If an extenuating circumstance prevents a student from meeting academic requirements (cumulative grade point average and/or credit hours) for regaining or renewing a LIFE Scholarship, renewing a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, or receiving a remaining term of the SC HOPE Scholarship, the student may file an appeal with us. Students wishing to file an appeal must thoroughly read the Appeal Guidelines and submit all materials by the established deadline. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education is not responsible for ensuring that an appeals application is complete for review. Furthermore, CHE staff will not contact students, parents/guardians or institutions concerning documentation that is missing and/or incorrect in the appeals application packet during the appeals process.
The appeals application is made available at the end of the spring term, to open in May and close the following April. Students wishing to file an appeal must do so the no later than the first term in which they re-enroll at an eligible state institution. Please note that students are able to take advantage of the maymester and summer terms in an effort to earn the requisite GPA/credit hour requirement to maintain scholarship eligibility.
Students who fail to meet the initial eligibility criteria or who were never eligible to receive the SC HOPE, LIFE, or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship are not eligible to submit an appeal. In addition, students who did not file an appeal by the established deadline upon the first term of re-enrollment at an eligible South Carolina institution are not eligible to submit an appeal
It may be best to work with the financial aid office at your home institution to discuss whether your situation is an institutional issue or is appealable to CHE.
- Guidelines and Forms for Appeal
- Student Appeals Checklist
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In order to expedite the appeal’s process, please complete the following checklist before submitting your online appeal.
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Did you read the definition of a traumatic/extraordinary event? Please refer to page 3 of the Guidelines for Appeal to determine if your traumatic/extraordinary event is considered to be an appealable situation.
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Did you attend Maymester and/or summer school to meet continued eligibility requirements, or at least to improve your standing in the eyes of the Appeals Committee? If not, please explain why you chose not to attend. If your reason for non-attendance was related to your extenuating circumstance, please provide the appropriate paperwork from a medical professional or counselor recommending/requiring your non-attendance.
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Are you or will you be enrolled during the Fall or Spring term? (You must be enrolled at an eligible SC institution in order to appeal the loss of your scholarship.)
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Did you complete, electronically sign/submit all application materials on the online portal? Have you provided a valid telephone number and email in case staff needs to contact you?
Explanation Letter
- Did you provide an explanation and documentation for any summer school sessions that you did not attend? It is expected that students will attend Maymester and/or summer school to meet the continued eligibility requirements (credit hours and/or GPA) for the LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships. A student must receive permission from a doctor if they are unable to earn the credits and GPA to regain their scholarship during summer school. Financial situations will not be taken into consideration for not attending summer school.
- Does your letter address whether or not you underwent the institutional appeals process?
- If suffering from a disability, chronic or long term illness, did you register with the Institutional/Campus Office of Disabilities? If you were registered, did you include this documentation in your appeal?
Doctor’s Letter/Medical Documentation (if applicable)
- Is your doctor’s letter on official letterhead (not paper from a prescription pad) and is it signed by the doctor?
- Does your doctor’s letter describe:
- The specific time periods of your illness?
- The diagnosis and extent of your illness?
- The effect that your illness had on your academic performance?
- Any recommendations regarding non-attendance?
- If you withdrew from classes, does your doctor’s letter state whether or not they recommended/required withdrawal? If your doctor did not recommend withdrawal, does your letter state your doctor’s opinion regarding your ability to attend classes?
- Does your medical documentation/doctor’s letter cover the entire time period of poor academic performance and or non-attendance? (If the student is appealing because of poor academic performance, the student must explain to the Committee whether they used the institutional appeals process to have the grades changed due to an extenuating circumstance each term. The student must also explain each term of poor academic performance).
- If you are appealing due to death of a family member/non-immediate family member, did you include a letter from the counselor explaining how this traumatic extenuating circumstance affected your academic performance? Did you include supporting documentation in regard to the death (Obituary, and/or death certificate, and/or funeral program)?
Transcripts
- Electronic Transcripts: Did you request for Official transcripts to be sent to you for all of the colleges/ universities you have attended (to include ANY dual enrollment transcripts from high school)? Is each transcript sent from the institution or transcript company (Transcript MUST be sent from institution or transcript company directly to you). Have you uploaded all transcripts to the online Appeals dashboard? Even if you have previously appealed you will need to submit updated transcripts from all institutions you have attended.
- If you completed dual enrollment coursework, did you request an official transcript from the institution through which the coursework was earned (excluding high school transcripts)? Have you uploaded it to the online Appeal Portal? (Even though some institutions will place credits on their transcript if they are earned at a different institution, they may not list the grades earned, which could impact an appeal. For this reason, all official transcripts from every institution attended, even those institutions attended through dual credit programs).
- If the CHE does not receive all transcripts, your application will be considered incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
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- Contact Us
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For questions, please call 803-856-0672 or email us at appeals@che.sc.gov.