Asking the aid office to take a second look

If your situation today looks different from what the FAFSA captured, you can ask your school to review your aid. Aid administrators have the authority to adjust certain figures for special circumstances. This page explains how to make that request and what to include.

Why the FAFSA can be out of date

The FAFSA uses tax information from two years before the school year. A lot can happen in that time. A parent may have lost a job, a business may have closed, or a family may have taken on large medical bills.

Federal law lets a financial aid administrator use what is called professional judgment. With documentation, the administrator can adjust data on your record or your cost of attendance to reflect your real circumstances.

Circumstances schools commonly review

Common reasons include a drop in income, unusual medical or dental expenses, a death in the family, divorce or separation, and costs from a natural disaster. Childcare or dependent care costs can also matter. Each school decides what it will consider.

A separate process exists for students who cannot contact their parents, called a dependency override. That has its own steps, and the aid office can explain them.

What to gather

• A short letter describing the change
• Documents that show the change and its date
• Your current aid offer
• The name of the person reviewing your file

How to make the request

Start by asking the aid office whether it has a form for special circumstances. Many schools do. If not, write a short, factual letter explaining what changed, when it changed, and how it affects what your family can pay.

Include documents that support each point, such as a layoff notice, final pay stubs, unemployment records or medical bills. Keep copies of everything you send, and note the date you sent it.

What to expect

Reviews take time, so ask how long the office usually needs. The administrator may approve a change, approve part of it, or leave the offer as it is.

The school's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the Department of Education. Some schools will also review a merit award if you share an offer from another college, but that is a school policy and varies widely.