/Sport Designee, Compliance, Athletics Academic Services, AD) during the appeal hearing to make their decision.

The Committee’s decision is final and there is no further appeal beyond the Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee.

Procedures
The Financial Aid & Scholarship office will send notification of non-renewal, cancellation or reduction of athletic aid to the student-athlete. This is sent electronically via ETSU email. 

If the student-athlete wishes to appeal the non-renewal, cancellation or reduction of athletic aid, he/she must submit their appeal and supporting documentation to the Financial Aid & Scholarship office within (10) calendar days from the date on the non-renewal, cancellation, or reduction letter. If the student athlete-does not appeal within this appeal window or informs the Financial Aid & Scholarship office in writing that he/she will not be submitting an appeal then the awarded athletic aid will be cancelled immediately and the hearing opportunity will be forfeited.

The student-athlete’s appeal should include the student-athlete’s typed/written statement explaining why the athletic aid should not be cancelled, non-renewed, or reduced. The student-athlete should also include any supporting documentation that he/she feels relevant to the appeal.

Once received, the Financial Aid & Scholarship office will place the Athletic Department on notice of receipt of an appeal and request a signed, dated statement and any relevant documentation from the Intercollegiate Athletic Department (Head Coach/Sport Designee, Compliance, Athletics Academic Services, AD).

All statements and documentation from all parties must be provided to the Financial Aid & Scholarship office at least (2) calendar days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. An appeal hearing will be held within (15) calendar days after receiving the student-athlete’s appeal completed appeal.  

Hearing Format
The Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships, acting as the Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee Chair shall choose to have the committee meet in person or will ensure all statements and documentation are provided to the committee electronically for review.

For an in-person hearing, the Committee Chair and committee members will convene in private session to review any submitted statements and/or documentation. From this information, the committee will vote whether to uphold the recommendation of Intercollegiate Athletics to cancel, non-renew, reduce the athletic scholarship or to reinstate the aid to the student-athlete.

The Committee Chair shall collect and total the votes. The Committee Chair or Designee will inform all parties of the Committee’s decision in writing within (1) calendar day of the voting. 

The Committee’s decision is final and there is no further appeal beyond the Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee.

For a hearing conducted electronically, the Committee members will be sent all statements and documentation electronically to review by the Committee Chair or Designee. Each committee member will have (1) calendar day to review the materials and return a vote to uphold the recommendation of Intercollegiate Athletics to cancel, non-renew, reduce the athletic scholarship or to reinstate the aid to the student-athlete.

The Committee Chair shall collect and total the votes. The Committee Chair or Designee will inform all parties of the Committee’s decision in writing within (1) calendar day of the voting.

The Committee’s decision is final and there is no further appeal beyond the Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee.

Athletic Scholarship Appeals Committee Members
Committee Chair – Director, Financial Aid & Scholarships (non-voting member)
Committee Member – Dean of Students or Designee
Committee Member – Bursar or Designee
Committee Member – Faculty Member
Committee Member – Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Committee Member – Assistant Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships 

Hope (TELS/Lottery) Appeals

Information related to lottery scholarship appeals can be found on the lottery scholarship appeals page.

Creative Arts

Creative Arts Scholarship recipients who lose their scholarship because of failure to meet the academic requirements should e-mail their appeal to scholarshipoffice@etsu.edu.  Students must provide a letter of support from their CAS coordinator before their appeal will be reviewed.  Students will be notified by e-mail of the decision of the CAS Appeals Committee.  The decision of the CAS Appeals Committee is final.

Other Appeals

Appeals will be heard by the office/department which awarded the scholarship.  If you receive notification that your scholarship will not be renewed, you should contact the office from whom you received the notification.

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