Enrollment Appeal

Enrollment Appeals are for students who are requesting a refund, credit or balance waiver of their tuition charges and/or a retroactive withdrawal due to the students’ inability to attend and complete course obligations because of extenuating circumstances that occurred during a given semester/session. The appeal process is for students who have experienced an emergency or extraordinary circumstance that affects their ability to attend school.

Click here for the fillable PDF of the Enrollment Appeals form.

The Enrollment Appeal Committee, which is comprised of staff from Financial Services, Student Accounts, the Business Office, and Student Affairs, will consider requests for adjustments to tuition charges and/or a retroactive withdrawal from a course when a student can document extenuating circumstances.

The deadline for filing an Enrollment Appeal is one hundred eighty (180) calendar days (6 months) from the end of the semester being appealed. Appeals must include: Enrollment Appeal Form validated by an Advisor from the Academic Advising Center, a signed, personal statement, and official documentation.

Financial Aid recipients should be aware that if an Enrollment Appeal is processed, Financial Aid may be impacted and the student may potentially owe BCC money.

Students are responsible for adhering to the policies and procedures written in the college catalog and/or class schedule regarding refund, billing, and drop/withdrawal deadlines. Written policy will take precedence over any verbal communications a student may have with faculty, staff, or other students. Failure to attend, drop a class, or receive financial aid does not relieve a student of their financial obligation to the institution and does not warrant an Enrollment Appeal. Students who are verified as having never attended a course will have the course removed from their transcript. Students may submit only one Enrollment Appeal, for one semester, for as long as they attend BCC.

Medical-Related Appeals

A medical related enrollment appeal can only be granted once for any single condition or event that originated in the semester in which the withdrawal is being requested.

COVID-19

The unforeseen realities and disruptions of COVID-19 are not directly reflected in our practices or policy around enrollment appeals. Students considering an appeal based on extenuating circumstances connected to the larger issues of the pandemic will still want to work with a member of the Academic Advising Center to confirm if this is the appropriate action for your circumstances and to compile the needed documentation and course withdrawal paperwork if appropriate.

Extenuating Circumstances

Examples of extenuating circumstances may include situations such as:

Severe or unexpected illness or accident resulting in hospitalization;
The death of an immediate family member;
Military service obligations such as relocation/deployment/training orders;
Other hardships as determined by the committee through the exercise of professional judgement.

The following are not considered extenuating circumstances:

Failure to attend class, incomplete course withdrawal or administrative withdrawal action;
Financial constraints or hardship;
Inadequate student technology devices including, software and hardware issues;
Employment and job scheduling conflicts other than those dictated by employer;
Occurrences of bereavement or illness of others;
Misunderstanding of deadlines or policies;
Disapproved financial aid, including financial aid suspension;
Unsatisfactory academic progress, including academic probation or suspension;
Lack of preparation and vacation plans;
Change in academic major or career goals.

Documentation Requirements

Student assumes the burden of proof for their appeal. Supporting documentation is required and is to be submitted along with the Enrollment Appeal Form. Submitting an appeal does not warrant automatic approval nor does filing an appeal relieve students’ obligation to BCC. Student is responsible for all charges assessed on their account pending a decision on the appeal.

The nature of a student’s exceptional circumstances determines the documentation required. Generally, exceptions are made only in those cases where events affecting enrollment are nonrecurring, catastrophic, or life-threatening and beyond the student’s control. Documentation with dates are required. A list of common exceptional circumstances and the documentation required for each can be found below. All official documentation submitted must be current, typed on professional letterhead, and pertaining to the time period in question.

Medical

Submit documentation from health professional which may include hospital discharge papers. Dates of illness, surgery, hospitalization, treatment, accident, etc. and explanation of reason for inability to attend classes must be typed on official letterhead with a health professional’s signature and telephone number. Medical bills and notes on prescription pads are not considered acceptable documentation. The documentation must show that the condition is new and began/occurred within the current term being appealed.

Military

Submit a copy of official military orders. [See Veterans Department if receiving benefits]

Bereavement

Submit a copy of obituary or death certificate. Only the following can be considered: the death of a grandparent, parent, child, sibling, spouse or domestic partner. The personal statement should indicate the student’s relationship to the deceased.

Review & Decision Process

The Enrollment Appeal Committee will review all appeals and make a recommendation to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. A written response will be provided to student within forty five (45) calendar days. Failure of the student to provide adequate documentation at the time of submission may result in denial of the appeal or the committee may request additional information from the student within the forty five (45) calendar day period. A request for additional information will extend the timeline for the appeal decision proportionately from receipt of information from the student.

Once a decision is made, the student will be sent a letter and email stating the decision and action to be taken next by the college or the student. All appeal decisions are final.

If the Enrollment Appeal is “Approved,” the college will either offer a course voucher* or make adjustments to the student’s account (less books, prior Financial Aid refunds, and prior advances on Financial Aid). Adjustments may also be made to the student’s transcript accordingly.
If the Enrollment Appeal is “Approved with conditions”, the letter will outline which conditions the student needs to meet before the approval is processed.
If the Enrollment Appeal is denied, the student is responsible for any outstanding balance and the transcript will be unchanged.

*BCC reserves the right to offer a non-transferable, time sensitive course voucher in certain circumstances in lieu of providing a refund or balance waiver.