Scholarship Appeal Process
CMU Scholarship Appeals can be submitted to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for the following scholarships:
- Academic Prestige
- Academic Excellence
- Academic Success
- Community College Transfer Scholarship
- Cofer/Multicultural Advancement
- Maroon and Gold
- Multicultural Award of Distinction
- Transfer Honors
- Transfer Recognition
- Transfer Success
When should I submit a scholarship appeal?
If you did not meet the minimum cumulative GPA or completed credit hour requirements at the end of the academic year and can provide documentation of extenuating circumstances, an appeal should be submitted before the following Fall semester.
How can I submit an appeal?
To submit an appeal you should complete the scholarship appeal form along with a detailed explanation of the extenuation circumstance and documentation of your extenuating circumstances. The written statement should include the scholarship you're appealing for, an explanation of why the minimum requirements were not met and what is your plan of action is to meet the minimum requirements.
What if my appeal is about the on-campus living requirement?
If your appeal is about the on-campus living requirement for freshman and sophomores, please contact Residence Life at (989) 774-3111 or by visiting their website at www.reslife.cmich.edu. Residence Life must review and approve this type of appeal.
What are the extenuating circumstances?
Extenuating circumstances may include serious illness of the student or immediate family member, death of an immediate family member. Supporting documentation must accompany your written appeal and may consist of a statement from a professional doctor, counselor or advisor who assisted you, physician’s statements with dates of treatment, court records, obituaries, academic assistance sought at the tutoring center, email correspondence with the course instructor, etc. Please note, a copy of your academic history is not considered third party documentation.
Can I appeal if this was my first year at CMU and I had trouble adjusting or roommate issues?
Appeals of this nature are not usually approved. Scholarship losses due to personal issues without documentation of extenuating circumstances will not be considered.
What are the renewal criteria for my particular scholarship?
Renewal criteria for each scholarship can differ. Individual scholarship requirements can be found in the letter you received when accepting the scholarship. Merit scholarships offered before fall 2019 ( Prestige, Excellence and Success) require a 3.25 cumulative GPA and 30 NEW credit hours.
New freshmen offered a merit scholarship (Prestige, Excellence and Success) with a start date of fall 2019, require 30 new credits at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. At the end of your second and third academic years, the renewal requirement includes 30 new credits and a cumulative GPA of 3.00.
Maroon and Gold scholarships require 30 new credits at the end of each academic year as well as a cumulative GPA of 3.00 at the end of years 2 and 3.
Is a financial aid appeal the same as an academic appeal? Can I appeal once for both issues?
No, the academic appeal process is different. If the university has notified you that you are on academic suspension because your GPA is too low, you will need to appeal through the Academic Assistance Program to resolve the academic suspension. An academic appeal, if approved, will allow you to enroll in classes for the affected semester; a scholarship or SAP appeal, if approved, will allow you to receive your related aid for the affected semester.
The financial aid appeals process deals specifically with whether or not you met all the terms and conditions required for the form of financial aid you received. Please note: if you are on both academic suspension and your scholarship has been suspended, you will need to submit both types of appeals if you wish to enroll and to receive your scholarship.
Will I be notified regarding my appeal status?
Appeals can take up to 10-15 business days to review. After all documentation is received concerning your appeal, you will be notified by email if your appeal has been approved or denied. Appeals that are approved are usually on a probationary status and the probationary requirements will be explained at the time of approval.