Office of Financial Aid

All students whose Financial Aid has been suspended due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAPP) requirements may submit an appeal. The submission of an appeal is only a request for review and does not guarantee a change in status. Appeals will only be evaluated for students with a complete financial aid folder.

Reasons for Appeal can be for one or more of the following items:

• TAMIU Overall GPA.
• PACE Percentage of Completion of Hours Earned vs Hours Attempted.
• Maximum Timeframe of Attempted Hours.

All students must include the following items:

Statement: Please provide a detailed statement regarding the situation (s) that prevented you from maintaining satisfactory academic progress. (Examples: extenuating medical/personal issues, change in field of study, dual major, transferred hours not counted, etc.). Also, include how your situation has changed, and this will allow you to demonstrate improvement in your Satisfactory Academic Progress. (Examples: attending tutoring, adjusted work schedule, reduction in course schedule, etc.)

Documentation: The appeal can include documentation to support your statement, such as medical records, death certificates, or other relevant information.

Advisor Questionnaire: Setup an appointment with your Academic Advisor to discuss and fill the Academic Advisor Questionnaire

To submit a SAPP Appeal, you need to log in to your Uconnect account and access Verify My FAFSA. To view a step-by-step guide, click here.

Students are notified of the committee’s decision via their Dusty email address.

SAPP Appeal Deadlines

If you or your family have suffered an unforeseen financial situation that has changed your finances since you filled out your FAFSA, you may qualify to have your financial aid re-evaluated.

Financial aid is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which uses financial information from two years before. We recognize that households can experience changes in income or other finances not reflected in their information from two years prior. The Financial Aid Office will be able to evaluate your FAFSA data and see if any adjustments can be made to your application. Any request will be reviewed using professional judgment. Making such a request does not guarantee approval.

Circumstances that will be considered include:

Loss of Income

• Loss or change of employment.
  • Note: (unemployment must last for at least ten weeks to warrant a reconsideration of a student’s aid eligibility)
• Divorce/Separation of parents/spouse.
• Death of parent(s) or spouse
• High-unreimbursed medical and/or dental paid expenses
• Business loss (because of bankruptcy, foreclosure, or natural disaster).

To submit a Student Aid Index (SAI) Appeal, log in to your Uconnect account and access Verify My FAFSA. To view a step-by-step guide, click here.

Students are notified of their appeal decision via their Dusty email address.

A Cost of Attendance (COA) appeal allows students to request an adjustment to their estimated educational expenses used for financial aid calculations. If you have unique or additional costs that are not covered by the standard COA, you can submit an appeal to the financial aid office to be reviewed. All COA appeals require a detailed explanation and supporting documentation of your additional expenses. The following items can be taken into consideration for an increase in student’s cost of attendance:

• Living Expenses
  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Utilities
• Books, Course Material Supplies & Equipment
  • Computer: a one-time purchase as required by the degree program.
• Transportation/Travel
• Childcare Expenses
• Medical Care/Disability
• License, Certification, or First Professional Credentials

To submit a Cost of Attendance Appeal, log in to your Uconnect account and access Verify My FAFSA. To view a step-by-step guide, click here.

Students are notified of their appeal decision via their Dusty email address.

Students classified as dependent on their FAFSA and with no special circumstance but whose parents are unwilling to provide their information can select “Yes” to the question “Apply for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only.”

Choosing “Yes” to this question will result in a rejected FAFSA status. Students in this situation are ineligible for Pell Grants, State and Institutional Grants , Federal Work-Study, or Federal Direct Subsidized Loans.

If this applies to you, please complete, and submit the Request for Unsubsidized Direct Loan Due to No Parental Support Form to be considered for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Note that this loan might not fully cover your educational expenses, so you may need to seek additional private loans or other resources.

If you have a special circumstance and cannot provide parent information, please refer to our unusual circumstance tab below for more details and procedures.

If you answered this question incorrectly and can provide your parent’s information, log back into your account on studentaid.gov with your FSA ID. Select your FAFSA submission from the “My Activity” section of your Dashboard, correct the “Apply for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only” response, and add the required parental information and signature.

The FAFSA Simplification Act includes additional unusual circumstances, such as when a student cannot contact a parent or if such contact presents a risk to the student.

Examples of Unusual Circumstances Include:

• Human trafficking, as outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.)
• Legally granted refugee or asylum status
• Parental abandonment or estrangement
• Student or parental incarceration

Examples of Situations That Do Not Qualify as Unusual Circumstances Include:

• Parents' refusal to contribute to the student’s education.
• Parents' refusal to provide information for the FAFSA or verification.
• Parents' decision not to claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Student’s demonstration of complete self-sufficiency

Initial Requests

For first-time requests for an Unusual Circumstance – Dependency Override, please provide the following:

1. Submit Your FAFSA: Complete and submit your FAFSA for the relevant aid year online at studentaid.gov.
2. Typed Letter: Provide a typed letter detailing the unusual circumstances and explaining your relationship with your parents.
3. Professional Statements: Include two statements from professionals (such as a teacher, counselor, clergy member, or social worker) who are familiar with your situation. These statements should verify the special circumstances and include the professionals' contact details and letterhead. If you are classified as a McKinney-Vento student, please provide that letter instead of the statements.

To submit a Dependency Appeal, log in to your Uconnect account and access Verify My FAFSA. To view a step-by-step guide, click here.

Students are notified of their appeal decision via their Dusty email address.

Renewal Requests

If you were granted a Dependency Override at TAMIU for the previous year, you will be automatically approved for the current year, provided your circumstances have not changed. Ensure you have a FAFSA on file for the relevant year. Processing may take several weeks, and you will receive a notification via your TAMIU email account once your dependency override has been processed.

If you received a Dependency Override at a different institution, you must submit a new request for the relevant aid year.

The TAMIU Scholarship Appeal enables students who did not meet renewal requirements to request a review due to unusual circumstances. Please note that submitting an appeal is a request for review and does not ensure a change in status. The Scholarship Appeals Committee will only consider complete appeals. Supporting documentation is required for the appeal process.

1. Enrollment less than full-time due to graduation or degree program
2. Completion of renewal requirements not met due to:
   • Death of a relative
   • Injury or illness of student or family member
   • Other circumstances

Students are notified of their appeal decision via their Dusty email address.

Scholarship Appeal Form

Students awarded the TEXAS Grant must fulfill specific criteria to qualify for renewal. If a student faces special circumstances preventing them from meeting these requirements, they may submit an appeal and a detailed statement explaining their situation. Please note that submitting an appeal is a request for review and does not ensure a change in status. Supporting documentation is required for the appeal process.

Reasons for an appeal may include one or more of the following:

1. Enrollment Requirement due to graduation or degree plan (Enrolled less than 9-credit hours but at least 6-credit hours a semester)
2. Renewal Requirements (completed less than 24 credit hours and/or have an overall GPA less than 2.5)
3. Maximum Timeframe (attempted more than 150 overall hours or close to 150 hours)

Students are notified of their appeal decision via their Dusty email address.

Texas Grant Appeal Online Form

Texas Grant Appeal (Paper Version)

*Note: Please try the online Texas Grant Appeal Form first. If you encounter any issues, you can complete the paper version instead.