Student Financial Aid

Special Circumstance Policy

The rules and the formula to determine financial aid eligibility are standard for all applicants. However, there is some flexibility, when appropriate, for financial aid administrators to exercise professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to override the student's dependency status and/or recalculate the student's eligibility for financial aid. However, this may only be done when the circumstances are extraordinarily unusual, and they can be thoroughly documented. Submitting an appeal for special circumstances does not guarantee that it will be approved, or additional financial aid will be granted. Your appeal must be received at least 30 days prior to your last day of enrollment for the current academic year. You will need to allow 2 to 4 weeks processing time for appeals.

What Qualifies as a Special Circumstance?

When determining financial aid eligibility, the following could qualify as special circumstances and should be included in a letter at the time of application or at the time the event occurs:

• Support of multiple households (married family members living apart, elder care, or care of family overseas)
• One-time income
  • Withdrawal of retirement funds for emergency purposes (must have proof of circumstances)
  • Moving allowances or similar expenses incurred and reimbursed by an employer.
• Funeral expenses or unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that are both:
  • 12% of total income or more, and
  • Not reported on your IRS Form 1040 Schedule A
• Educational debt
  • Note: we will only consider parental educational debt that is currently in repayment, documented, and for students (parents and/or siblings) who are no longer enrolled
• Job loss or significant reduction in income
  • If this is the case, please see the section on Special Considerations for Income Reductions or Job Loss below.
  • If you have experienced one of the situations above (other than job loss or income reduction), please complete and submit the Special Circumstances form below.

Refer to Current Special Circumstances Form Instructions for Document Submission

Circumstances Already Considered in Your Aid Award

The following circumstances are automatically considered when evaluating your financial aid:

• Federal, state, and other taxes
• Medical expenses that are either
  • 11% of your total income or less, or
  • reported on your IRS Form 1040 Schedule A, line 1.
• Routine household expenses
• Routine vehicle and travel expenses

Please Note*: You must reapply each academic year to be considered for a special circumstance adjustment. These are not automatic adjustments that will carry over from year to year.

What Does Not Qualify as a Special Circumstance?

When determining financial aid eligibility, the following are not and will not be considered in our analysis, and therefore would not qualify as special circumstances:

• Expenses related to
  • Pets
  • Housekeepers
  • Vacations
  • Weddings
  • Extracurricular Activities
• Consumer Debt
• Fraternity/sorority dues
• Graduate school expenses for siblings and/or other family members
• Financial aid offers from other institutions
• Unwillingness to contribute to educational expenses
• Inability to pay the calculated family contribution from current income*

*Please note: It is our expectation that families will use all resources available to them to finance the expected family contribution (EFC) including current salary, savings, investments, payment plans and parent loans if necessary.