Tuition Appeal Guidelines

TUITION APPEAL GUIDELINES
EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 7, 2008

Tuition Appeal are for students who are requesting a refund of their tuition charges due to extenuating circumstances that occurred during the semester. All grades received and recorded on the students transcripts will not be affected by this process and will remain as part of the student’s academic record. 

Reasons For Which Appeals Are Considered
The deadline for submitting a Tuition Appeal is 1 year from the last day of the term for which you are appealing.
You must officially withdrawl from course(s) prior to submission of the Tuition Appeal. The following are examples of circumstances for which an appeal will be considered (which have occurred after the drop deadline and before the withdrawal deadline (marking 75% of the course/term):

1. Medical Reasons:  Written documentation from treating physician/hospital must accompany the appeal and must provide:
   • Details regarding the nature and extent of the condition.
   • Date the medical problem was first diagnosed.
   • Date(s) of treatment, and
   • Date(s) of hospitalization or other confinement, date of release, and date that recuperation period ended.
     
     
2. Death in the immediate family:  Documentation of the death must accompany the appeal as well as a personal statement that explains how the death affected student’s ability to complete the school term. 

3. Change in hours or location of employment that is beyond the student’s control and prevents the student from attending the classes for which he/she is registered.  A signed letter from the student’s employer written on company letterhead must accompany the petition.  The letter must include the following:
   • Reason for and date of the change in work schedule.
   • The student’s work hours prior to the change and the work hours resulting in the change.
   • Reasons for the change in the student’s work situation/location.  New work location and date of change in work location.
   • Was student made aware of expected change in work hours prior to formal implementation?  If yes, when?

Examples of circumstances for which a tuition refund appeal Are Not Considered

• Failure to comply with drop, withdrawal, and registration cancellation policies and deadlines as published in the Schedule of Classes even if the student has not attended classes (except for reasons stated in section above).
  
  
• Obtaining new employment; changes in hours/location of employment that IS IN the student’s control. 
• Example:  Taking a new position that may or may not result in change of work location/hours that is based on opportunity to earn more…etc.
  
  
• Loss of employment that was in the student’s control.
  
  
• Failure to submit residency classification information prior to the beginning of the term.
  
  
• Failure to submit appeal documentation within 30 days after receiving notification from the appeals committee that additional documentation is being requested.
  
  
• Student received financial aid for term; appeal would change enrollment status.  Full balance of any difference in financial aid eligibility must be repaid prior to consideration of appeal.

Please follow the below steps for filing a Tuition Appeals:

1. Review Tuition Appeal guidelines.
   
   
2. Obtain Tuition Appeal form from an Aims Cashier office.
   
   
3. Complete Tuition Appeal form and obtain all supporting documentation as set forth in the Tuition Appeal guidelines.
   
   
4. If grant, scholarship and/or loan funds were paid on your behalf for the semester in which you are appealing, see the Financial Aid Office to go over the impact an approved appeal will have on your financial aid eligibility.
   
   
5. Submit the completed Tuition Appeal form and supporting documentation to any Aims Community College Cashiers office. Appeals can be submitted by mail, in person, or by fax 506-6952. Appeals will NOT be accepted by email.
   
   
6. Once the Tuition Appeal committee has reached a decision, the student will be sent a letter stating the decision and action to be taken next by the college or the student.
   
   
7. If Tuition Appeal is “Approved”, the student’s tuition account will be adjusted accordingly.
   
   
8. If Tuition Appeal is “pending additional documentation”, the committee is requesting additional documentation in order to make a final decision.  The student will have 30 days to submit the additional documentation or the appeals will be denied.
   
   
9. If Tuition Appeal is “Denied”, student can request for the tuition appeals to be reconsidered by the committee if the student can supply additional documentation to support the circumstances.
   • An appeal of the final decision of the Appeal Committee may be made to the Dean of Students, IF the student has extenuating circumstances that includes confidential information (e.g. personal, medical, etc); or can not, or will not document the circumstances thru the original appeals. The student needs to complete the Tuition appeals process first.