SAP Appeal Policy

 

This policy outlines the procedure for students at New Mexico State University who wish to appeal their federal financial aid eligibility due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. The goal is to provide a fair, consistent, and transparent process for appeals, taking into account the unique circumstances of each student.

 

This policy applies to all enrolled students at New Mexico State University who are recipients of federal financial aid and wish to appeal their current eligibility status. 

 

Policy 

  1. Grounds for Appeal:
  • Students who have been notified of their failure to meet SAP standards and subsequently lose financial aid eligibility have the right to appeal this decision.
  • Appeals must be based on significant extenuating circumstances that impacted the student's ability to maintain satisfactory academic progress such as illness, injury, death of a family member, or other documented emergencies.
  • Appeals must be submitted for the semester for which reconsideration of aid eligibility is being requested. An appeal cannot be backdated to cover financial aid suspension in a prior semester.

 

  1. Submission of Appeal:
  • Students must submit a Financial Aid Appeal Form to the Financial Aid office in-person or via email to financialaid@nmsu.edu.
  • In addition to the Financial Aid Appeal form, the appeal must include completed sections C, D, and E (if necessary), a detailed, typed explanation of the circumstances that led to the academic difficulties, and supporting documentation (e.g., medical, government, and official records, memos, military orders, signed testimonies).

 

  1. Review Process:
  • The Financial Aid Appeals Committee, comprised of Financial Aid Advisors, Sr. Financial Aid Advisors, and Associate Directors of Financial Aid, will review the appeal and come to a decision.
  • The committee will assess the validity of the student's claims as well as provided documentation and determine whether the circumstances presented warrant an exception to the SAP policy.
  • The decision of the Appeals Committee will be communicated to the student in writing within 10-14 business days of receiving the appeal. Decisions may take longer during peak processing times.

 

  • Acceptable Conditions of an Appeal include but are not limited to: 
    • Death of an immediate family member (spouse, mother, father, guardian, sister, brother, son or daughter)
    • Major medical issue (i.e. requires hospitalization) experienced by the student or an immediate family member of the student (as designated above)
    • Domestic violence
    • Involuntary call to active military duty
  • Unacceptable Conditions of an Appeal include but not limited to:
    • Withdrawing from a class to maintain a higher grade point average
    • Withdrawing from or failing classes because of the student’s work obligations
    • Being previously ineligible for financial aid and returning to school after an absence
    • Adjusted Credit Option-ACO
    • Several semesters of low grades because of an ongoing illness or other situations
    • Conflict with a professor
    • Classes not being what was expected
    • Technical issues with course materials
    • Issues with not being prepared for college

 

  1. Appeal Decisions:
  • Students will be notified of appeal decisions via their NMSU email
  • Approved Appeal:
    • The student’s financial aid eligibility will be reinstated on a probationary basis for the next term.
    • If the student can meet SAP requirements (or graduate) within one term, they will receive an email outlining their Academic Plan Agreement requirements.
    • If the student needs more than one semester to meet SAP standards, they must sign an Academic Plan Agreement.
  •  Denied Appeal:
    • The student remains ineligible for financial aid.
    • Aid may only be reinstated if the student meets SAP standards or successfully appeals again in the future.

 

  1. Academic Plan Agreement:
  • Students needing more than one semester to meet SAP requirements must sign an Academic Plan Agreement. A Financial Aid Advisor will review their progress each semester. To continue receiving financial aid, students must follow the plan’s terms until they meet SAP standards or complete their degree. The agreement may include conditions like taking a reduced course load, enrolling in specific courses only, or achieving a GPA benchmark each semester. The plan ensures students regain SAP compliance within a set timeframe or upon program completion.

 

  1. Probationary Period:
  • Students whose appeals are approved may be placed on probation for one term, during which they must meet specific stipulations as outlined on an Academic Plan Agreement signed by both student and Financial Aid Advisor.
  • Failure to meet the stipulations of probation will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility for subsequent terms.

 

  1. Appeal Decision Finality:
  • The decision of the Appeals Committee is final and the student will remain ineligible for financial aid until they meet SAP standards or successfully appeal again in the future.

 

Confidentiality

All information provided by the student in the appeal process will be treated with confidentiality and used solely for the purpose of evaluating the appeal.

Access to appeal documents and discussions will be limited to authorized personnel involved in the review process.

 

Policy Review

This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Financial Aid Office to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with federal regulations.

 

Financial Aid Appeal Form