Scholarship Appeal Process
The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS), the Tennessee Promise Scholarship (TNP) and the Tennessee Reconnect Scholarship (TNR) are awarded based on policies set forth by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC). TSAC’s TELS policy allows an appeal process for students who fail to meet enrollment requirements due to extenuating medical or personal circumstances. An appeals process is not available to students who fail to meet GPA or other requirements. Lottery scholarship recipients who fail to meet continuing eligibility requirements will have their scholarships cancelled beginning with the next semester.
- Any student who has been determined ineligible by the Financial Aid office to receive their TELS, TNP and/or TNR award may appeal to the university’s Institutional Review Panel (IRP) in writing. A letter including the following:
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Student’s name
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Student ID, and
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reason for appeal along with supporting documentation for the semester(s) that the student failed to meet requirements must be provided to the Financial Aid office by mail, in person or electronically. The Financial Aid office is located in Memorial Hall, room 103 on the Cumberland University Campus. Complete contact information can be found on the university website.
2. The University’s IRP consists of the following 5 members:
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The Director of Financial Aid
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The Director of Institutional Research
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The Director of Career Services
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The Director of Student Retention
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The Associate Director of Financial Aid.
3. The IPR panel will meet within 10 business days of the receipt of an appeal. Once the appeal is reviewed and a decision made the IRP will notify the student in writing to their home address within 7-10 business days of the meeting. The letter will contain the information necessary should the student choose to appeal the IRP’s decision to TSAC.
Contact Us. We’re Here to Help
If you have any questions or need any help through your next steps, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help guide you through this process to ensure you’re ready for your first day at CU.
Office hours for the Financial Aid Office are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. If you need help navigating the process, contact the Financial Aid Office during regular business hours at – 615-547-1399 locally or 800-467-0562, ext. 1399 or financialaid@cumberland.edu.