Special Cases
Our Financial Aid office can take into consideration your current circumstances when considering your eligibility for Financial Aid. We call this process Special Cases.
Special Cases: Change in Financial Situation
- Request Income Recalculation Form - Allows students to request our financial aid office to use updated household income due to change in employment status, and/or work hours and wages.
- Cost of Attendance (COA) Adjustments Forms - Allow students to request that the COA be increased due to various circumstances set by the Department of Education such as, Disability related expenses, Childcare, purchasing of a laptop, and more.
If approved, students may be eligible for an increase in their annual Student Budget and/or additional financial aid, including loans and work study.
Special Case: Apply as an Independent Student
The Financial Aid Applications ask questions to determine if you would be considered as a dependent student or independent student.
There may be circumstances that may allow a dependent student to apply for aid as an independent student, without including parent information on the FAFSA. This is often called a Dependency Override at other institutions.
- Human Trafficking, as described in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
- Legally granted refugee or asylum status
- Parental abandonment or estrangement
- Student or parent incarceration
You do not qualify for a dependency override for the following situations:
- Parents refuse to contribute to your education
- Parents refuse to provide information for the FAFSA or Verification process
- Parents do not claim you on their taxes
- You are self-sufficient and do not rely on your parents for support
Use this link to access the forms page if believe you may qualify for a Dependency Override.