Special & Unusual Circumstances Appeal Processes

In accordance with Federal regulations, the Office of Student Financial Aid may take into account special and/or unusual circumstances that are not reflected in the information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but may affect the family's ability to pay for a college education.

Case by case basis with supporting documents, Financial Aid Administrators can make adjustments to allowable  FAFSA data to reconsider the student’s eligibility for need-based aid or to determine if unusual circumstances exist to exclude parental data from being reported on the FAFSA.  These adjustments only affect need-based financial aid and are only made after receiving sufficient documentation from a student to justify an exception to normal Federal financial aid program guidelines.


Special Circumstances

Significant changes in your family's income may merit recalculating your financial aid eligibility. Please review the special circumstances appeal process to determine if you have an eligible reason for appeal.

Unusual Circumstances

The U.S. Department of Education determines student dependency status based on information provided on the FAFSA. In certain situations, students may submit an appeal requesting that their dependency status be overridden and to be considered an independent student. Please review the unusual circumstances appeal process to determine if you have an eligible reason for appeal.