Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

A student does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is considered ineligible for financial aid. However, they may submit an appeal if they have documented extenuating circumstances that:

  • Were beyond their control;
  • Occurred during a period in which the student was enrolled; AND
  • Impacted their ability to be academically successful.

Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to:

  • Serious illness or injury to you the student or immediate family member
  • Death of an immediate family member
  • Significant trauma in your life

Please note:

  • Submitting an appeal does not guarantee additional financial aid.
  • If you need to appeal the status of your Excelsior or Scholarship because of a break in attendance or failure to complete the requisite number of credits due to (a) the death or illness of a family member, (b) documented medical leave, (c) active military service, (d) parental leave, or (e) a disability as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, please complete the Excelsior Scholarship Eligibility Determination Form. Please note that failure to complete the requisite number of credits must be due to dropped or withdrawn courses and not failed courses in order to be eligible for appeal. 
  • If you need to appeal the status of your Excelsior Scholarship because your federal adjusted gross income (AGI) was adversely affected due to a disability, divorce or separation, or the death of a parent or spouse, please visit the HESC website and review the information for an Income Eligibility Review. 
  • Students cannot appeal the loss of Part-Time TAP.
  • The decision by the Office of Student Records and Financial Services is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education or the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
  • Completed appeals submitted with all necessary documentation are usually reviewed within 5 to 7 business days. 

Students must be able to provide acceptable documentation (pdf) addressing their extenuating circumstances to support the appeal as follows:

  • Statement from the student explaining how the extenuating circumstances affected their academic performance and how they plan to succeed academically in the future and raise their grade point average (GPA). 
  • Signed documentation from an official third-party such as a physician, therapist, counselor, clergy member, law enforcement, or court official which is on official letterhead. 

How to Appeal

  1. You will be notified via your Alfred State email that you can appeal your financial aid ineligibility. Please note, students will not receive notification until after their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received for the aid year.
  2. Gather third-party documentation (pdf) that supports your extenuating circumstances. 
  3. Visit my.AlfredState.edu/finances and select "FAFSA Verification" to start your appeal.
    1. If this is your first time submitting a request, you may need to set up your account. See the Verification Instructions (pdf) for assistance.
  4. After setting up your account, click on the "Manage Request" button near the top of the page and select the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal option. Click the green plus + sign to add the request for the appropriate aid year. 
  5. The system will ask you to briefly explain your reason for this request. This does not need to be in-depth. You will provide more information later in the process.
  6. You should now see a tab in the middle of the screen showing your request. Click on the tab to complete the required tasks which include providing a detailed statement on the web form and submit third-party documentation to support your request.
  7. Once you have entered your statement on to the web form and uploaded your supporting third-party documentation, click the "Submit" button to submit your application for review.
  8. Once all requested documentation is submitted, you will receive an email notification of the outcome within five to seven business days. Please note this time may be extended during peak processing times. Students are responsible for making payment when their bill is due regardless of the status of the appeal. To avoid late payment fees, please be prepared to have alternative payment arrangements in place to cover your balance such as a Monthly Payment Plan or private student loan from a lender that does not require Satisfactory Academic Progress. 

Appeal Deadlines

  • Fall semester appeals - Aug. 1; Priority deadline of July 1
  • Spring semester appeals - Jan 15

After the Appeal

If the appeal was approved:

  • You will be notified via your Alfred State email.
  • Your aid will be reinstated on a probationary status for only one semester. You must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress by the end of the probationary semester, or you will be ineligible for financial aid for the upcoming semester. Please see SAP criteria/requirements for eligibility information.

If the appeal is denied:

  • You will be notified via your Alfred State email.
  • You will need to consider other forms of funding such as paying out-of-pocket; utilizing our Monthly Payment Plan; or pursuing loans fron private lenders that do not require satisfactory academic progress.