金融援助 Forms

Professional Judgment Appeals

Special 情况下 Appeal

The 金融援助 Office recognizes that students 和 their families 可以 experience special circumstances that 可以 affect their ability to contribute to the student’s educational costs. The Special 情况下 Appeal is a formal request students can make to have their Student 援助 Index (SAI) reevaluated due to a significant change in their family’s financial situation. A change in SAI 可以 impact eligibility for federal 和/or state grants.

情况下 可以 include job loss, significant reduction in work hours or wages, medical expenses, changes in marital status, or other unexpected circumstances that the student would like reviewed.

Please speak with your 金融援助 Specialist for more information.


Unusual 情况下 Appeal

In some circumstances, students are unable to provide their FAFSA contributors (parents’ or guardians’) information on the FAFSA.  Students who would like to request a dependency override to change their dependency status from dependent (requiring contributor information) to independent can do so by completing the Unusual 情况下 Appeal form.  情况下 that 可以 permit a dependency override include:

  • Custodial parent (contributor) is deceased 和 student has no contact with living contributor, 如果适用的话.
  • Custodial parent (contributor) is incarcerated 和 student has no contact with living contributor, 如果适用的话.
  • Unusual parent (contributor) circumstances such as abuse, unknown whereabouts, ab和onment, etc.

The below conditions, either individually or in combination, grounds for an unusual circumstances appeal:

  • Refusal from the contributor to provide support for the student’s education.
  • Contributor’s unwillingness to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification.
  • Contributor not claiming the student as a dependent for income-tax or other purposes.
  • The student demonstrates self-sufficiency or is living independently.

*Students whose contributors refuse to provide FAFSA information do not support the student should select yes to question 8 “应用 for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only” on the FAFSA.

Please speak with your 金融援助 Specialist for more information.

*Both Special 和 Unusual Circumstance appeals are overseen through a review process using professional judgment by the Office of 金融援助.  All requests are considered using best professional practice on a case-by-case basis; requests do not guarantee approval.  All financial aid regulations are subject to change through legislation or policy change by the U.S. Department of Education.

*没有 a deadline for submitting a professional judgment appeal. Students who are actively enrolled 可以 request a professional judgment appeal during their registered term(s). To ensure appropriate time for our office to review the request we recommend submitting the appeal no more than one week prior to the end of the student’s registered term.  Please see below for 建议 日期. We also strongly recommend providing all requested documentation with the appeal to ensure an efficient 和 timely review.

Enrollment Period Last Day of the Enrollment Period Last Day OFA Can Review
Fall 2024 registration only December 14, 2024 December 9, 2024
2025年春季 registration only, or Fall 2024 & 2025年春季 2025年5月2日 2025年4月28日

Unaccompanied 首页less Youth

An unaccompanied homeless youth is a student who is under the age of 24 和 is homeless or self-supporting 和 at-risk of becoming homeless.  Students 可以 be considered an unaccompanied homeless youth if they can answer ‘yes’ to at least one of the three questions listed on the FAFSA as detailed below:

  1. “At any time on or after July 1, 2023, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?”
  2. “At any time on or after July 1, 2023, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing 和 Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?”
  3. “At any time on or after July 1, 2023, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting 和 at risk of being homeless?”

Students who are not able to answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions listed above can meet with their 金融援助 Specialist to determine if a homeless youth dependency override is possible.