How Can I Pay for Classes if I'm on Financial Aid Suspension?

Colleges and universities may suspend financial aid eligibility when your GPA falls below a certain level, usually below a 2.0 GPA. To continue taking college classes, you have to pay for classes without the help of any government-backed loans or grants. To regain financial eligibility, you must pull up your GPA by getting A's and B's in future classes. You may complete the financial aid suspension appeal process required by your college or university to reinstate financial aid after you've demonstrated your ability to obtain satisfactory grades.

Contact other community colleges and junior colleges in your area to find out if your financial aid status would change if you enrolled at their institutions instead. Financial suspension guidelines vary by college or university: You may be on financial aid suspension according to your current institution's guidelines, but at another local institution, you may only be on financial aid probation. If you find a place where you'd only be on probation, you may try to transfer to that institution either temporarily or permanently. If you fail your first semester after you transfer, you'll likely be put on financial aid suspension by the new college or university as well — thus, it's imperative that you obtain satisfactory grades in all of your classes to retain your financial aid.

Apply for scholarships. You may be able to retain previous scholarships or even acquire new ones, even if you're on financial aid suspension. Look for scholarships that don't have GPA requirements.

Apply for private student loans at banks or credit unions. Banks and credit unions treat private student loans similarly to personal loans. You need to have a regular income and a satisfactory credit score to qualify. According to Bankrate, a score higher than 620 is usually considered a satisfactory score.

Take time off from school and save up enough money to pay for at least one semester. Also inquire with your school about semester payment plans. Colleges and universities may allow you to pay for your tuition in monthly installment payments. You may usually request that your financial aid be reinstated after getting better grades one semester.