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Covenant Additional Semesters Policy

Policy on Semesters of Carolina Covenant Financial Aid

 

 

The Carolina Covenant financial aid package meets individual Covenant Scholars’ need to cover the standard cost of attendance toward their first undergraduate major/minor requirements. The financial aid package is limited to a standard number of semesters (fall and spring) based on their entry point at the university and standard semesters of enrollment to graduate:

  • Traditional first year: Eight semesters
  • Sophomore transfers: Six semesters
  • Junior transfers: Four semesters

While funding is limited to extend additional terms of the Covenant aid package, we recognize that some students experience circumstances beyond their control that may impact their path. In these cases, students may request additional semesters of Covenant funding in order to meet degree requirements.

To request additional terms of Carolina Covenant funding beyond the standard:

  1. Connect with your academic advisor to confirm that you need additional terms of academic eligibility in order to enroll in courses directly tied to your undergraduate major/minor requirements and to qualify for graduation. While students seeking only one additional semester should still complete the entire appeals process, they do not need to submit an appeal letter. The Carolina Covenant will connect with you about any questions.
  2. Complete the appeal request form. You will need to include confirmation (a few sentences) from your academic advisor within the form about your need to continue enrollment specifically to meet degree requirements. You can request the statement in an email and will be able to copy/paste them into your form submission.

    Appeal Form Deadline

    Semester:Date Form Opens:Form Submission Deadline:
    Fall 2023March 27, 2023April 28, 2023
    Spring 2024November 13, 2023December 6, 2023
    Fall 2024April 1, 2024May 1, 2024
    Spring 2025November 4, 2024December 4, 2024
    Semester:Date Form Opens:Form Submission Deadline:
    Fall 2023March 27, 2023April 28, 2023
    Spring 2024November 13, 2023December 6, 2023
    Fall 2024April 1, 2024May 1, 2024
    Spring 2025November 4, 2024December 4, 2024
  3. If you have already received an additional semester of aid and are seeking more semester(s) to graduate you will need to submit a personal written appeal letter. Here are some tips for writing your appeal:
    • Share what factors beyond your control contributed to your academic situation. Describe how these factors had a direct impact on your ability to make progress within the standard number of semesters allotted for Carolina Covenant financial aid. Be as specific as possible.
    • Describe any action you took and resources you used to address the issues, as well as your decision-making process.
    • Explain your plan to graduate and provide evidence that your plan is realistic and attainable both academically and personally. Include relevant details to support your appeal while being clear and concise. Take time to think about your statement and write it well.
    • Ask your academic advisor if they would be willing to review your statement before you submit, and ask them for their 2-3 sentence email of support to copy and paste in the appeal form.
    • We expect that most well-written appeals will contain between 300 – 500 words.

Note: Additional semesters of Carolina Covenant financial aid will not be considered to study abroad. Requests for additional semesters of Covenant financial aid to accommodate another major or minor within a students’ final two semesters of graduating will also not be considered, as these experiences (studying abroad and adding majors/minors) are possible within the standard semesters of attendance.

Appeal requests should be submitted no more than four weeks before the end of the prior semester of the proposed additional term/terms. Appeals will not be considered before this timeframe to ensure timely recommendation and context from the Academic Advising Program.

Questions? Feel free to reach out by email.