SAP Appeal Process

If a student is not meeting SAP standards and there were unexpected circumstances that impacted their academic progress, they may submit an appeal to be considered for financial aid probation. The appeal must describe the circumstance(s) that impacted the student’s ability to meet SAP standards as well as outline their plans and ability to succeed in future semesters and bring themself within standards. If the student chooses to submit an appeal, complete both the Appeal and the Academic Plan.

Appeal circumstances may include:

  • Medical Emergency/Sudden illness of student or family member
  • Death of family member or friend
  • Other unexpected circumstances (transportation issues, work schedule changes, familial circumstances, etc.)
  • Dual Major/Second Bachelors Degree/Second Masters Degree (for those who are failing SAP for exceeding maximum credits)

Students who have been readmitted to the university should check out SAP for Readmitted Students.

Submitting an Appeal

SAP appeals are considered for the current semester of SAP restriction or upcoming semester of enrollment as applicable. Appeals will not be retroactive to prior semesters.

The student should take into account that it will take time for both their academic advisor and the Financial Aid office to review their appeal. It is recommended that the student submit their appeal as early as possible as some financial aid funds are limited and may be exhausted during the course of the semester. In addition, there are cutoffs for certain aid such as federal loans so appeals received later in the semester may not be reviewed in time for students to receive these awards if submission is delayed.

The appeal form contains both the student’s appeal circumstances as well as their academic plan for future success. All sections must be fully completed, including the Academic Advisor’s review and comments for the appeal to be considered for review by the Financial Aid office. Students will receive a notification when their appeal form is received by our office.

SAP Appeal Circumstances Section

  1. In this section the student will share the reason(s) they failed to meet SAP standards and explain what has changed to ensure that they will be successful in the future.

Please note: Contents of this appeal are confidential. However, we are concerned for the well-being of students. In an instance where someone’s well-being appears at risk, our staff will consult with the appropriate UMBC personnel.

  1. A copy of the student’s most recent transcript is required to be attached to the electronic appeal form. Current students can view and print their unofficial transcript at no cost online through myUMBC. Once logged in, select “Advising and Student Support” under the Topics menu and then click the “Transcript (Unofficial)” link.
  2. Optional documentation for the circumstance(s) discussed may be included in the student’s appeal – time frames on your documentation should match the time frames of the circumstance(s) described in the appeal. For example:
  • If a family member or friend passed away, include an obituary or death certificate.
  • For medical issues, include a completed SAP Medical Documentation Form. For confidentiality, please do not submit copies of medical records.
  • For an employment situation, include a signed and dated statement from the employer on company letterhead.
  • For an auto accident, include a police report and/or a completed SAP Medical Documentation Form.

SAP Academic Plan

  1. The Academic Plan will request an outline of the student’s intended coursework for each semester through graduation, including the current or upcoming term of enrollment.
    • It is recommended that the student discuss their academic plan with their Academic Advisor prior to submission. Some advisors may want to meet with the student in order to discuss the plan.
    • If the student is unsure of who their advisor is, they may contact the Academic Advising office.
    • The student will need to include their Academic Advisor’s email address on the form. The student’s plan will be forwarded to the advisor for their review and comments.
  2. Once the advisor has reviewed the Appeal form and provided their insight, the student will be emailed a final copy of the full SAP appeal including advisor’s comments and the appeal will be forwarded to the SAP committee for review.

SAP Appeal Form: Available in mid-June

Information for Academic Advisors reviewing SAP Academic Plans.

 

Complete SAP appeals will generally be reviewed within two weeks of receipt; during high volume periods such as the start of a new semester or billing due dates, decisions may be delayed. Notification of decision will be sent to the student’s UMBC email address.

Students whose appeal are approved will be placed on SAP Probation for one semester. Students whose SAP appeals are not approved will remain on SAP Restriction

Please keep in mind that the submission of a SAP appeal does not guarantee that the student’s appeal will be approved. SAP decisions rendered by the SAP Appeals Committee are final and cannot be appealed. Decisions are not retroactive. The student will be responsible for payment of the bill by the due date for any outstanding charges even if the appeal decision is pending.

The student must be readmitted to the university before an appeal decision can be made. For best consideration, submit the SAP appeal while awaiting the decision for reinstatement and contact the student’s assigned Financial Aid Counselor once readmitted.

Students should keep in mind that reinstatement to the university does not guarantee receipt of financial aid.

Tips for Students:

  • Be specific, acknowledge the circumstances that caused the student’s academic challenges.
  • Speak to each semester impacted by the circumstances. Provide dates when possible.
  • If this is not the student’s first SAP appeal, they should include information about what has changed since the last appeal (are there new circumstances? what did they change that worked/did not work?)

Example SAP appeal statement*:

Please explain the unexcepted circumstances that have resulted in not meeting SAP standards.

During the Fall 2024 semester, I was unable to meet the SAP standards as I was working 20 or more hours each week at my job and was working in the evenings after attending classes all day. My work hours meant that I was not able to make it to office hours or group study sessions. I was also too tired to study after getting home which meant that I was putting off homework and studying for exams until later and often did not have enough time to properly complete anything. I was also not dedicating enough study time to my MATH 155 class which I found more challenging than my other courses, and this results in the F that I received in that course.

Please explain how your circumstances have changed and how you plan to ensure future success.

I have adjusted my work availability going forward so I will no longer work on days I have classes and will be working fewer hours overall. This means I will be able to focus on my work and use on campus resources to assist me. I have also met with my academic advocate and plan to use the resources they recommended such as the Writing Center and Computing Success Center to help when I am struggling. I will be retaking MATH 155 this semester and intend to use the free tutoring in addition to dedicating specific time to studying for this class.

*Please note that this is an example for students reference and is not inclusive of all circumstances or explanations that may needed for an appeal. This should be used as a guideline and exact appeal contents will vary based on personal circumstances.