Special and Unusual Circumstances

Special Circumstances

Students and/or families who have experienced a change in their financial situation have the right to submit a Special Circumstance appeal for review and consideration for federal aid. Should this situation apply to your family, appeals should be submitted after the FAFSA has been submitted and any outstanding verification requirements have been resolved. For prospective incoming students, appeals should not be submitted until after you have been accepted to the University and completed your FAFSA and any outstanding verification requirements. 

Unusual Circumstance (Request for Independent Student Status)

Students who have circumstances they would like to have reviewed to be considered an independent student may submit a Request for Independent Student Status appeal. 

All appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis after a thorough and thoughtful review by our Appeal’s Committee. It is the student’s responsibility to review our appeals page thoroughly and submit all necessary documentation with the appeal, to avoid delays in processing.  Appeals will be reviewed as soon as possible once a complete submission has been received. Turnaround times for complete submissions during non-peak periods will be within 30 days, and during peak periods may be as high as 60 days. Students will receive communication with the result of their appeal through BearWeb, email or a phone call.