Notes

I am writing not only to provide an updated amount, but to give additional clarification to my appeal.

I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder from an early age, and since then I have been fighting an uphill battle against the condition, especially with struggles relating to advocating for myself. Saying things that need to be said and making it clear when I have a problem has always been remarkably difficult for me, even if those things are important. This was why I failed to seek help for the extreme mental health challenges that ensued as a result of the pandemic during my first year, and they made it incredibly difficult for me to keep up with my schoolwork. As a result, I lost my Bright Futures scholarship; in later years I improved my grades, health, and work ethic drastically, but I failed to inform my parent of the change in my financial aid situation while continuing to attend. Because of this, more money had been borrowed from Parent PLUS loans than if I had been able to keep my scholarship.

This semester, instead of a Parent PLUS loan, a $19,382 loan from Funding U has been taken out, which is the only loan I was able to be approved for; this will be how I pay the rest of the balance if my appeal is approved. I am set to graduate in December; this is my final semester here. I have done my absolute best to overcome my challenges, and I will do whatever it takes to continue to rise past them. I humbly ask for the support I need to finish this journey.