Strategies for Writing a Financial Aid Appeal

At Community College of Denver, your financial aid might be suspended for at least one of three reasons: your cumulative GPA is below a 2.0; your cumulative completion rate is below 67%; or your cumulative credit hours exceed 150% of those required to earn your respective degree.

When writing a financial aid appeal letter, your goal is to offer a convincing argument that you can and will turn things around in the upcoming semester. The Appeals Committee wants to know: Will you use the financial aid invested in you to successfully reach your educational goals? What will change from previous semesters to ensure that this happens?

Below is a sample format for writing your appeal letter. TRIO Scholars recommends writing a rough draft and then meeting with your educational case manager for final review. In addition to the appeal letter, you must also provide any documentation of the circumstances that you faced in previous semesters.

First Paragraph – Briefly introduce yourself: provide your full name, student identification number, and reason why your financial aid is suspended (GPA, completion rate, and or credit level).

Second Paragraph – Describe any barriers or circumstances that prevented you from doing well or completing all of your courses in previous semesters. You do not need to provide every last detail but honestly describe your situation. Accept responsibility for any mistakes you may have made.

Third Paragraph- Describe your plan for doing better in the upcoming semester. Use “I” statements with concrete details. “I will meet with my educational case manager three times.” “I will talk with my instructor after class at least once per week.” Some other strategies include: form a study group, attend a study skills or time management workshop, request less hours at work, turn in all homework on time, spend three hours per week in the Academic Success Center, and so on.

Fourth Paragraph – Briefly describe your educational goals and motivation. Why is it important to you that you stay in college and complete your degree?

Fifth Paragraph – Thank the Appeals Committee for taking time to consider your appeal.