The University of South Carolina cares about our students ’ success. If you have an academically deficient GPA (below a 2.0) and have financial aid, you may be required to come to ACE by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. If you have been referred to ACE to complete an Academic Plan for a Financial Aid appeal, you should complete the following steps:

1. Review the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies here: http://www.sc.edu/financialaid/sap.html

2. Schedule an ACE Academic Success Coaching Appointment here:

During this ACE session, you will meet with a graduate student who has been trained as an ACE Academic Success Coach.

3. Before you come to ACE, you will need to:

a. Take the LASSI here:

The LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory) measures your strengths and weaknesses as a learner. Your ACE coach will review your LASSI results with you.

b. Complete your Academic Plan here
You will turn in this document to the Financial Aid office as a part of your appeal. Your ACE Coach will review your Academic Plan during your ACE session. (S)he may have suggestions for improving/strengthening your academic plan. Once you have completed the plan, your ACE coach will sign off on the front, giving you the green light to turn it in to Financial Aid. See the Tips below for creating a strong academic plan.

4. Print a copy of your transcript. You can print an unofficial transcript by going to VIP and clicking on the Academics tab. Choose the option "Record of Academic Work for Advisement Only".

5. Bring your LASSI scores, Academic Plan, and transcript to your ACE session. Your ACE coach will review these with you.

Please remember your completion of this Academic Plan and your ACE coaching session does not reinstate your Financial Aid. That decision will be made by the Financial Aid office once you complete these steps.

Tips for Creating Your Academic Plan

• Be specific in describing your experience and goals.
  
• Take your time. This is an important document and you should do your best work.
  
• Take this process seriously. Your ACE Coach will not sign off on your plan unless (s)he feels it is complete.
  

Through the ACE Financial Aid process, you may be referred to different campus offices. Two especially helpful offices are:

• Career Center: http://sc.edu/career/
  
• Counseling and Human Development Center: http://www.sa.sc.edu/chdc/

Check out their web sites to learn more about their services!