Unusual Enrollment History Form

Policy

The U.S. Department of Education has established regulations to prevent abuse of the Federal Pell Grant and Direct Student Loan Programs by identifying students with unusual enrollment histories (UEH), generally consisting of a Pell Grant or a Direct Student Loan disbursement at multiple institutions during the past four academic years. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is required to review the financial aid and enrollment history of any student whose federal aid application (FAFSA) is flagged by the Department of Education for UEH in order to determine federal aid eligibility.

A student’s financial aid and enrollment history for the prior four academic years will be reviewed to determine that academic credit was earned at each institution each year federal financial aid was received. If academic credit was earned during all years aid was received, the student will be considered eligible for federal aid for the current academic year as long as all other eligibility requirements are met. If no academic credit was earned during a year aid was received, the student will be denied federal financial aid for the current academic year. In such cases, students are notified of this status and their right to appeal it along with instructions on submitting an appeal. A decision on a UEH appeal is made based on guidance from the Department of Education, and all decisions on appeals are considered final.

Student’s Responsibilities

If your FAFSA is flagged for UEH, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will check your financial aid history at all previous institutions where you attended and received federal financial aid during the last four academic years. You will need to ensure that all academic transcripts have been submitted to the Office of Admissions, but our office will notify you if any additional academic transcripts or grade reports are required. Once all transcripts have been received, our office will verify the academic credits earned at each institution. If you earned credit at all institutions attended during the prior four academic years, then no further action is required. However, if you did not earn credit at any institution where you received federal financial aid, our office will notify you that you have been denied eligibility for federal financial aid.

Appeal Process

If you were denied federal financial aid eligibility due to a UEH review, you have the right to appeal this decision. You may begin the appeal process by submitting the UEH Appeal Form that will have been added to your Financial Aid Dashboard on your myWSU account.

The UEH Appeal Form requires a student to write a statement regarding each instance of no academic credit being earned during the past four academic years. This statement should address why no academic credit was earned related to circumstances outside of the student’s control, how these circumstances have been resolved, and the steps you have taken to ensure your own academic success. If you have documentation from a third-party (such as a doctor’s note, police report, court documents, a letter from your employer, etc.), you may submit that along with the UEH Appeal Form to corroborate your previous circumstances.

The UEH Committee will review your UEH Appeal Form and documentation and notify you of your subsequent approval or denial for federal aid. All decisions are final and are not appealable to the Department of Education.

Appeal Deadline

Appeals must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the conclusion of the semester for which you are enrolled and seeking federal financial aid.

Appeals submitted after this timeframe may lead to the loss of federal financial aid for the semester for which you are enrolled and seeking federal financial aid.

Regaining Federal Student Aid Eligibility

If your appeal was denied or you choose not to appeal based on extenuating circumstances, you may regain your federal aid eligibility after completing one academic term consisting of at least six credit hours without financial assistance. All coursework must be completed successfully with a semester GPA of at least 2.0. Students must also meet the University’s standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Please note that students may not drop or withdraw from (officially or unofficially) any course after the term begins. Once the term has been completed, the student should submit to the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships a letter for reinstatement with their final grade report.

A student who regains eligibility by completing a successful term will receive financial aid beginning in the next eligible semester. For example, a student who was denied aid eligibility for the fall term and successfully completes the above stipulations by the end of the fall term will be eligible for federal aid beginning with the spring term.