Appeal Frequently Asked Questions

Appeals received after 11:59 PM on the last day of the appeal deadline window may not be reviewed by the committee, as the committee only meets during the time frame allotted per each semester. Appeal applications can no longer be submitted until the next appeal cycle; therefore students will have to appeal at that time.

Beginning Spring 2026, scholarship appeals are submitted through two different systems (SOAR and the GO System), depending on the type of request.

Students who are eligible to submit an appeal via SOAR will automatically see the appropriate application appear in their To-Do List.

If you do not see an appeal option in SOAR, it may mean:

You do not have a current award eligible to appeal at this time, or
Your situation requires review by the Office of Scholarships & Financial Wellness before an appeal can be initiated

Students should explain any extenuating circumstance(s) that caused a disruption to their academic progress and/or performance for the semester in question. Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, severe illness or the death of an immediate family member. Documentation should be attached to support the extenuating circumstance (i.e., statement from a medical or psychiatric professional, obituary to document the death of an immediate family member, letter from a professor/advisor/coach, etc.)

Committee members will look at the student’s submitted appeal application, supporting documentation, stipulation requirements, financial need (demonstrated through a student’s FAFSA status), academic performance, budgetary restrictions, and other relevant information from the student’s profile in SOAR.

The Office of Undergraduate Scholarships is responsible for notifying the student of the committee’s decision and will update the students SOAR records accordingly. All students will receive an email to his or her USM email address regarding the committee’s decision. We do not give out decisions over the phone or through mail.

Appeal decisions are final and may not be reviewed again by the committee without additional documentation and details regarding extenuating circumstance. If a student is uploading new documentation to an existing appeal application, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Office of Undergraduate Scholarships that they have submitted new documentation to a current application, as long as the appeal window is still open.

Names and departments of the committee members are not publicized. The Office of Undergraduate Scholarships coordinates the University Scholarship Appeals Committee and can be contacted at scholars@usm.edu if you have further questions regarding a decision.

Appeal meetings are held weekly. It typically takes 10-14 business day after the appeal is submitted to receive the final decision. Appeal decisions are communicated through an email to the student’s USM email address.