Special & Unusual Circumstances
The Office of Financial Aid is committed to a thorough and personal review of each student's family circumstances as the basis of determining a student's financial aid eligibility. We also recognize that family circumstances can change unexpectedly, affecting ability to contribute toward educational expenses.
Examples of Change in Circumstances that may be considered:
- Significant loss of income due to termination or change in employment
- The earliest we will consider loss of income will be 12 weeks from the date of termination.
- One-time/non-recurring income
- Unreimbursed medical expenses
- Extended family support
- Parent educational debt
Examples not considered Change in Circumstances:
- Matching financial aid eligibility from other universities or colleges
- Student or parent(s) who does not wish to borrow to cover educational expenses
- Parent(s) refusal to contribute to educational expenses
- Parent(s) payment of student loans for older sibling
- Expenses, such as credit card debt, wedding expenses, sports, enrichment activities, home improvement projects, etc.
Additional financial assistance from federal and institutional resources is determined on a case-by-case basis. Submission of this Change in Circumstances form does not guarantee an adjustment or increase to your financial assistance.
Families should plan to use all resources available to them, including current salary, savings, investments, payment plans, and student/parent loans, if necessary.
Required Documentation and Review
- Complete the Change in Circumstances form for the appropriate aid year under Forms & Policies.
- Submit required supporting information/documentation listed on the Change in Circumstances Form
- Upload using our secure document upload portal
If you are sending documents to us with Personally Identifiable Information (i.e., social security number, driver’s license or state ID number, Alien Registration Number, date of birth), please redact/black out that information or encrypt the message that you are sending.
Change in Circumstances review process
- New students will begin in mid-April
- Continuing students will begin in mid-July
- Requests will be reviewed in the order they were received
- Notification regarding the outcome of the review will be sent to the student's email
Unusual Circumstance (Dependency Status)
Federal regulations require that all students under the age of 24 be considered a dependent of the parent(s) for the purposes of financial aid. To learn more on the federal criteria for dependency and Unusual Circumstances visit studentaid.gov.
The following situations will not be considered Unusual Circumstances:
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
Students who believe they may qualify should contact our office directly for additional information.
Review Process
Unusual Circumstances are determined on a case-by-case basis to otherwise dependent students who can demonstrate a complete and total breakdown of the parental relationship. This situation must be documented.
Once the student has provided all necessary documentation, they will receive a confirmation of approval or denial of the decision to the student’s email.