Special circumstances can affect your financial aid. You may need to file one of the appeals below.
When there are unusual situations or circumstances that impact your federal student aid eligibility, federal regulations give a financial aid administrator discretion or professional judgment on a case-by-case basis and with adequate documentation to make adjustments to the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form that impact your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to gain a more accurate assessment of your family's ability to contribute to your cost of education. The Department of Education does not have the authority to override a school's professional judgment decision.
All appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis. All appeals must have the appropriate and required documentation as well as a student's written explanation for filing the appeal.
SAP - Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal - use the form at this link SAP appealto file an appeal due to failing Satisfactory Academic Progress.
You must file an appeal if you are failing the minimum GPA and/or Pace progress standards or you have exceeded the maximum timeframe allowed at a community college. Please visit Maintaining Financial Aid for complete explanations.
The entire SAP policy is here. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@bishop.edu (include your student A number) or call at 251-405-7015.
PJ - Professional Judgement Appeal - Use the PJ Advisor portal to expedite the financial aid appeal process. PJ Advisor is an accessible, intuitive tool that will guide you through the process to request a professional judgement.
Start your request by accessing PJ Advisor at https://inceptia.org/pjadvisor/bishopstate2022
You (or a parent, spouse, or legal guardian) will need to do the following*:
- Create a secure user name and password.
- Select your dependency status as reported on the FAFSA.
- Answer the pre-screening questions and select your appeal category.
- Explain your situation in detail, upload supporting documentation, and submit.
- Print, sign, and upload the signature page.
Upon receipt of all required documents, Bishop State Community College will conduct a preliminary review to ensure the submission is accurate and complete. You will be notified via email if there are any questions or if any additional documentation is required. Once the submission is verified as complete, the Financial Aid Office will review for final determination and contact you with the results.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@bishop.edu (include your student A number) or call at 251-405-7015.
Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in verification, financial aid management, financial education, and repayment wellness. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Since 1986, we have helped more than two million students at 5,500 schools reach their higher education dreams. Each year we help nearly 340,000 students learn how to pay for college, navigate financial aid, borrow wisely, and resolve their student loan repayment challenges. Our solutions are designed to support student success by helping financial aid administrators maximize resources, so they can spend more time focusing on students. Learn more at Inceptia.org.
DO - Dependency Override Appeal - this appeal is for students who cannot provide parental information of the FAFSA due to extenuating circumstances. To file this appeal, please complete the Dependency Override Form and submit with ALL required documents. There are any number of extenuating circumstances, but they typically involve the following:
- death of one or both parents
- incarceration of one or both parents
- any number of circumstances beyond the student's control
Dependency overrides cannot be considered simply because a parent does not want to provide income information on the FAFSA. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@bishop.edu (include your student A number) or call at 251-405-7015.