特殊情况下
The most common types of changes in circumstances occur when families experience a job loss or income reduction, 学生的父母或配偶死亡或离婚, 或者学生婚姻状况的变化. The 金融援助 Office may consider a student's unusual circumstances to make adjustments to the FAFSA data elements used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) 和/or change a student's dependency status, according to federal education laws 和 guidelines set by the U.S. 教育部.
The 金融援助 Department must have your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file prior to reviewing your appeal. There are two different appeal processes for unusual circumstances: 职业判断 和 依赖项重写.
职业判断
获得经济援助的资格由FAFSA决定, which currently uses financial information from two years prior to estimate a household’s current circumstances.
当出现异常情况时, it is possible to review a student’s aid eligibility based on their current circumstances through the 职业判断 (PJ) process.
所有的专业判断申请都是 要求 to have a detailed letter of explanation 和 supporting documentation. The 金融援助 Department may request additional documentation, 超出了上诉表格上的要求, 来支持你的特殊情况.
You will need to indicate the year you are requesting FAFSA information to be adjusted on your 职业判断 Request Form. An approved 职业判断 is only applicable to the FAFSA year for which it is granted. You may need to complete a 职业判断 Request Form for multiple years using the same supporting documentation.
未考虑的情况:
- 抵押贷款
- 信用卡/其他个人债务
- 标准生活费用(水电费、汽车费用等).)
- 申请破产
- 度假的费用
- 选择性外科手术
- 所有其他可自由支配开支
- 不同的大学提供更多的资助
- 减少401K/投资价值
- Parent’s inability or unwillingness to borrow Parent PLUS loans
- Student already has an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 0
职业判断的类型
1. 更改预期家庭供款:如果学生的EFC调整被批准, 将对学生的FAFSA进行调整. 当学生更正后的FAFSA返回时, the 金融援助 Department will make all necessary updates to the student’s aid. Supporting documentation will be maintained in the student’s financial aid file.
Examples of circumstances that may be considered for an EFC adjustment:
- 失业:失业或就业不足
- 离婚/父母/配偶分居
- 受供养学生婚姻状况的改变
- 父母或配偶死亡
对EFC的改革可能会, 但并不能保证, 导致改变资格的需要为基础的奖励.
2. 更改出席费用(COA):If an increase to a student’s cost of attendance budget is approved, 学生的预算将相应调整. Supporting documentation will be maintained in the student’s financial aid file.
A change to the COA does not result in a change for eligibility for need-based awards, only increases the room in a student’s budget for aid including PLUS 和 private loans.
如需申请，请填写 特殊情况申请表格.
Note: An approved 职业判断 Appeal may not result in a change to the student’s financial aid award package.
依赖项重写
Financial aid administrators have the authority to change a student’s status from dependent to independent in cases involving unusual circumstances. 用于经济援助目的, a student is considered dependent 和 should provide parental information on the FAFSA unless the student is:
- 至少24岁
- 结婚了
- 在美国武装部队服役
- 一位资深
- providing more than half of the support for a dependent child or other dependent who lives with the student
- 被解放的未成年人
- 无家可归的人
- 在18岁之前有法定监护人
美国.S. 教育部 has also given guidance regarding situations that do 和 do not qualify as unusual circumstances that merit a dependency override. 特别是, the following circumstances do not merit a dependency override, 单独地或结合地:
- 父母拒绝为学生的教育出资
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the application or verification process
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- 学生表现出完全自给自足
Sometimes there are additional circumstances that occur in conjunction with the circumstances listed above that do merit a dependency override. 这些可以包括但不限于以下内容:
- 虐待的家庭环境(例如.g., sexual, physical, or mental abuse or other forms of domestic violence)
- 被父母遗弃
- 父母双方都被监禁或收容
- parents lacking the physical or mental capacity to provide support
- 父母下落不明或无法找到父母
- 父母长时间住院
- 不合适的家庭.g., child removed from the household 和 placed in foster care, tutorship, etc.)
If you have an unusual circumstance 和 need to begin the appeal process, complete the 特殊情况申请表格.