Financial Aid Appeal Policy

Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress and/or exceed the maximum allowed time frame from Financial Aid may appeal if there were unusual or extenuating circumstances that affected the student's ability to make academic progress.

Examples of extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to:

• Death in the family
• Serious illness
• Various reasons which were beyond the student's control 

Appeal Request Form

Student Process

To determine your eligibility for an appeal, students must complete the following steps:

1. Log in to your InsideCC account and verify your current status. If you find that your status is suspended or you have reached the maximum program limit, click on the Appeal Request Form. Allow 3-5 business days for the request to show up in your Inside CC Portal. You will be notified via email once the request is placed in your Verification Connection.
   1. Access your Verification Connection (wait for your email confirmation or 3-5 business days)
      1. Login to your InsideCC Portal
      2. Click on Financial Aid at the top right-hand corner
      3. Click on Eligibility
      4. Select the 2023-2024 Academic Year
      5. Click on Verification Connection
      6. If you have already created your account, you will be able to see your tasks. If you have not created one, you will be prompted to do so. Once created, you will be able to access your documents.
2. Schedule an appointment to acquire a signed Student Education Plan from an Academic Counselor or Educational Advisor. You will need to upload this plan to your student forms.
3. Complete The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process and Understanding the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and its Effect. If this is your first time, please register before logging into the portal. When registering for your FAtv account do not include the “@” in your student account.
   Once the sessions are completed, retain a copy of the sessions to upload to student forms. Log into your Student Forms (Verification Connection) account to submit an SAP Appeal in Verification Connection. The Appeal Packet must consist of the following:
   • Proof of completion of The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process and Understanding the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and its Effect.
   • A typewritten statement explaining the circumstances that led to the student's inability to meet SAP standards, including an explanation outlining circumstances and what steps have been taken to allow the student to meet SAP standards in the future.
   • Additional supporting documentation (i.e., death certificate, letter(s) from doctor(s), medical records, divorce decree, etc.)
   • A signed Student Education Plan completed by an Academic Counselor/Educational Advisor to upload to student forms.

Appeal Submission

Appeals must be submitted to Verification Connection.

Notice of Appeal Status

• Submission of an appeal DOES NOT GUARANTEE a reinstatement of financial aid. If an appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Appeal Probation and will be reinstated for Financial Aid eligibility. Approved appeals will clearly state the condition(s) for eligibility and/or reinstatement.
• Only one financial aid appeal submission per semester, per student. Students who submit more than one appeal must provide differing extenuating circumstances in subsequent appeal(s). Each appeal must show successful completion of The Key Components to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Financial Aid Appeal Process and Understanding the Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) and its Effect sessions every time. Failure to do any of the preceding may result in automatic disapproval.

Deadlines for Submission

• FALL: Last day of the fall term.
• SPRING: 4/26/24
• SUMMER: 10 business days prior to the end of the summer term.

*Student must be enrolled in the semester which they are requesting their appeal

Contact Information

Email: cc_faid@cerrocoso.edu

Phone: (760) 384-6221

Fax: (760) 384-6321

Hours of Operation

M-Th 7:30 am-6:00 pm, F-8:00 am-12:00 pm