Special Circumstance Request

Christopher is entering his junior year this fall. He and his family completed the 2021-22 FAFSA with their 2019 tax information as requested. However, Christopher’s mother is a single parent and had her hours reduced at the restaurant where she works. Christopher hears about the Special Circumstance Request from an email from the Financial Aid Office, and decides to complete the request. In review of the request, Christopher’s 金融援助 Counselor sees that he already has a 0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and is already receiving the maximum amount in federal and state need-based 援助已经. Unfortunately, the Special Circumstances Request will not benefit Christopher.

Heather completed the 2021-22 FAFSA on 10/15/2020 with her (then) spouse. 她有 since gone through a legal divorce. Heather hears from her advisor that she can complete a Special Circumstance Request to exclude her ex-spouse’s financial information from 联邦助学金免费申请表. Her ex-spouse worked as a truck driver making around $55,000 annually, and Heather has not worked since 2018 so that she can focus on school. When her ex-spouse’s financial information was excluded, her Expected Family Contribution (EFC) was lowered enough to make her eligible for need-based 援助.

Note: If a student is only Independent based on being married, after a divorce they will revert to a Dependent 状态 and require parental data to be included on the FAFSA.

Simone comes to the 金融援助 office stating that she has separated from her spouse since the time she completed the 2021-22 FAFSA. 她 states that she has not yet legally divorced the spouse, but wants to know if she has any options to exclude the spouse’s information from 联邦助学金免费申请表. Simone and her spouse both earned above average incomes in 2019. After providing appropriate documentation regarding the separation, Simone’s 金融援助 Counselor finds that even without the spouse’s financial information included it did not lower Simone’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) enough to provide her with additional need-based 援助.

John’s spouse lost a battle with cancer in 2020, and he heard from a friend that he could complete a Special Circumstance Request with the 金融援助 Office to see if his spouse’s income could be excluded from his eligibility for need-based 援助. John’s spouse worked as a scientist in a laboratory making roughly $115,000 annually. John provides all necessary documentation to the 金融援助 Office, and his Counselor finds that when his spouse’s financial information is excluded that his Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is lowered drastically. He now has an EFC that will make him eligible for need-based 援助.

Stacy, a freshman, lost her mother in 2020. 她 plans to complete a Special Circumstance Request to attempt to get more financial 援助 to help pay her tuition and fees. 她 provides the Death Certificate to the 金融援助 Office. Stacy also informs the office that she received a one-time large financial compensation from a life insurance policy that her mother owned through her employer. After taking all of the information provided into account, Stacy’s 金融援助 Counselor concludes that a Special Circumstance Request would not benefit her due to the large benefit received.