Financial Aid

At a very basic level, special circumstances for this appeal are anything that makes the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) form not reflective of the family's ability to pay. The FAFSA/CADAA uses the prior to prior year as base income to determine student’s eligibility (for example, for the 2020-2021 year, students use 2018 income to complete the FAFSA or CADAA).

The reduction in income can include anticipated differences between the prior to prior tax year and the upcoming award year, such as an impending job loss or unusual capital gains. It can also include anything that differentiates the family's situation from other families, such as medical expenses not covered by insurance.

If you believe that your and/or family’s current income is a more accurate measure of your financial status than the income reported on your FAFSA or CADAA, you may be eligible to submit an appeal for an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) adjustment.

To learn more about the EFC, please visit: What’s the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Note:  If you already have a zero expected family contribution (EFC) then you will receive the maximum amount of financial aid possible and there is no reason for you to do a Special Circumstances appeal.

Please come by or contact our office and speak to one of our Financial Aid professionals if you wish an additional review of your eligibility based on the decrease in family income or other special circumstances that may affect financial eligibility after filing the FAFSA or CADAA.

To learn more about the Special Circumstances appeal, please visit: Financial Aid Special Circumstances FAQ’s.

Financial aid administrators have the authority to change a student's status from dependent to independent in cases involving unusual circumstances.

Your answers to questions on the FAFSA or CADAA form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student. There are times, though, when an otherwise independent student may not meet the criteria established by these questions. If your FAFSA or CADAA determined that you are a dependent student, but you have circumstances that merit a special consideration, you may qualify for a change of Dependency Status

Circumstances that do NOT merit a Dependency Override

• Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education.
• Parents are unwilling to provide information on the application or for verification.
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

Circumstances that do merit a Dependency Override

These circumstances must be documented by an objective third party (e.g., pastor, high school or college counselor, a social service agency official, etc.) in order to qualify for this professional judgment appeal.

• An abusive family environment (e.g., sexual, physical, or mental abuse or other forms of domestic violence)
• Abandonment by parents and/or parents whereabouts unknown or parents cannot be located
• Incarceration or institutionalization of both parents
• Parents lacking the physical or mental capacity to raise the child
• Parents hospitalized for an extended period
• An unsuitable household (e.g., child removed from the household and placed in foster care)

 A student who wishes to request a dependency status change will first have to come by or contact our office and speak to one of our Financial Aid professionals. Once he/she has determined that you are a potential candidate for a dependency override, you will be given access to the “Dependency Override Appeal” form to complete. You must be able to document the reasons you present in your request.

Note: Students 24 years or older are automatically considered independent.

To learn more about the Dependency Override Appeal, please visit:

Dependency Override FAQ’S