PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index that a college can use to determine the amount of need-based financial aid a student is eligible to receive. A special circumstance request is for students that have had a change in their financial situation since the tax year’s income reported on their FAFSA®.

An unusual circumstance is used when a student has experienced a situation that would warrant an override of parental information on the FAFSA®. In most cases, parent information is required even if a student is self-supporting and no longer resides with their parent(s).

Examples of unusual circumstances are abandonment, abuse, etc. Some situations that do not merit an unusual circumstance include your parents refusing to contribute to your education, their unwillingness to provide information on your FAFSA® or for the verification process, or your demonstrating total self-sufficiency.

A Cost of Attendance (COA) adjustment request is to increase your COA (or maximum aid limit). If you have experienced unforeseen expenses during the academic year that are not accounted for in your program's COA, you may request an increase. These unexpected costs can include expenses associated with performing research, specialized computer equipment required for a course, adaptive equipment for disabled students, and etc. To view COA information, please visit Cost of Attendance.

If the COA adjustment request is approved, the increase may result in additional loan funding. If you have already borrowed the maximum federal student loan limit for your grade level, a COA adjustment request would not be of any benefit to you. The exception would be if you are receiving a scholarship, work study funds, or third-party funds that would exceed what remains in your (current) COA budget for the aid year.