When students and/or families experience a change in circumstances, the information on the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) may no longer accurately reflect their financial or dependency situation. In some cases, the Financial Aid Office may be able to adjust some information based on these special or unusual circumstances. A student may have both a special circumstance and an unusual circumstance. With appropriate documentation, we may be able to make adjustments to a student’s FAFSA.
Below are examples, including but not limited to, of special and unusual circumstances:
If you are a dependent student but have unusual circumstances that prevent you from including parent information on the FAFSA, you can request a provisional independent student determination. This allows you to submit your FAFSA and receive an estimated Student Aid Index (SAI) without parent information.
Students may request a dependency override so an otherwise dependent student can fill out the FAFSA as an independent student. Valid cases for a dependency override must involve unusual circumstances. An unusual circumstance includes abandonment by parents, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, the student being unable to locate his/her parents, human trafficking, being legally granted refugee or asylum status, or parent incarceration.
However, none of the conditions listed below, singly or in combination, qualify as unusual circumstances meriting a dependency override:
If you mark on the FAFSA that you are unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, but have an official designation of homelessness from a designated agency, or complete the Homeless Documentation Request Form.
If you mark on the FAFSA that you are unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, but DO NOT have an official designation of homelessness from a designated agency, contact the Financial Aid Office to see if you may be a candidate for a dependency override.
Homeless is defined on the FAFSA as:
A dependent student whose parent refuses to complete the Parental Information section on the FAFSA may be able to receive a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan only. Students in this situation cannot receive a Federal Pell Grant or a Federal Subsidized Loan.
> Parental Declaration of Non-support Form
A student may request an income adjustment when their current income is significantly less than the base year income used on the FAFSA. With proper documentation, the financial aid administrator can change the income to better reflect a student’s current circumstance.
Circumstances that are NOT CONSIDERED for an income adjustment include, but are not limited to, gambling earnings, standard living expenses, car payments, credit card or other personal debts, and vacation expenses.
Documentation may include a current check stub, termination notice, proof of unemployment, letters/emails from current or previous employers, etc.
Graduate students are not eligible for need-based grants or need-based loans; therefore, an Income Adjustment Request is not necessary.
Cost of Attendance (COA) Adjustments allow you to request an increase in your COA due to extenuating costs such as dependent care expenses, a one-time computer purchase, disability-related expenses not paid for by an agency or the school, study abroad program costs, and medical/dental expenses paid out-of-pocket during the current academic year.
Because the current Need Analysis formula includes allowances for different expenses, the student’s actual cost must be greater than the allowance that already exists. These costs should be something that is out of the control of the student, rather than a choice by the student (i.e. expensive car payments or choosing to live in an expensive house would not be considered).
Starting a successful career is closer than you think. With exceptional academics and generous financial aid, LSUS allows you to get your degree close to home while launching you to new heights.