Financial Aid Appeal Request

What's considered a valid mitigating circumstance?

Examples of mitigating circumstances include but are not limited to:

• Illness
• Family illness
• Death of an immediate family member
• Job-related issues

What should I know before starting my appeal?

Before you submit a financial aid appeal, make sure you have:

• Completed your FAFSA and submitted all required documents for the appropriate year.
• Submitted all official grade transcripts from previously attended institutions to the Admissions and Records Office to be evaluated.
• Confirmed that the Admissions and Registrar Office has the correct/updated academic program and catalog year on file.

Processing can take up to 10 business days and may be extended during peak enrollment periods.

Also Know

• While ineligible for financial aid, you are responsible for all educational expenses. Courses not paid by the payment due date may be dropped if you have not set up a payment option.
• A financial aid appeal request will not waive or absolve any outstanding balances. Any outstanding balances must be paid in full prior to submitting your financial aid appeal.
• If you need over 51 hours to meet the minimum SAP standards or will be over the timeframe limit before meeting minimum SAP standards, the financial aid appeal request may be processed as a Timeframe appeal.

What needs to be included in my appeal?

You must provide the following 2 documents for your appeal.

Personal Statement

You must analyze and evaluate your circumstances, then develop a long-term plan to ensure you will achieve your educational goals.

In an essay format, answer the following questions:

• What were the mitigating circumstances that prevented you from meeting minimum SAP standards?
• What steps have you taken to overcome and resolve these circumstances?
• What academic degree/certificate program are you pursuing and what semester are you planning to enroll in?
• How will you ensure you remain academically eligible for financial aid at TCC?
• What are your long-term academic and career goals?

Note: "I need financial aid for school" or anything similar is not an acceptable response to the questions.

Supporting Documentation

You should include any documentation that supports your mitigating circumstance (medical documents with medical release, employment documentation, legal documentation, etc.) that occurred during the period(s) of enrollment in which the minimum SAP standards were not met.

Mandatory Reporting of Sexual Misconduct Notice

Texas law (SB 212) requires employees of Texas public institutions of higher education, including TCC, to report observed incidents or credible information reasonably believed to be: Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking against a student or employee.

Any circumstances disclosed within your Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Success Appeal, written or verbally, that meet these requirements will be confidentially disclosed to TCC's Title IX office.

Learn more about mandatory reporting of sexual misconduct.

How do I submit my appeal?

Select one of the submission methods listed below to submit your appeal (personal statement and supporting documents) to Student Financial Aid Services. Only one method may be used to submit your appeal. Additional or duplicate submissions are subject to denial.

Communication regarding the status of your appeal will be sent via your TCC e-mail account.

Online

To ensure expedited processing, complete the online Financial Aid Appeal form request.

Personal statement and documentation must be attached at time of submission.

In Person

Visit your campus Student Financial Aid office to submit your appeal in person.

Postal Mail

Mail your documents to Student Financial Aid Services on your home campus:

• Northeast
• Northwest
• South
• Southeast
• Trinity River
• TCC Connect

What happens after I submit my appeal?

Allow up to 10 business days for processing. During peak enrollment periods, review of an appeal may take more than 10 business days.

After your appeal has been reviewed, you will be notified through your TCC email account regarding any additional information that may be needed, further instructions on what comes next, or a confirmation letter that your appeal has been approved or denied.

If your appeal requires an Academic Success Plan, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment to create a success plan.

If my appeal is approved, when can I review my financial aid?

Once you have been awarded, you will be able to view your award notice in your MyTCCTrack account.

1. Log into MyTCCTrack.
2. Select Financial Aid.
3. Ensure that you are viewing the correct academic year under Select an Award Year.
4. Use the Financial Aid navigation menu to find and select Award Letter.

If my appeal is approved, when will my financial aid be disbursed?

Financial aid disbursement occurs approximately 7-10 business days before the first day of class(es).

Refunds are processed by TCC's third-party disbursement company, BankMobile Disbursements. BankMobile Disbursements is a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.

You will be invited to select your refund preference following receipt of your award notice or class registration. Financial aid funds may be delayed if a refund preference is not selected.

If your class(es) has begun and you have already selected a BankMobile Disbursements preference, please allow 7-10 business days to receive financial aid funds.

What happens if my appeal is denied?

If your initial appeal request is denied, you may submit a new statement with additional information to the campus to be reviewed by the District Director of Student Financial Aid Services.