Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements on the FAFSA (used to calculate the SAI Calculation) or to adjust the Costs of Attendance.
You may want to speak to your financial aid counselor to request a change to the data on your FAFSA if one or more of the following circumstances apply:
- Loss or reduction of income (needs to be out of job 3-6 months before review will be completed)
- Child Support reduction or change
- Divorce/Separation of parents/spouse
- Death of parent(s) or spouse
- One-time taxable income (IRA disbursement, pension distribution, etc.)
The goal of adjusting data on the FAFSA is to reduce the SAI, in the hopes of increasing a student’s federal aid eligibility. Therefore, students who already have a Student Aid Index (SAI) less than or equal to 0 will not benefit from this process; they already receive the maximum amount of aid possible. For others, changes to the SAI could, but is not guaranteed to, result in a change of eligibility for need-based awards. The Professional Judgment is not a guarantee of additional funding.
Email your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if a PJ may help you qualify for additional aid. In the subject include “Change in Family Circumstances” and provide detailed explanation of your special circumstances. Your assigned counselor will reply and request the necessary documents for the review. An aid administrator’s decision regarding adjustments is final and cannot be appealed to other individuals of the institution or the U.S. Department of Education.
Possible Documentation Required:
- Signed taxes (years to be determined by counselor)
- W2’s and /or 1099 forms
- Unemployment benefits
- Court or Legal Documents
- Death certificates
- Additional Documentation may be requested
The Cost of Attendance (COA) consists of standard school expenses (tuition, fees, and books) and an estimate of a student's living expenses (housing, food, transportation, and personal expenses). Each student's financial needs are different so the estimated COA may not accurately reflect every student's circumstances. Federal regulations permit financial aid counselors, on a case-by-case basis, to increase the COA to reflect the student’s actual (documented) expenses.
The goal of adjusting the Cost of Attendance is to allow the student to borrow additional loan funds, subject to annual loan limits and/or credit approval (for PLUS or private loans). Adjusting the Cost of Attendance does not result in additional need-based grant or scholarship eligibility (eligibility for these is determined by the SAI).
Examples of reasons to request a Cost of Attendance adjustment:
- Housing costs in excess to the amount allotted in the standard COA
- Utilities in excess of the amount allotted in the standard COA
- One-time purchase of a computer for educational expense
- Meal costs in excess of the amount allotted in the standard COA (such as for special dietary needs - medical documentation required)
- Transportation such as car insurance (car payments/lease NOT allowed)
- Out of pocket medical and/or dental expenses in excess of 11% of household’s Adjusted Gross Income
- Cost of professional license, certification or other costs of professional credential incurred while in-school
Email your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if a PJ may help you. In the subject include “Cost of Attendance adjustment request” and provide detailed explanation of your actual expenses related to the Costs of Attendance. Your assigned counselor will reply and request the necessary documents for the review. An aid administrator’s decision regarding adjustments is final and cannot be appealed to other individuals of the institution or the U.S. Department of Education.
- Utility bills with breakdown of charges
- Medical documentation
- Receipts (grocery, computer, medical bills etc.)
- Additional Documentation may be requested