Appeals Information
Undergraduate & Post-Baccalaureate (Graduate) Students
The Office of Teacher Education offers an admission appeals process for both Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate (Graduate) candidates based on specific requirements outlined below.
- Undergraduate
If all remaining Teacher Education Program admission requirements have been met, undergraduate candidates may submit a request for appeal if they do not meet the established GPA requirement of 2.75 or the minimum qualifying score on the ACT, SAT, or Praxis Core exam.
Each request for appeal is reviewed by an appeals committee who considers all prior coursework as well as the candidate statement explaining circumstances surrounding the low GPA or lack of qualifying exam scores.
On a case-by case basis, the committee determines next steps and whether or not an exception should be granted.
Praxis Core Appeal for Admission to Teacher Education
Undergraduate candidates may be considered for a Praxis Core appeal if the following requirements are met:- Must have attempted all three sections of the Praxis Core exam at least once
- Must have passed two out of three sections of the Praxis Core
- Must have an established GPA of 2.75 at the time of appeal
- Must meet remaining benchmarks for admission to Teacher Education (interview, dispositions,
background check, and minimum course requirements)
ACT Appeal for Admission to Teacher Education
Undergraduate candidates may be considered for an ACT appeal if the following requirements are met:- Must have attempted the ACT at least twice
- Must have an established GPA of 2.75 at the time of appeal
- Must meet remaining benchmarks for admission to Teacher Education (interview, dispositions, background check, and minimum course requirements)
GPA Appeal for Admission to Teacher Education
Undergraduate candidates may submit a GPA appeal based on the following conditions:- Must meet all remaining benchmarks for admission to Teacher Education, including passing test scores
NOTE: Candidates must submit an appeal a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to semester candidate plans to begin upper division coursework.
Notification regarding the appeals decision will be sent to candidates within two (2) weeks of the initial submission.
- Post-Baccalaureate (Graduate)
Before starting the program, all Post-Baccalaureate candidates must complete a Program of Study Request/Transcript Analysis Request. This form includes sending all official transcripts from institutions other than Tennessee Tech to the Office of Teacher Education Licensure Analyst.
Program of Study/Transcript Analysis Request
After Licensure Analyst review, candidates who have not achieved one of the following GPA requirements will be notified and may submit a request for appeal:
- Minimum GPA requirement of 2.75 OR 3.0 in the most recent 60 hours
Each appeal is reviewed by an appeals committee who considers all prior coursework and candidate statement explaining circumstances surrounding the low GPA.
On a case-by-case basis, the committee determines next steps and whether or not an exception should be granted.
NOTE: Candidates must submit an appeal a minimum of 2 weeks prior to semester candidate plans to begin coursework.
Notification regarding the appeals decision will be sent to candidates within 2 weeks of the initial submission.
Potential Appeal Outcomes
Full admission — candidate is notified via email that the appeal request was approved. For undergraduate candidates, they are instructed to see their advisor to register for coursework. For Post-Baccalaureate candidates, a program of study is provided in the notification email and candidates are instructed to sign the program of study and return to their advisor.
Provisional admission with conditions — candidate is notified via email that the appeal request was provisionally approved with conditions. Conditions are outlined in the email and include a timeline for each candidate to meet the conditions. Potential conditions, based on the appeals committee holistic review of each candidate, may include but are not limited to: limited hours of coursework; maintaining a certain GPA for a particular number of credit hours; additional time to retake an exam.
Denial of admission — candidate is notified via email that the appeal request was denied. Candidate may continue to pursue a degree at Tennessee Tech, but is not eligible to be admitted into the licensure program. Candidate may re-apply for admission at a later time when all minimum requirements (GPA, exam scores, etc.) have been met.
