If you have experienced special circumstances that have caused your income to drastically decrease in the past year or so, you may submit a Request for Special Circumstance Income Review, or just "special circumstance appeal." If approved, a special circumstance appeal can change the base year for a student’s financial aid from the “prior-prior” year to the prior year. Changing the year can adjust their SAI to be lower, in turn making you more eligible for need-based aid.
Special circumstance appeals require you to provide additional documentation regarding the special circumstance that makes the prior-prior year an inaccurate reflection of your current financial situation. For example, a sudden and dramatic medical expense that affects your ability to pay for college might be supported by insurance documentation.
How does it work? What’s the difference between “prior-prior” and “prior”?
If the current aid year is 24–25, the base year is two years prior to the beginning of the aid year, or 2022. i.e., the income you made primarily in 2022 and reported in April of 2023 is the amount that will determine your SAI and, consequently, your need-based financial aid awards, such as Pell. This is the normal way it works and is referred to as the “prior-prior” year.
If your special circumstance appeal is approved, you can change the base year for 24–25 to one year prior to the beginning of the aid year, or 2023. That is, the income you made primarily in 2023 and reported in April of 2024 is the amount that will determine your SAI. This would just be the “prior” year.
How do I submit a Special Circumstance appeal?
Contact the Financial Aid Office and we can add it to your Student Requirements in FalconNest. You would then be able to click on the requirement, enter your information, and then complete the form by clicking on the link sent to your email.