Appeals

Reinstatement of Aid Appeal & Probation

When you are ineligible for financial aid due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, you can submit an appeal for consideration of exceptional and documented circumstances. You should review the full SAP policy prior to submitting an appeal.

To ensure you receive a decision prior to the 100% refund period, submit a complete appeal form and supporting documentation prior to the start of classes for the term you are seeking reinstatement of financial aid. If you receive a notice of ineligibility after classes start, please submit your appeal within two weeks. The SAP Appeals Committee will not consider late appeals without proof of extenuating circumstances that prevented a timely submission.

You will be asked for reasons for failing to meet SAP standards and what circumstances have changed to allow you to regain and maintain eligibility after one term. Some examples of reasons for appeal may include health related issues, death of an immediate family member, etc. Documentation related to your situation will be necessary, and should be submitted with the appeal form. An appeal that lacks adequate documentation may result in denial. Appeals will be reviewed by committee. You will be notified of the committee's decision through campus email. The committee's decision is final.

If your appeal is granted, you will receive one semester/term of probationary financial aid. After that term, you are expected to be meeting all SAP standards or you will remain ineligible.

If your appeal is denied, you will be responsible for self-funding your educational cost. That may include using a University offered payment plan, personal resources or other funding sources you are able to locate.

Reinstatement of Aid Appeal Form

Special Circumstances

The Financial Aid Office can take into consideration changes to a student's or family's financial situation (e.g. loss of job, etc.) by submitting one of the following appeals. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee a financial aid adjustment.

The review process for Special Circumstances Appeals will begin mid-summer. Updates regarding the status of appeals will be sent to students via their UWGB email.

Reduced Income Appeal

If a student's or family's income has changed substantially from what was reported on the FAFSA, this form will assist the Financial Aid Office in determining any possible aid eligibility changes.

Additional Expense Appeal

The Financial Aid Office calculates a standard cost of attendance for students to include tuition and fees, room and board, books, transportation and miscellaneous expenses. This form can be used to ask for consideration of other educationally related expenses such as child care for students with children, the one-time purchase of a computer, higher than average transportation costs, etc. In the event of high medical/dental expenses not covered by insurance, you can also request an evaluation of those costs. Submitted expenses and documentation will be reviewed and the determination made by committee will be final.

Ineligible Circumstances

These circumstances aren't eligible for appeal:

• Costs associated with lifestyle choices such as mortgage payments, vehicle payments/purchases, vacations, cell phone plans, pet costs, etc.
• Payment of private primary or secondary school tuition
• Costs for weddings
• Changes in asset values after the FAFSA was filed
• Consumer debt including credit card debt, vehicle loans, legal fees, etc.

24-25 Additional Expense Appeal Form

Unusual Circumstances-Dependency Override

The Department of Education determines if a student is dependent or independent based on how the student answers specific questions when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you answer “no” to all of the dependency questions on the FAFSA, you would be considered dependent for financial aid purposes and must provide parent information on the application. If there are unusual circumstances where you cannot provide parent information on the FAFSA due to: abuse, neglect, or abandonment or estrangement, please review the information below or contact Financial Aid regarding your situation as we may be able to perform a dependency override to consider you an independent student for financial aid purposes. This means you would be eligible for aid without parent information or signature needed on the FAFSA.

Ineligible for Dependency Override

Dependency overrides due to the following cannot occur:

• Parents refusing to contribute financially to your education
• Unwillingness of your parents to provide information
• Being financially independent
• Parents not claiming you as a dependent for income tax purposes

Please visit Phoenix Cares for resources (e.g. housing, meals, childcare, etc.) that may be available to you as a student.

Requesting a Dependency Override Due to Unusual Circumstances

In order to consider your unusual circumstance, please submit the following information to Financial Aid for review. If not already completed, please submit the FAFSA for the applicable year under “unusual circumstances.”

1. Personal statement explaining your unusual circumstance as to why you are unable to provide parental information on the FAFSA. The statement can include: timeline of the relationship with each parent, frequency and type of contact you have with them and specific situations or incidents that make your circumstance unusual. Your personal statement can be submitted from your campus email or securely uploaded.
2. At least one letter of support (preferably three) that is physically signed and dated by an individual with first-hand knowledge of your family situation. This could include, but limited not to: therapist, school counselor, coach, members of clergy, relative, etc.
3. Any additional supporting documents relevant to your circumstance such as a police report, court documents or any other documentation you’d like to provide to support your appeal. 

Once all documentation has been submitted, Financial Aid will review the items received to determine your dependency status. Typically, the review process takes anywhere between 2-3 weeks from the date of document completion. After a decision is reached, a notification will be sent to your campus email with a determination and next steps. During peak processing times, the review can take longer than the usual 2–3-week turnaround time, but no longer than 60 days when all of the above documentation has been provided to Financial Aid. 

Subsequent Years

Beginning with the 2023-2024 aid year, any student who has been approved for a dependency override and made independent for financial aid due to an unusual circumstance, will continue to be considered independent for each subsequent award year at UW-Green Bay, unless the student indicates that their situation with their parents has changed or if Financial Aid has conflicting information about the student’s independence. To be considered for financial aid, students must renew their FAFSA each year, but they do not need to take any additional steps to be reconsidered for independent status.