Unusual Enrollment History

The U.S. Department of Education has established regulations to prevent fraud and abuse in the Federal Pell Grant Program by identifying students with "unusual enrollment histories".  Some students who have an unusual enrollment history have legitimate reasons for their enrollment at multiple institutions.  However, such an enrollment history requires the Office of Student Financial Aid to review your file in order to determine future Federal financial aid eligibility.  If selected by the Department of Education, this must be resolved before you will receive financial aid. 

Definition of Unusual Enrollment History (UEH)

 The specific pattern the Department of Education uses to select students includes those students who have received a Federal Pell Grant and/or Federal Loans at multiple institutions during the past four academic years.  Once the Department of Education indicates that a student has an unusual enrollment history, the Office of Student Financial Aid must review the academic history prior to determining federal financial aid eligibility for that student. 

Students with an unusual enrollment history will have one of the following UEH flags and C codes on their ISIRs (Institutional Student Information Records), which is the school version of the SAR (Student Aid Report) issued by the Department of Education upon completion of the processing of your FAFSA.

What Will Be Required of You

If selected, the Office of Student Financial Aid will notify you of what is required.  We will check your financial aid history at the previous institutions that you attended.  

2022-2023 Academic Year

If you are attempting to enroll for the Fall 2022, Spring 2023 or Summer 2023 semesters we will review your enrollment history at all schools you attended during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years, at which you received a Federal Pell Grant disbursement and/or a Federal Stafford, PLUS (Parent or Graduate), or Perkins Loan(s).

2021-2022 Academic Year 

If you are attempting to enroll for the Fall 2021, Spring 2022 or Summer 2022 semesters we will review your enrollment history at all schools you attended during the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years, at which you received a Federal Pell Grant disbursement and/or a Federal Stafford, PLUS (Parent or Graduate), or Perkins Loan(s).

You are required to have received academic credit at any institution you received the Federal Pell Grant and/or a Federal Student Loan while in attendance during those relevant academic years outlined above.  You evidence that you received academic credit by submitting either an official or unofficial transcript, or grade report, from the schools.  If you have already provided transcripts to the Admissions or Registrars office, please provide duplicate copies of those transcripts to the Office of Student Financial Aid as soon as possible. If you do not have copies please obtain them either from the Admissions or Registrars offices (or College of Pharmacy if you are a PharmD student) and submit them to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Once all transcripts have been received, our office will verify whether or not academic credit was received at each institution during the relevant years. If approved, we will notify you that you have satisfied this requirement. If you failed to receive academic credit at any institution you received a Federal Pell Grant and/or Federal Student Loan during the relevant award years you will be required to complete and submit the UEH Continued Eligibility form, which can be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid, along with a statement and supporting documentation (if applicable) explaining why you failed to earn credit during the applicable award year(s). No aid at CSU will be disbursed until all required documentation has been received.  

Eligibility Approved

If the UEH review and/or documentation supports that the student did not enroll in multiple schools/programs solely to obtain the credit balance payment, then the student is eligible for Title IV funds (Financial Aid). Chicago State University must document its determination in the student’s file and process the student’s Title IV aid accordingly. 

Eligibility Denied

If after reviewing the UEH Continued Eligibility Form and documentation you are denied financial aid, please follow the steps below to appeal for possible reinstatement of eligibility for a future semester. You will be automatically denied eligibility if you refuse to submit the required documentation.

Appeal for Reinstatement of Eligibility

Students who are no longer eligible for Title IV funds aid and would like to appeal for reinstatement must do the following:

• The appeal must be submitted in writing (obtain UEH Appeal form from the Office of Student Financial Aid). In the appeal you must explain what caused your failure to earn academic credit? The circumstances must be beyond your control and documentation must be provided to support the reason for your appeal. i.e. injury, illness, death of relative OR other circumstances might include transfer hours accepted which will not apply to degree or change in major, etc.
• Must successfully complete a minimum of 12 credit hours on your own, without the benefit of Federal Financial Aid at Chicago State University.
• Explain what you will do to improve your academic performance.
• Must meet with your academic advisor in your major department to develop an academic plan that successfully meets the requirements of your academic program.

When a student regains eligibility under these provisions, eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Loans, and all other Federal student aid programs, including student employment, begins in the period of enrollment during which the student regained eligibility.