TELS, TN Promise and TN Reconnect Appeals and Exceptions

TELS, TN Promise and TN Reconnect

Appeals and Exceptions

How do I begin the appeal review process at TSAC?

The TSAC Appeals Panel must receive a complete appeal record from each student. Failure by the student to provide a complete appeal record for review may require resubmission of the appeal record and cause a delay in the review process.

All steps below must be completed by the student. Student must:

1. Complete the TELS (HOPE & Dual Enrollment Grant) / TN Promise / TN Reconnect Appeal Form;

2. Submit the appeal form AND the following applicable documents to [email protected].

a. An appeal letter written and signed by the student describing the reason(s) that resulted in the loss or forfeiture of the scholarship must be emailed to the link above. Letters written by parents or guardians are not accepted in lieu of the student’s appeal letter.

b. Submit official college transcripts from all colleges and universities attended during or after high school graduation to the link above. Academic transcripts printed by the student from an online student account will not be accepted and will cause a decision delay by the appeals committee.

c. Send proof of college enrollment or anticipated college enrollment to the link above. A student’s class schedule may be acceptable, provided it contains the student’s name and the name of the institution.

d. Send scanned documents of support for the reason(s) described in the appeal request to the link above. Photos of documents are not accepted. Please review the Appeal Form for examples of valid documentation. Also, documents submitted for review must cover the timeframe in which the student is seeking an appeal request.

e. If the student previously appealed the loss of eligibility at the college/university and the request was denied in writing, the student must submit the institution’s denial letter/email with all supporting documentation to TSAC within forty-five (45) days of the date on your institution’s decision letter to the link above.

f. As a reminder, student must scan all documents, save them in PDF format, and email them as an attachment to [email protected].

Please be aware of the risk associated with delivering sensitive information as an email attachment. To seek an alternative option for delivering an appeal request to TSAC, contact us at [email protected].

Appeals and Exception Process

TELS and TN Promise Appeals and Exception Process

A college student must meet both academic requirements and non-academic requirements in order to maintain continued TELS eligibility. Although a student cannot appeal TELS eligibility based on academic reasons, he or she may appeal TELS eligibility based on non-academic reasons. A student enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution or an out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution must remain continuously enrolled in the fall semester and spring semester of a single academic year, or the equivalent, if the institution is on a system other than a semester system. If the student begins the semester as full time, the student must remain full time for the semester. If the student drops below full time, he or she may lose TELS eligibility and no longer receive the award.

If a student is not able to maintain continuous enrollment or full-time enrollment within a semester, he or she may seek an appeal to restore eligibility due to a leave of absence from a postsecondary institution or for a drop in credit hours from full-time enrollment within a semester at a postsecondary institution. By not maintaining continuous enrollment, the student must provide supporting documentation in the appeal for each semester in which he or she were not enrolled at a postsecondary institution.

IMPORTANT:

Neither the Institution Review Panel (IRP) located at an eligible postsecondary institution nor the TSAC Review Panel have the authority to rule on an appeal from students due to a final high school Uniform Grading Policy GPA below the minimum required for initial eligibility or a lottery scholarship college GPA below the minimum required for continuation.
Students who begin enrollment at an eligible postsecondary institution after high school graduation must maintain continuous enrollment at an eligible postsecondary institution for the fall and spring semesters. Enrollment in the summer semester is not required.
Students should understand that their appeal may not be granted. Therefore, they must take the necessary actions to secure funds to pay their tuition and fees during the time the appeal is being reviewed. If the appeal is granted, the scholarship funds may be awarded retroactively; however, TSAC does not guarantee that a decision will be rendered prior to any institutional deadlines for tuition and fee payment. In these cases, students have the responsibility to ensure that any financial obligation to the institution is fulfilled. If the appeal is granted, the scholarship funds may be awarded retroactively.

Reasons for an Appeal

A student may be granted a medical or personal leave of absence from attendance at an eligible postsecondary institution or an out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution and resume receiving an award upon resumption of the student’s attendance at an eligible postsecondary institution so long as all other applicable eligibility criteria are met.

Allowable medical or personal reasons shall include, but not be limited to, illness of the student, illness or death of an immediate family member, extreme financial hardship of the student or student’s immediate family, to fulfill a religious commitment expected of all students of that faith, or other extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control where continued attendance by the student creates a substantial hardship. Acceptable reasons shall also include a student’s participation in an internship or co-op program that is required or encouraged as part the academic program in which he or she is enrolled.

An IRP located at an eligible postsecondary institution or TSAC Review Panel may grant leaves of absence or approve a drop from full-time enrollment within a semester only for documented medical or personal reasons. In the event an IRP denies a student’s request for a medical or personal leave of absence, the student may appeal to TSAC within forty-five (45) calendar days from the date of the IRP decision letter or within forty-five (45) calendar days after the appeal is properly filed.

For the HOPE Scholarship, a student who is granted a medical or personal leave of absence and resumes his or her education at an eligible postsecondary institution may retain TELS award eligibility until a terminating event occurs.

A TN Promise student who is granted a medical or personal leave of absence and resumes his or her education at an eligible postsecondary institution may retain eligibility so long as the student continues to meet all applicable academic and non-academic requirements. Exclusive of approved leaves of absence, a TN Promise student may receive the award for five (5) semesters.

Submitting an Appeal to an Eligible Postsecondary Institution

A student who enrolls at an eligible postsecondary institution and plans to return to the eligible postsecondary institution shall seek an appeal for a withdrawal or a drop from full-time enrollment based on medical or personal reasons. The student should contact the financial aid office at the eligible postsecondary institution for more details regarding the TELS appeal process.

Submitting a HOPE Scholarship Appeal to TSAC

A student who is denied an appeal by the IRP located at an eligible postsecondary institution may appeal to TSAC. The student shall submit an appeal to TSAC within forty-five (45) calendar days from the date on the decision letter from the IRP. A copy of the decision letter from the IRP is required by TSAC.
A student who was enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution prior to the break in enrollment and plans to transfer to another eligible postsecondary institution shall seek an appeal for a withdrawal or a drop from full-time enrollment based on medical or personal reasons; or
A high school student who has delayed his or her college enrollment in any postsecondary institution beyond 16 months after graduating from high school may seek an appeal for medical or personal reasons; or
A student who is transferring to an eligible postsecondary institution from an out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution may seek an appeal for a withdrawal or a drop from full-time enrollment at the out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution based on medical or personal reasons; or
A student who enrolled part time and is seeking an extension to the five-year terminating event due to a documented medical disability as certified by a licensed physician ; or
A student who had missed an application deadline date due to documented medical or personal hardship reasons.

Submitting a Tennessee Promise Appeal to TSAC

A student who is denied an appeal by the IRP located at an eligible postsecondary institution may appeal to TSAC. The student shall submit an appeal to TSAC within forty-five (45) calendar days from the date on the decision letter from the IRP. A copy of the decision letter from the IRP is required by TSAC.
A student who was enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution prior to the break in enrollment and plans to transfer to another eligible postsecondary institution shall seek an appeal for a withdrawal or a drop from full-time enrollment based on medical or personal reasons or if there is sufficient time for the student to complete the degree program.
A high school student who has delayed his or her college enrollment in an eligible postsecondary institution may seek an appeal for medical or personal reasons.