Lifetime Limit on Attempted Hours To Receive FA

Here is my situation. I have a total of 144 “attempted hours” for college course credit I have taken. Due to having cancer, I had to withdraw from several of my classes, a total of 8 classes or 24 “attempted hours,” and then one of the schools actually failed me for 6 total classes when I had to go for chemo treatment again when the cancer came back. That is a total of 14 classes or 42 credit hours that are being counted “against” me. I just Let me also mention that ALL but 6 classes total were paid for out of pocket and I did not use any financial aid for them.
I just enrolled in a local university and was told that I would not be eligible for aid because my chosen degree would take longer than the limit of the 180 attempted hours which they said is the maximum anyone can hit before they arent eligible for aid anymore.
With the cost of my medical bills, living expenses, etc., the trust fund I once had is gone, and for me to complete my degree, I have to rely on financial aid. There has to be some sort of appeal or extenuating circumstance exception that applies to my situation, but the school was less than helpful with explaining anything else to me.

Total Attempted Hours - 144
Total Completed Hours - 84
Total Attempted Hours using FA - 18
Total Completed Hours using FA - 0 (this was when I went back into treatment)
Total Attempted hours paid for 100% out of pocket - 126

What can I do?

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Did you not get a medical withdrawal for those courses?

I’m a little confused by your narrative, but are you trying to re-enroll in the same university where you took all of those classes? Or is this a different university?

Did you get Pell previously? And how many classes are you going to need to get a degree, any degree at this point? And is your plan to go back fulltime, part time, one course at a time?

I think a viable option is to find a job with tuition benefits if you are healthy enough to work. You may need to go one course per semester-- how long will that take you?

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@kelsmom?

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There are regulations regarding maximum hours, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you used federal aid for your prior classes. That said, it is possible to receive a waiver for exceeding maximum hours - it’s not a guarantee, and it’s up to the school based on their policies. I assume you talked to an aid officer who may not have experience as a Satisfactory Academic Performance (SAP) reviewer, so they may not have been aware of the option to appeal.

You have a situation that may qualify for a waiver. Gather documentation to prove the medical procedures you were undergoing at that time. Ask for contact information for the SAP appeal committee. Follow up with the committee to find out what they need from you, and be sure to provide everything they need. Best wishes as you pursue this.

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