Under certain circumstances Student Financial Services may be able to either waive certain institutional requirements or increase your financial aid award because you experience a change in your situation.

Petition to Waive Eligibility Requirements. You can request a waiver of the following eligibility requirements:

• Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement (See Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for specific petition requirements.)
• Plan to take a minimum of 24 units throughout the academic year
• For Trustee’s Scholars only: Minimum of 36 units per academic year
• For Trustee’s Scholars only: 3.50 minimum GPA

To petition, you must submit a letter explaining the circumstances that affect your ability to meet the requirement being petitioned. The director will evaluate the petition and notify you in writing within 30 days of your submission.

Petition to Increase Scholarship Award. You may request a reevaluation of your scholarship for two reasons.

Increase in units

Since institutional scholarships are disbursed in a variety of ways, different policies apply to different types of institutional aid.

For School of Theology, School of Intercultural Studies, and Marriage and Family institutional need-based scholarships, and African American Church Studies or Latino Leadership scholarships:

• You must complete a Unit Increase form during the sixth week of the quarter.
• You must be enrolled for more than 14 units in a quarter in order to receive an increase.
• The director will evaluate the petition.
• You will be sent written notification of the decision within 30 days of submission.

For Clinical Psychology need-based scholarships:

• You must complete a Unit Increase form during the sixth week of the quarter.
• You must be enrolled for more than 16 units in a quarter in order to receive an increase.
• The director will evaluate the petition.
• You will be sent written notification of the decision within 30 days of submission.

For a Trustee’s Scholarship:

• You must complete a Unit Increase form. This can be done at any point during the quarter.
• The director will evaluate the petition.
• You will be sent written notification of the decision within 30 days of submission.

Change in circumstances

If you have experienced unusual circumstances that have changed your financial circumstances, you may petition. Some examples include:

• medical emergency
• loss of expected income

You must complete a Professional Judgement Packet and submit it to Student Financial Services. The director will evaluate the petition and notify you in writing within 30 days of your submission.