Special Cases

FAFSA does not Reflect student/Family Income

Aid Adjustment/ Professional Judgment

Have you or your family have experienced special financial circumstances since the base year (the year reported on the FAFSA)?

  • Special financial circumstances refer to situations in which you or your family have experienced significant changes to your finances, such as:

    • Change in employment status, income, or assets;

    • Change in housing status (e.g., homelessness);

    • Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school;

    • Additional family members enrolled in college;

    • Medical, dental, or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance;

    • Child or dependent care expenses;

    • Severe disability of the student or other member of the student’s household; and

    • Other changes or adjustments that impact the student’s costs or ability to pay for college.

If “Yes,” please request an appointment with the financial aid administrator using the link at the bottom of the page. If you have any of the recommended documentation listed in the dropdown below, you should bring it with you to your meeting.

  • A signed, dated statement from the student or parent(s) explaining their special circumstances.

    Documentation of the special circumstances (see examples of documentation below).

  • Documentation will be based on the student or family’s special financial circumstances. Some possible examples:

    Documentation of change of employment status, income, or assets

    • tax return transcript/tax return from prior year

    • proof of a pay cut or loss of employment

    • documentation from an unemployment agency

    Documentation of medical, dental, or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance

    • medical, dental, or nursing home bills

    • documentation from an insurance company of the portion covered/not covered

    Documentation of child or dependent care expenses

    • daycare bills (document which portion is for while you are in school)

    • home care bills (document which portion is for while you are in school)

    • equipment or supply bills/receipts

    Documentation of disability-related expenses

    • doctor or hospital note

    • equipment or supply bills receipts

    Many other forms of documentation may be available. If you think something may work, please bring it and ask.

Dependents without Parental Support

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determination

At any time on or after July 1, 2025, were you (the student) unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

  • “Unaccompanied” means you are not living in the physical custody of your parent or guardian.

  • “Homeless” means lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels, hotels, public spaces, camping grounds, cars, abandoned buildings, or temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go. Also, if you are living in any of these situations and fleeing an abusive parent, you may be considered homeless even if your parent would otherwise provide a place to live.

    “At risk of being homeless” means housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate. For example, if you are being evicted and have been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

    “Fixed, regular, and adequate”:

    • Fixed—stationary, permanent, and not subject to change.

    • Regular—used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis.

    • Adequate—sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in the home.

  • You are not yet 24 years old.

If “Yes,” please request an appointment with the financial aid administrator using the link at the bottom of the page. If you have any of the recommended documentation listed in the dropdown below, you should bring it with you to your meeting.

  • A homeless youth determination from

    • your high school or district homeless liaison or designee;

    • the director or designee of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or another program serving those experiencing homelessness;

    • the director or designee of a project supported by a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant;

    • or a financial aid administrator.

    If you do not already have a homeless youth determination, documentation of your circumstances from:

    • Local school district personnel

    • State homeless education coordinators

    • The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)

    • Third parties such as private or publicly funded homeless shelters and service providers

    • College or high school counselors

    • Mental health professionals, social workers, mentors, doctors, or clergy

Dependency Override

Do unusual circumstances prevent you (the student) from contacting their parents or would contacting your parents pose a risk to you?

  • A student may be experiencing unusual circumstances if they:

    • Left home due to an abusive or threatening environment;

    • Are abandoned by or estranged from their parents;

    • Have refugee or asylee status and are separated from their parents, or their parents are displaced in a foreign country;

    • Are a victim of human trafficking;

    • Are incarcerated, or their parents are incarcerated, and contact with the parents would pose a risk to the student; or

    • Are otherwise unable to contact or locate their parents

  • The following, together or on their own, do NOT constitute unusual circumstances:

    • Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education.

    • Parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or verification.

    • Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.

    • Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

If “Yes,” please request an appointment with the financial aid administrator using the link at the bottom of the page. If you have any of the recommended documentation listed in the dropdown below, you should bring it with you to your meeting.

  • A signed, dated statement from the student explaining their unusual circumstances.

    Documentation of the unusual circumstances (see examples of documentation below).

  • Acceptable documentation may include:

    • submission of a court order or official federal or state documentation that the student or student’s parents or legal guardians are incarcerated;

    • a written statement, which confirms the unusual circumstances with:

      • a state, county or tribal welfare agency;

      • an independent living case worker who supports current and former foster youth with the transition to adulthood; or

      • a public or private agency, facility, or program servicing the victims of abuse, neglect, assault, or violence.

    • a phone call or written statement from an attorney, guardian ad litem, a court-appointed special advocate (or similar), or a representative of a TRIO or GEAR UP program which confirms the circumstances and the person’s relationship to the student;

    • a documented determination of independence made by a financial aid administrator at another institution in the same or a prior award year; or

    • utility bills, health insurance, or other documents that demonstrate a separation from parents or legal guardians.

Apply for Direct Unsubsidized Loan Only

Are you a dependent student whose parent(s) refuse to support you, do not qualify for a Dependency Override (see above), and would like to apply for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan only?

If “Yes,” please request an appointment with the financial aid administrator using the link at the bottom of the page. If you have any of the required documentation listed in the dropdown below, you should bring it with you to your meeting.

  • Provide a signed and dated statement from your parents that:

    1. your parents refuse to provide their information on the FAFSA form, or

    2. your parents do not and will not provide any financial support to you (include the date support ended)?

    If you cannot provide such a statement, provide signed and dated documentation of the above from a third party, such as a teacher, counselor, cleric, or court.