Financial Aid Appeals
There are special circumstances that may affect a student's financial aid eligibility that are not accounted for on the FAFSA. If you have experienced any of the situations listed below, submit a letter explaining YOUR special circumstance to our office. You will also be required to provide documentation to support your request.
Situations that may affect income reported on the FAFSA:
Loss of family income/benefits for student or parent. This is NOT for families who have a loss of income from a business, partnership, S-Corp, or sole proprietorship. In these cases, a federal tax return showing the loss must be
- filed before an appeal can be made.
- Adjustment for high medical or dental expenses that will not be covered by insurance.
- Personal bankruptcy that occurs during the current aid year.
- Parent or student who became widowed/separated/divorced after the FAFSA was filed.
- Other unusual situations reviewed and approved by the Associate Director or Director of Financial Aid.
Situations that may affect a student's cost of attendance budget:
- Additional transportation expenses for students residing in states other than New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania.
- Additional education-related expenses due to a disability or unexpected medical condition.
- Anticipated childcare expenses required to attend classes.
- Additional costs for required research, internship or field study.
- Additional room charges beyond standard charges when the increase in cost is not due to student choice.
- Other reasonable and related educational expenses reviewed and approved by the Associate Director or Director of Financial Aid.
We reserve the right to deny a student's request for review of eligibility determination if we believe the information provided is inaccurate, misleading, or documents have been falsified. In addition, your request will be denied if a previous request (including prior year) was approved and subsequent information contradicts the eligibility determination.
