Appeal Procedures for G.W. Aid Eligibility

There are two separate types of appeals of GW Aid eligibility. Type 1 below deals with the absence of parental financial information and Type 2 concerns situations where a student is dissatisfied with his/her award. Students are encouraged to carefully read the information and submit the necessary documentation promptly.

Type 1

In order to be considered for G.W.-based aid, it is standard requirements for ALL medical students to provided financial information from BOTH natural parents on the FAFSA and submit federal tax documents (including all schedules) to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

For ANY case in which the student is unable to provide financial information for one or both parents (assuming both parents are living), he/she must use the following procedures to prepare an APPEAL to the director and the Financial Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC). It is extremely important for applicants to provide ALL of the information requested in the procedures below. Failure to do so will result in a substantial delay in reviewing the appeal:

  1. If a natural parent's information* cannot be provided, the student must:
    1. Provide a detailed personal letter describing the situation (ie.why the parent(s) can't or won't supply the financial information). If the situation involves a "break" in relationship between student and parent, student should be very clear about the time frame and reason(s) for the change in relationship.
    2. Provide supporting letters and/or documentation from the other parent and either from an appropriate professional (lawyer, social worker, clergy, etc.) and/or close family friend describing the situation, i.e. why the parent can't or won't provide financial information.
    3. Provide a letter/response (including the address) from the parent whose financial information will not be available if the student knows where to contact the parent(s). IF CONTACT WITH THE PARENT(s) IS COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE the student must clearly outline the reason(s) in his/her personal letter.
    4. Once all of the documentation listed above is available; the student must submit these materials together. All information should be sealed in an envelope (9x12 preferred) and submitted to the attention of the director, Chuck Carpenter.

    *Step-parent information CANNOT be substituted for a natural parent's financial information.
  2. Once the appeal has been submitted, your personal information (name, etc.) will be deleted and the director will present it anonymously to the members of the Financial Aid Advisory Committee for review. The appeal will be reviewed and a decision will be made as soon as possible (but no later than September). If the Committee approves the appeal, the director will review the student's file and calculate eligibility for institutional aid. A letter of eligibility or denial will be sent to the student.

Type 2

The standard screening process requires the director to review the financial information from all students equally using base year information. (This is where information from the preceding tax filing year is used to determine institutional aid eligibility.) If a student feels this yields an unfair assessment, the following procedure should be followed:

  1. The student should document carefully and completely his/her reasoning why the financial aid file should be handled in a different manner. Students are encouraged to be thorough and complete in his/her letter to the FAAC. Likewise any documentation that supports the student’s claim(s) should be included. The key is to build as strong a case as possible for justification purposes. (All information should be submitted to the director in a single packet.)
  2. Once the appeal has been submitted, your personal information (name, etc.) will be deleted and the director will present it anonymously to the members of the Financial Aid Advisory Committee for review. The appeal will be reviewed and a decision will be made as soon as possible (but no later than September). If the Committee approves the appeal, the director will review the student's file based upon the committee’s recommendation and calculate eligibility for institutional aid. A letter of eligibility or denial will be sent to the student.