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2025-26 Student Handbook 

Procedures for Appeals and Complaints

The Green Man statue

The University’s guideline explaining how to file an appeal for a fee adjustment is available online. Please read the acceptable reasons (www.apsu.edu/appeals) for which fee adjustments are made. If your situation meets the criteria outlined, complete the Appeal Form and submit to the Office of the Registrar. Supporting documentation must be sent to the Office of the Registrar within five (5) business days of the submission of the appeal. The Office of the Registrar will provide a decision in writing via email to the appellant’s official APSU email account.

Decisions of the Office of the Registrar may be appealed in writing to the Fee Adjustment Appeals Committee, which meets twice each fall and spring semester. The committee chairperson will provide a decision in writing via email to the appellant’s official APSU email account. Appeals of adverse decisions made by this committee must be in writing to the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration. A written decision of matters appealed to that office will be sent to the student’s official APSU email account. This concludes the fee adjustment appeals process.

Deadlines for Fee Adjustment Appeals:

  • Fall Semester: February 1 of following year
  • Spring Semester: Aug. 1 of same year
  • Maymester, Summer (Full), Summer I, Summer II and Summer III: Oct. 1 of same year

Appeals received after the stated deadlines will not be considered. 

Any applicant who does not fulfill requirements for any category of admission may be asked to submit an to be considered by the University’s Committee on şüŔęĘÓƵ Standards (/governance/committees/AdmissionStandCom.php). For assistance, please contact the Office of şüŔęĘÓƵ at 931-221-7661.

Students who have been classified as out-of-state for fee payment purposes may appeal their residency classification by completing the Residency Application. New students must submit the completed form and supporting documentation to the Office of şüŔęĘÓƵ, Ellington Lobby, and currently enrolled students must submit their materials to the Office of the Registrar, Ellington 316. All appeals must be submitted prior to the beginning of the term for which the appeal is filed. Applications for the current term will not be accepted if the term has already begun. Students wishing to further appeal the decision of the Office of şüŔęĘÓƵ or the Office of the Registrar may do so by contacting the Office of the Registrar and requesting for the application to be reviewed by the Residency Appeals Committee.

For assistance, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 931-221-7150.

All parking citations may be appealed within five days.  Those affiliated, student, faculty, staff, may submit an appeal by logging into  and clicking on Appeal Ticket. 

If you are a visitor, please come to the Shasteen Building to file a written appeal.

Please contact the Parking and Transportation Department if you need assistance, 931-221-PARK.

Residence hall and dining charges may be appealed using the Housing Appeals Form. The form must be printed, completed and submitted to the Housing Office located in Miller Hall. For assistance, please contact Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services at 931-221-7444.

The purpose of the University’s Student Grade Appeal policy is to hear students’ grievances about the final grade awarded in a course or the method of evaluation. Students may appeal course grades in accordance with the Student Grade Appeal Policy, www.apsu.edu/policy. Once a degree has been posted to the transcript, the academic record is deemed complete and changes will not be made on grades earned prior to the posted degree.

details the procedure for appealing a grade. A student should first try to resolve the issue with the faculty member if possible. If this attempt is not agreeable, the student should then appeal in writing to the department chair in the area where the instructor is a member. The departmental assistant can provide information about the name of the department chair. If the situation is not resolved at this level, the student can then appeal to the dean of the college over that department. If the appeal needs to proceed further than the dean, the dean will forward the appeal to the Student Academic Grievance Committee (/governance/committees/studgrev.php). The dean will notify the student in writing of the final decision.

The purpose of the University’s Non-Academic Grievance policy is to hear students’ grievances and complaints about the action and performance of University personnel in non-academic matters, to determine the validity of the grievance or complaint and to recommend resolution. See . For assistance, please contact the Student Affairs office at 931-221-7341.

Understanding the process for special circumstance withdrawals and drops is essential for students who face challenges preventing them from continuing their coursework. These guidelines clarify the eligibility criteria, required documentation, and processes for requesting a special circumstance withdrawal or drop. Whether dealing with military assignments, health issues, or other unforeseen events, the Office of the Registrar (OTR) is committed to supporting students through these procedures.

If you need more information, please connect with your Academic Advisor, or you may also contact the Assistant Provost & University Registrar at Nagelf@apsu.edu.

Special Circumstance Withdrawal

When eligibility criteria are met, the Office of the Registrar will review requests for special circumstance withdrawals. These criteria are subject to change at the Office of the Registrar's discretion. All required documentation related to a special circumstance withdrawal must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for processing. To proceed, please complete the form linked here.

If you need more information, please connect with your Academic Advisor, or you may also contact the Assistant Provost & University Registrar at Nagelf@apsu.edu.

Special Circumstance Drop

A request to drop a specific course due to special circumstances should be directed to the Office of the Registrar for review. This option may be appropriate for courses requiring physical activity that cannot be completed due to health concerns. A special drop applies when students reduce their course load but do not withdraw entirely from the semester. For example, a student reducing from 12 credit hours to 3 credit hours may qualify for a special drop, whereas a full course withdrawal requires a withdrawal request.

If you need more information, please connect with your Academic Advisor, or you may also contact the Assistant Provost & University Registrar at Nagelf@apsu.edu. 

Qualifying Factors related to a Drop or Withdrawal

Special circumstance drop or withdrawal requires official paperwork that specifically notes the student’s inability to attend during the requested period of time for drop or withdrawal. The following circumstances are currently considered:

Military:

  • Field training exercises
  • Active deployment
  • Training-related deployment
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders
  • School training orders

Health:

  • Hospitalization
  • Death or emergency of an immediate family member
  • Doctor’s statement specifying the student’s inability to attend for a specific or extended period
  • Counselor or therapist statement confirming the student’s inability to attend

Other:

  • Police reports
  • Additional documentation supporting the request

The following policies apply to students who are:

  • non-Tennessee residents in and who are enrolled in a distance education program/course or

  • who are attending an out-of-state learning placement in a .

The nature of complaints to be addressed through these policies include violations of SARA policies and dishonest or fraudulent activity. These policies do not apply to complaints concerning student grades or student conduct violations. For more information on complaint subject matter see Sections 4.2 and 4.3. 

Institution Complaint Policies

Please visit the Statement of Grievance and State Law Violations webpage for more information on APSU’s complaint procedure and policies.

Additional Complaint Policies

  • Tennessee Higher Education Commission (“THEC”)

    • Students (as described above) must complete the institution complaint process before appealing to THEC.

    • Students who are not satisfied with the institution’s resolution of their complaint may appeal the institution decision to THEC using the . Additional information on the THEC complaint process is available at . Students may also contact RCD@tn.gov with questions.

    • The appeal to THEC must be filed within two (2) years of the incident about which the complaint is made.

    • Out-of-state student may also contact their home state higher education authority; although student may be referred to THEC. See for a listing of SARA states and contacts.

    • Students residing in non-SARA states, currently California only, should consult their respective state of residence for further instructions for filing a complaint.

(May 2025)

Students should be aware that, should they have concerns or complaints about their program or their financial aid, this institution has a complaint procedure. (See Academic and Non-Academic Grievance Procedure contained herein.) To the extent possible, students should seek a resolution of such matters through the institution’s complaint procedure before involving others. Under Tennessee’s open records law, all or parts of complaints will generally be available for review upon request from a member of the public. Complaints of fraud, waste or abuse may be made by calling the Tennessee Comptroller’s Hotline for Fraud, Waste and Abuse at 1-800-232-5454. Students or prospective students who wish to file a complaint related to accreditation may contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Austin Peay State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Austin Peay State University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website ().