Special Circumstances

The information reported on your FAFSA determines your financial aid eligibility. Our staff may be able to adjust the information used to calculate your aid eligibility to take into account special circumstances you or your family may have. There must be compelling reasons for this step to be taken and adequate supporting documentation is required. Special circumstances could include:

• Income and Expense Appeals

Appeals based on a reduction or loss of income since completing the FAFSA or unusually high expenses paid from medical or dental care, child care and/or primary/secondary school tuition.

Please note: Costs such as vacation expenses, bankruptcy, credit card debt, tithing, and standard living expenses, such as utilities, credit card payments, and house repairs are not considered special conditions.

• Cost of Attendance Appeals

Appeals based on educationally-related expenses over and above or not accounted for in a students' budgeted cost of attendance.

• Unusual Circumstance/Dependency Appeals

Eligibility for most types of financial aid is based on the idea that students and their parents are primarily responsible for paying for education. If the FAFSA instructs you to provide parents’ information, then for financial aid purposes, you are considered a dependent student.

In very unusual cases, we may be able to assist a student who would be dependent, but does not or cannot have contact with the parents; please visit the Unusual Circumstance/Dependency Appeal Information page if you believe such circumstances are applicable.