The Office of Financial Aid has the ability to review you and your family’s unusual circumstances when determining how much financial aid you may be eligible for. There are two different appeal processes:
Professional Judgment
If you or your family has experienced a recent hardship that is not reflected on your current FAFSA form, such as loss of income or unusually high medical expenses, you may request a reevaluation of your financial aid eligibility. To begin the appeal process, select the school year you would like to be reevaluated and complete the Professional Judgment Appeal Form below. The deadline to complete an appeal is three weeks before the end of the term for which you are requesting the reevaluation.
2018-19 Professional Judgment Appeal | 2019-20 Professional Judgment Appeal
Students may also request an increase to their cost of attendance for unusual expenses they may have during the academic year, such as purchasing a new computer, or books and supplies that exceed the budgeted amount. You can find these requests below Unusual Circumstances & Appeals Forms.
Dependency Override
For financial aid purposes, a student is considered a dependent of their parents unless the student is:
- 24 years old
- married
- serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces
- a veteran
- a parent with dependents
- an emancipated minor
- homeless
- assigned a legal guardian before the age of 18
If you have an unusual circumstance such as an abusive family environment, abandonment, incarceration of a parent, etc., you may appeal to be independent of your parents. You may also request limited financial aid if your parents simply refuse to provide their information on the FAFSA. To begin the appeal process, complete the Statement of No Parental Information.
Response times vary depending on the complexity of the issues involved and the time of year. We will make every effort to respond as promptly as possible.