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Otis Appeal: Otis College Institutional Aid Appeal


Newly admitted and current Otis College students who are enrolled or intend to enroll full-time at Otis College of Art and Design may submit this request to appeal for additional financial assistance. Institutional funding is limited. All requests will be holistically reviewed through an appeals committee from One Stop, Student Financial Services (SFS), and Enrollment Management. Approval is not guaranteed and requested appeal amounts vary depending on funding limitations and various factors. Otis College will give the highest consideration to each applicant and each request is carefully reviewed to optimize support to the best of the college's ability. 

Reasons for Appeal Grant Approval

  • Newly Admitted Students Only: Competitive Aid Offer Appeal. If you have been awarded a higher institutional scholarship or grant from another school, select this option for appeal. Upload the competitive school's aid offer as evidence. 
  • Appeal due to PLUS Loan Denial or Private Student Loan Denial. If you or your family have been denied a plus loan or private student loan, select this option for appeal. Upload the loan denial letter as evidence. 
  • Financial Hardship/Family Hardship Appeal. If you or your family is experiencing hardship, select this option for appeal. Upload any supporting documentation to support your situation.
  • Appeal due to COVID-19. If you or your family is experiencing financial, mental, health, or related challenges due to the pandemic, select this option for appeal. Upload any supporting documentation to support your situation.  
  • Other Extenuating Circumstances. If all options above does not apply and you have a unique circumstance, select this option for appeal. Explain your situation in detail. Upload any supporting documentation to support your situation.  


Otis Appeal Grant Requirements

  • Enrolled full-time for semester that appeal grant is awarded/disbursed.
  • Appeal grant must be applied towards tuition and fees (grant will be applied to account balance first).
  • Only an appeal grant approved under the COVID-19 Emergency Fund Policy may result in refunds to assist with student living expenses. 


Application/Request Eligibility

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents:

  • Students receiving federal aid must submit latest aid year for FAFSA  
  • You may be asked to provide evidence that you have “exhausted all other avenues of support”
    • Undergraduate Students: If parent is eligible for a Parent PLUS Loan, apply. If denied loan, loan denial may be uploaded as evidence. 
    • Graduate Students: if eligible for a Graduate Plus Loan Application, apply. If denied loan, loan denial may be uploaded as evidence. 
    • Private Student Loan Denial: If applied for a private student loan and denied a loan, loan denial may be uploaded as evidence. 
    • If you have been approved for student loans but did not accept the loan, explain why and attach any supporting documentation. 

Note: Federal Aid Recipients - If you or your parent/guardian had a significant decrease in income recently or within the last year resulting in a significantly lower income or projected income than the income reported in federal tax return for most recent FAFSA submission, you may be eligible for an Income Adjustment Request. The Income Adjustment Request will require documentation of loss of employment, loss of family member, approved unemployment benefits, or loss of business revenue. The Income Adjustment Request will be available starting April 1, 2021. After submission of Income Adjustment Request, SFS will review and if FAFSA EFC significantly decreases, student may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. For more information, contact sfs@otis.edu    


F-1 International Students: Federal regulations require that all F-1 students show proof of financial support for tuition and living expenses to be eligible to apply for an F-1 visa and maintain F-1 status upon arrival to Otis College.

  • Proof of Extenuating Circumstances: Provide proof of extenuating or unforeseen circumstance that results in additional financial burden such as loss of employment, loss of business revenue, impact of COVID-19 on family or environment, medical or health related expenses, travel or unforeseen expenses with transportation, or additional cost due to unique situations outside of student’s control.


Application/Request Timeline

  • From date of submission, allow up to 10 business days for a decision. Decision will be sent by email. 
  • If additional information is required by the committee, applicant will be contacted by email. 


If you would like to discuss your situation or would like guidance through the appeal process, please schedule an appointment with Student Financial Services(SFS).


Student Information

Name*
Your 9-character student ID starts with X; do not include the hyphen.
Type of Student:*
Submitted Deposit to Otis College?*
Program / Degree:*
Citizenship Status:*

Reason for Appeal and Amount Requested

Reason for Appeal: Newly Admitted Students*
(check all that apply, explain on the next section and provide documentation when possible)

Appeal due to Competitive Aid Offer from Another College/Institution:

Select this option if you are a newly admitted student and have been offered a competitive aid package from another college/institution. Specifically, the aid offer should show that the competitive college/institution is offering a higher scholarship or grant award than Otis College. 

Required Documentation: copy of competitive college/institution's aid offer letter showing scholarship or grant offered (provide the school that offered the best/most competitive offer)

No File Chosen
File uploads may not work on some mobile devices.
Provide copy of aid offer letter from college/institution that offered best scholarship/grant award.
$
Input the total institutional scholarship/grant amount offered. Do not include federal or state grants.
$
Input the yearly tuition (Fall and Spring) for the competitive college/institution. Do not include health insurance or housing expenses.
Amount here is auto-calculated.
$
Maximum Amount: $10,000 USD
Recommended: Apply to Academic Year
Reason for Appeal: Continuing Students*
(check all that apply, explain on the next section and provide documentation when possible)

Appeal due to PLUS Loan Denial or Private Student Loan Denial:

Select this option if you or your parent have been denied a federal plus loan or a private student loan. If you have not yet applied for a plus loan or private loan, apply online: PLUS Loan Application or Private Student Loan Application. If denied, you may select this option as the main reason for the appeal request.

Required Documentation: copy of loan denial letter or confirmation of loan denial  

No File Chosen
File uploads may not work on some mobile devices.
If you have multiple loan denial letters, PDF all offers into one PDF and upload.

Appeal due to Financial Hardship/Family Hardship:

Select this option if you or your family is experiencing financial hardship or if you and your family is experiencing unusual challenges or circumstances. These challenges could be due to health and mental health challenges, death in the family, cultural challenges, divorce/family separation, incarceration of family member, domestic violence, environmental impacts, or other challenges beyond your control. 

Note: if your challenges are due to COVID-19 pandemic, please select the COVID-19 option instead.  

Recommended Documentation: any documentation you wish to upload that supports your situation

Appeal due to COVID-19: 

Select this option if you or your family is experiencing impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as medical related circumstances due to COVID-19, loss of business revenue or employment due to COVID-19, mental health challenges due to COVID-19, isolation and separation challenges due to COVID-19, and all other related circumstances caused by the pandemic.  

Recommended Documentation: any documentation you wish to upload that supports your situation

Other Extenuating Circumstances: 

Select this option if none of the above options apply to you and if you wish to appeal due to other circumstances. If you have an extenuating circumstance or a unique situation that you believe should be considered by the Appeals Committee, provide a detailed explanation of your situation for review. 

Recommended Documentation: any documentation you wish to upload that supports your situation

No File Chosen
File uploads may not work on some mobile devices.
Recommended. Upload any documentation you wish to support your situation. If multiple documents, PDF into one PDF and upload.

Student Certification

I certify that I am the above-named student and that the information provided is accurate and true to the best of my abilities at time of submission.*
I understand that submitting this appeal application, that I have exhausted all other possible avenues for support. If I have not, I understand that the appeal committee will recommend possible support options. *
I understand that the amount approved by the appeal committee may be different than the requested amount.*
If appeal grant is approved and granted, I authorize the award to be disbursed to my student account and applied to any outstanding balances.*
If appeal grant is approved and granted as HEERF III (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund), I authorize the award to be disbursed to my student account and applied to any outstanding balances.*
Use your mouse or finger to draw your signature above

One Stop Verification

Academic Year*
Confirm Type of Student:*
Confirm Appeal Type:*
Confirm Degree Program:*
Check on Slate Portal
$
RPAAWRD / Calculate from Intake (if new student)
RPAAWRD / If No FAFSA, Input "FAFSA Not Yet Submitted"
$
Input total Diversity / Otis Appeal / Named Scholarship
Amount here is auto-calculated.
Amount here is auto-calculated.
No File Chosen
File uploads may not work on some mobile devices.

Appeal Committee Decision

Appeal Decision*
Grant Type:*
$
$
$
Additional Information:*
Input FAFSA Aid Year: Example: 2021-2022
Cancel
Confirm