Scholarship Discontinuation Appeals

Academic Reviews

The Merit Scholarship Unit reviews scholars’ academic standing at the end of each fall and spring semester once final grades are posted to determine if students are meeting the terms of their scholarship agreement. If students are not meeting their minimum requirements, depending on the type of student, the following will occur:

  • First-semester, first-year students are granted an automatic “warning” period if they fail to meet their terms in their 1st fall semester. This does not apply to transfer students. First-semester, first-year students will continue receiving their scholarship the following semester. They will be automatically notified of the scholarship warning status via email (students do not need to submit any kind of appeal for this to happen).
    • A Scholarship Warning is a warning to the scholar that they have violated their scholarship agreement and should be conscious about this requirement going into their 2nd semester.
  • Scholars failing to meet their scholarship requirements will lose their scholarship and be notified via email of their Scholarship Discontinuation–this means the loss of a student’s merit scholarship for all future semesters.
    • Scholars concerned about their status are strongly encouraged to monitor their myUMBC email following the fall and spring semesters. Discontinuation notices, along with the process on how to appeal, are sent to students’ myUMBC email once grades are finalized and Scholarship Academic Reviews are completed by our office.
    • Scholars discontinued from their scholarship and/or programs do not have to repay their scholarship amount from the previous semester(s).

Discontinuation Appeal Process

Scholars with extenuating circumstances may appeal their scholarship discontinuation by submitting a Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal following the discontinuation notice email.

Note: If you choose not to appeal within the allocated time frame, your award will not be reinstated regardless of whether you show academic improvement in future semesters. This is the only period to appeal for reinstatement, and you must submit your appeal by the published deadline below.

Submit a Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal

The following information is required in order to complete the appeal request. These documents will become available to you when you access the online appeal form. However, feel free to review the required information prior to accessing the online form.

  1. Scholarships Appeal Statement – a statement explaining the reason(s) you failed to meet scholarship standards for the semester(s) as reflected on your transcript. Questions asked will include:
    1. What happened during the semester you are appealing that interrupted your ability to earn the required GPA and/or complete your registered classes?
    2. What has changed since the incident that will now allow you to meet your scholarship requirements for future semesters?
    3. Can you describe your intentions for meeting your scholarship requirements in the future?
  2. Supporting Documentation – Documentation supporting the extenuating circumstance(s) listed in your appeal statement (i.e. medical records, police report, etc.). Timeframes on your documentation should support the circumstance described in your statement. See Documentation Guidance below for additional information.
    1. Please note: While the contents of this appeal are confidential, our staff will consult with appropriate UMBC personnel should an instance arise where someone’s well-being appears at risk. 

Spring 2026 Academic Reviews will take place in June 2026. You will be notified during this time via your myUMBC email if your scholarship has been discontinued. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why you were unable to meet your merit scholarship requirements, you will have the opportunity to appeal the loss of your scholarship for Fall 2026:

Spring 2026 Discontinuation Appeals open June 8th. 

The deadline to submit a Spring 2026 Discontinuation Appeal is June 28th, at 11:59pm EST.

No late appeals or in-person meetings with the committee will be accepted. 

Documentation Guidance

When appealing the loss of your scholarship due to extenuating circumstances, it is important to provide clear, official, and complete documentation to support your case. Use the guide below to help identify the appropriate types of documentation. If your appeal is based on one of the reasons listed, you are required to submit corresponding documentation, see suggestions below. If your appeal circumstance is outside of one of the below scenarios and cannot be documented, please provide an additional detailed written explanation describing your situation.

Circumstance Suggested Documentation Additional Information

Friend/Family Member Death

Obituary, death certificate, funeral program

Include the name and relation of the deceased. If the name differs from your own, briefly explain the relationship. If the documentation is in another language, please provide a certified translation.

Medical Circumstance (Friend/Family Member/Self)

Doctor’s note, hospital admission/discharge paperwork, RIH (Retrieve Integrated Health) and/or SDS (Student Disability Services) letters, prescription records

Must include dates of treatment and a description of how the illness or condition affected academic performance. Documentation should be on official letterhead and signed. You may redact sensitive details not relevant to your appeal.

Mental Health Crisis

Counseling center documentation, Student Disability Services (SDS) / RIH letters, hospitalization records, therapy notes/letter from therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist (brief, no detailed diagnosis needed)

Documentation must be from a licensed provider and include a date range and description of how your mental health impacted your academic ability.

Employment Changes

Termination letter, reduced hours notice, signed and dated letter from employer, unemployment verification

The document should include the effective date of job loss or reduction, and ideally specify how this impacted your financial or academic status.

Auto Incident

Police report, tow receipt, insurance claim, repair invoice

Must include the date of incident and how it interfered with your academic obligations (e.g., missing class, loss of transportation).

Court Obligations

Court summons, subpoena, legal orders, proof of mandatory appearance

Include dates and official documents showing you were required to be present.

Family Crisis

Legal/custody paperwork, school counselor/therapist letters, eviction notices, restraining orders, police reports, housing/utility notices

Include documents that clearly show impact on your living or academic environment. Explain your role in managing the situation (e.g., caregiving, housing disruption).

Academic Difficulty

Emails from professors, Academic Success Center (ASC) meeting confirmations, tutoring logs, SDS accommodation letters

Include dates and specific steps you took to address academic challenges. Documentation must show a good-faith effort to get support (e.g., meeting with a professor, tutoring appointment, etc.).

Other

Time-stamped FULL emails correspondences (NOT screenshots). Learn how to download full emails here, time-stamped photos (e.g. of damage), other official notices

Documentation must be legible, complete, and time-stamped. Screenshots are discouraged unless they show unique digital evidence (e.g., app-based alerts). Provide a short explanation for any nonstandard documents.

Documentation NOT to Submit

Type Why

UMBC Transcripts

Your academic record is automatically reviewed as part of your appeal—no need to resubmit.

Screenshots of Emails

Full email downloads (with headers and timestamps) provide more complete context and are preferred over screenshots of email threads. Learn how to download full emails here.

Unofficial or Incomplete Documents

Avoid submitting cropped images, handwritten notes, or documents without clear dates or sources. These may delay review.

Tips for Submitting Your Appeal

  • Combine multiple files into a single PDF when possible.
  • Label your files clearly (e.g., “Doctor_Note_Jan2025.pdf”).
  • Submit your appeal by the deadline — late or incomplete appeals are not reviewed.
  • Use your own words when writing your appeal.
    • Your appeal statement should explain your situation and how it affected your academic progress during the semester in question.
    • If this is not your first Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal, include information about what has changed since the last appeal (Are there new circumstances? What changed that worked/did not work?)

🔴 Do not use AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, etc.) to write your appeal. Your statement should reflect your genuine voice, personal experiences, and understanding of your situation/circumstances. Submissions that appear inauthentic or templated may be denied or flagged for review.

Timeline After Appeal Submission

Once you have submitted your scholarship discontinuation appeal, the Scholarship Review Committee will review all appeals as they are submitted. If submitted prior to the deadline, final decisions regarding appeals will be sent to each student via email within 7-10 business days of their appeal submission. If submitted the week prior to the deadline, please expect additional processing timeframes. Appeals submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

  • The Scholarship Review Committee reserves the right to make individual decisions based on extenuating circumstance(s). Our unit carefully reviews all accounts when rendering appeal decisions.
  • You are responsible for all outstanding bills with UMBC and should make arrangements to ensure that your bill is paid by the due date. Scholarship Discontinuation approvals are not guaranteed. Please note that requests to remove late fees related to this situation will not be considered.
  • Please note: If the appeal is denied or no appeal is submitted by the published deadline, the scholarship will be permanently discontinued and cannot be reinstated.

Scholars whose Discontinuation Appeal has been approved will have their scholarship reinstated, and will be placed on “Scholarship Probation” for the following semester. This will appear as an alert on your myUMBC account, and serves as a reminder that you must be mindful of meeting the terms of your scholarship agreement.

If your scholarship discontinuation appeal is denied, your scholarship is permanently discontinued and cannot be reinstated in any future semesters. We encourage you to review other funding options, such as applying for scholarships on Scholarship Retriever, external scholarships, or speaking further with your assigned financial aid counselor for other aid options.

Scholarship Discontinuation vs. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Failure

Scholarship Discontinuation Appeals are not the same as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeals. SAP Failure is related to your financial aid (grants, loans, etc.). A Scholarship Discontinuation is strictly related to your UMBC merit scholarship. It is possible that you receive a Scholarship Discontinuation Notification AND a SAP Failure notification. Please note these are two different processes with two different appeals.

If you are appealing both a SAP Failure and a Scholarship Discontinuation, you must complete both appeal forms by their respective deadlines. The forms are not interchangeable. Learn more about the SAP Appeal process and deadlines here.

myUMBC Alert Type

Aid Impacted

Appeal To Submit

Questions? Contact…

Scholarship Discontinuation

UMBC Merit Scholarships (General, Transfer, Scholar Programs)

Scholarship Discontinuation Appeal

Scholarships Unit

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Failure

Federal, State, and Institutional Need-Based Financial Aid

SAP Appeal

Financial Aid Unit

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