Special Circumstances
If you or your family experienced a recent hardship that is not reflected on your FAFSA, such as loss of income or unexpected medical expenses, the Office of Financial Aid has the ability to review how much financial aid you may be eligible to receive.
Income Loss or Medical Expenses
The income calculator for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 school year is available in Buff Portal. See step-by-step instructions on completing an income calculation below.
You may complete an income calculation to account for the change in your family's financial situation. The income calculation will determine if your financial aid needs to be reevaluated. Qualifying for grants as a result of this process is rare and highly unlikely. If your income change qualifies for an adjustment, aid is typically provided as additional loan eligibility.
The deadline to to be reconsidered for aid is three weeks before the end of the term for which you are requesting the reevaluation. We cannot negotiate financial aid offers or match another school’s offer.
Circumstances we typically consider:
- Loss of employment
- Substantial change in income
- Medical expenses not covered by insurance
- Separation or divorce
- Death of a parent or spouse
- Loss of child support or alimony
- House fire or other natural disaster affecting the home in which you live
Circumstances we do not consider:
- Different university offering more aid
- Reduced 401K values
- Reduced investment values
- Credit card debt or car payments
- Parent's inability or unwillingness to borrow Parent PLUS loans
- If student already has Student Aid Index (SAI) of -1,500 to 0
How much financial aid will I receive?
It depends. The following are examples of special circumstances which illustrate the likelihood of a reevaluation of financial aid eligibility. Please note that each family's situation is unique and we take many factors into account.
Please be aware that these income scenarios do not reflect assets or investments, which could change your eligibility.
- Colorado resident
- Parent job loss, new income $20,000 ($10,000 loss)
Outcome:
A student in this scenario is already receiving the maximum amount of financial aid available and would not result in additional financial aid.
- Nonresident
- Parent job loss, new income $150,000 ($100,000 loss)
Outcome:
Revised financial aid would be limited to loans, possibly switched from unsubsidized to subsidized (delayed interest). The updated income is still too high to qualify for grants.
- Colorado resident
- Medical expenses of $25,000 not covered by insurance
Outcome:
Student would be encouraged to submit supporting documentation as their revised income would likely result in additional grant eligibility.
Am I eligible for grants?
Grants are typically given to low-income students and eligibility is based on your Student Aid Index (SAI). Your SAI is a formula created by the FAFSA to determine your family's ability to pay for college. It is not the amount of money your family will need to pay, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive.
- In previous years, it was unlikely you'd be eligible for CU Boulder grants unless you were Pell eligible.
- To meet your cost of attendance, you may consider loan options.
Complete an income calculation
To begin, use our income calculator and provide updated financial information. The calculator will allow you to see how the change could potentially impact your eligibility for financial aid.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Log in to Buff Portal and navigate to the Financial Aid card
- At the bottom of the card, click More Items
- Select Income/Medical Appeal
- Select the school year impacted by the income change (for example, choose 2026 for Fall 2025 & Spring 2026)
- Follow the instructions carefully. You may be asked to provide additional information. If so, this step is required to be reevaluated for financial aid.
If you're required to submit additional information, a financial aid advisor will review if an adjustment is possible, which may take about 6 to 8 weeks.
Unexpected Academic Expenses
Students may also request an increase to their cost of attendance for uncommon 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 Special Circumstances & Appeals Forms.
No Parental Information
For financial aid purposes, a student is considered a dependent of their parents. You may appeal to be considered independently from your parents if you have an unusual circumstance such as an abusive family environment, abandonment, incarceration of a parent, etc.