Kowal denied release from scholarship

I spoke briefly late tonight with Sean Kowal as he was driving home from DeKalb to the St. Louis area and Kowal informed me that he was denied a release from his scholarship by a Northern Illinois University appeals committee on Wednesday.

"I had the hearing at 3 p.m. [Wednesday] and the outcome isn't what I had hoped for," said a disappointed Kowal.

NIU officials were meeting with lawyers on Wednesday night to determine whether or not releasing the results of the hearing or commenting on the hearing violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Kowal, who has one year of eligibility remaining, said Tuesday that he would not come back to NIU in the fall.