A College of the State University of New York

FEDERAL AND STATE FINANCIAL AID

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) APPEAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Students with serious hardship situations may submit an application for waiver of satisfactory academic progress standards for federal or
state financial aid within two weeks from the date of their notification letter. It is important to note that filing an application for waiver is not
a guarantee that the appeal will be approved. If an approval is given, your federal and/or state aid will be reinstated as appropriate.
The following are examples of hardship and/or circumstances that may be deemed appropriate for an appeal:
Accident or injury requiring hospitalization and recovery;
Call to military active duty with short response time;
Death of immediate family member;
Fire or other catastrophic events;
Legal problems;
Medical problems requiring extensive follow up or care;
Other circumstances beyond your control that occurred during the term for which you lost eligibility.
Students are allowed only ONE appeal approval throughout their attendance at Onondaga Community College.
1. This form must be completed in blue or black ink (no pencil or colored pen, please).
2. Please be sure to print legibly. Forms that are illegible will be returned with no decision made.
3. Explain your circumstances in detail, and how the circumstances hindered your academic performance.
4. Provide documentation to support your circumstances. Examples of acceptable documentation include but are not limited to:

letters from medical or health professionals, accident reports, hospital records, legal documents.
5. Appeal forms must have documentation attached in order to be considered for the appeal.
6. Appeal forms without supporting documentation will not be reviewed and will be returned without a decision made.
7. Demonstrate that the circumstance is now resolved or no longer exists, or will no longer hinder your academic performance.
8. Complete all questions. Do not leave any blank.
9. Read and sign the Application Statement of Understanding.
10. Sign and date the form.
11. Keep a copy of the form for your records.
12. Mail completed form, along with documentation to:

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards Committee

Student Central Gordon Student Center
Onondaga Community College
4585 West Seneca Turnpike
Syracuse, NY 13215-4585

Next Steps
Waiver decisions are made within two weeks of receipt of application and all documentation. Notification is mailed to the student and to the
director of Financial Aid. The decision of the Committee is final. The Committee may require more time if additional information is needed
from the student, or the students application for waiver is incomplete. Special Note: A Waiver of Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
for Federal Financial Aid is given only once and mitigating circumstances may not be used to justify a pattern of poor performance or to
override the maximum timeframe standard.

Please contact Financial Aid at Student Central with any questions regarding the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards.

07/10

Students attending Onondaga Community College must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in order to remain eligible for Federal
Title IV Financial Aid and New York State Financial Aid. At the end of each semester, the Financial Aid office determines which students satisfy
the federal and state academic standards. If a student fails to meet any of these standards, the student is notified in writing and financial
aid awards are cancelled. The academic standards for federal and state financial aid are outlined in this documentation. Although they are
complicated, students can remember these general guidelines in order to keep on track.

A College of the State University of New York

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEAL FORM

APPLICATION FOR WAIVER OF GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING REQUIREMENTS
Please answer all questions - Please do not leave any blanks.
Social Security Number _____ _____ _____ - _____ _____ - _____ _____ _____ _____

Student ID ______________________________

Last Name__________________________________________________________ First_____________________________________ Middle_ __________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City_ ____________________________________________________________ State_________________________________________ Zip___________________________
Academic Advisor_____________________________________________ Academic Program________________________________________________________________
Please indicate the type of Financial Aid you wish to appeal

n NY State Financial Aid

I have been notified that I do not meet the academic standards
required to receive New York State Financial Aid (i.e. TAP, APTS,
NY State Scholarship, etc.) and I wish to appeal my eligibility for
state aid based on special circumstances.

n Federal Financial Aid

I have been notified that I do not meet the academic standards
required to receive Federal Financial Aid (i.e. PELL Grant, SEOG,
Federal Direct Loans, Work Study, etc.) and I wish to appeal my
eligibility for federal aid based on special circumstances.

Have you previously applied for an appeal of your federal or state financial aid at Onondaga Community College?
Federal Aid Appeal n Yes n No
(Please note: Students are eligible to receive only one (1)
waiver for federal financial aid as an undergraduate.
Therefore, careful consideration should be given before
filing a waiver for federal financial aid.)

State Aid Appeal n Yes n No

(Please note: Students are eligible to receive only one (1) waiver
for New York state financial aid as an undergraduate, regardless
of the school attended. Therefore, careful consideration should be
given before filing a waiver for state financial aid.)

Please indicate the semester for which the appeal should take effect:
Semester: n Fall

Year: ____________________

n Spring

Year: ____________________

n Summer

Year: ____________________

Application Statement of Understanding

1.

2.

I fully understand the reasons why I did not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for Federal and/or State Financial Aid and what I must do to
maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid from this point on.
I accept the decision of the designated College official as final in granting of the waiver and that waivers will be granted only for extraordinary circumstances
which I can document.

Student Signature: _________________________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________

07/10

Please complete the following five questions. Supporting documentation is required for all waivers. You may attach separate sheets of documentation if needed.
1. What were the specific circumstances that hindered your academic performance during your most recent enrollment at Onondaga Community College?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Please indicate the date when the circumstances occurred? Give the day/month/semester. Be specific, and please note that the circumstances you are citing

must have occurred during the semester in which you failed to meet academic progress requirements.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How and why did the circumstances hinder your academic performance?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Indicate what documentation you are attaching to this waiver application to verify the circumstances identified in question one above. If you would like us to
review any documentation that youve previously submitted, please check this box and indicate what documentation you would like us to review. n
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. State how the circumstances have been resolved, no longer exist or will no longer hinder your academic performance.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Signature: _________________________________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________________

COLLEGE USE ONLY

Transcripts ______

Documentation ______

Appt/Date/Time _______________________

Other _____________________

Committee Decision and Notification:

Federal SAPA:

Appeal Date:__________

Appeal Originator:__________

Pending:_________FSAPPEN

Appeal Action:
Other Actions:

_____Approved: FSAPAA
_____DUAL

_____Denied: FSAPDEN
_____MAX Approval with DUAL

______Probation: FSAPPRO
______MAX and UN

Pending:_________FSAPPEN

State SAPA:

Appeal Date:__________

Appeal Originator:__________

Appeal Action:

_____Approved: SSAPAA

_____Denied: SSAPDEN

Comments: