Financial Aid Special Circumstances

If you are unable to provide parent information on the FAFSA due to unusual circumstances, you must immediately contact the Financial Aid Office to initiate a dependency override.

A financial aid advisor will review your situation and determine one of the following outcomes:

1. You merrit for a dependency override form
2. You must provide parent data after all
3. You may only be eligible for unsubsidized federal loans if you can document that your parents refuse to support you or provide their information

What Is a Petition for Independency?

A Petition for Independency—also known as a Dependency Override—is for students who cannot provide parent information on the FAFSA due to serious and unusual circumstances. If this applies to you, you may indicate on the FAFSA that you have special circumstances. This allows the FAFSA to be submitted without parent data.

However, it’s important to understand that:

• Your FAFSA will be submitted, but it will not be fully processed
• The Financial Aid Office will not be able to calculate your eligibility for federal, state, or institutional aid (including the CCPG fee waiver) until a dependency override is reviewed and approved
• You must immediately contact the Financial Aid Office to begin the petition process and determine next steps

How the Petition Process Works

Once you contact the Financial Aid Office, a financial aid advisor will review your case based on federal guidelines. The review will determine whether:

• You qualify for a dependency override
• You must provide parent information
• You are eligible only for unsubsidized federal loans if your parents refuse to support you and will not provide information

What Qualifies as Unusual Circumstances

You may be considered for a dependency override if you are experiencing serious, documented issues such as:

• Abandonment by your parents
• An abusive family environment that endangers your health or safety
• Being unable to locate your parents

Documentation is critical and must include:

• A personal written statement explaining your situation
• Supporting evidence from a third-party professional (such as a counselor, teacher, doctor, social worker, clergy, court, or government agency)
• All documentation must be on official letterhead

Note: Letters from friends, family members, or documents without professional letterhead are generally not accepted.

Situations That Do Not Qualify

A Petition for Independency will not be approved for the following situations:

• Parents refuse to contribute to your education
• Parents will not provide FAFSA or verification information
• Parents do not claim you as a dependent on their taxes
• You are financially independent or live on your own without qualifying circumstances

If you or your family have experienced significant changes in your financial situation after submitting the FAFSA or CADAA, you may be eligible to submit a Special Circumstance Petition. This allows the Financial Aid Office to re-evaluate your Student Aid Index (SAI) — formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) — and determine if adjustments to your financial aid eligibility can be made.

What Is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?

The SAI is a number used by colleges to calculate your eligibility for need-based financial aid. Unlike the older EFC, the SAI can go as low as -1500, providing a more accurate reflection of need in cases of extreme financial hardship.

If your current financial situation is not accurately reflected on your FAFSA, updating your SAI through this petition may help you qualify for additional aid.

How the Petition Works

To begin, you must request and complete the Special Circumstance Petition form and submit all required supporting documentation. Once submitted:

• The Financial Aid Office will carefully review your case
• Submitting a petition does not guarantee a change in your financial aid eligibility or award
• Each petition is reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Circumstances That May Be Considered

You may qualify for a Special Circumstance Petition if you or your family have experienced:

• Recent unemployment of a parent, guardian, or independent student
• Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school
• Medical, dental, or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance
• Unusually high child care or dependent care costs
• A parent or student who is a dislocated worker (as defined in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998)
• A parent enrolled at least half-time in a college or training program
• A recent change in housing status (e.g., becoming homeless, per McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act)
• Other significant changes in income, assets, or student status

Circumstances That Will Not Be Considered

The following situations do not qualify for a Special Circumstance Petition:

• Private school tuition, unless required by a documented learning disability
• Anticipated or future loss of income, such as fluctuating commissions
• Consumer or personal debt, unless due to extreme hardship
• Refusal of a parent to provide financial support or FAFSA/CADAA information
• Any situation that is speculative or has not yet occurred

Important Notes:

• If your Student Aid Index (SAI) or EFC is already 0 or below, you likely do not need to submit this petition.
• Your FAFSA must be completed and all required documentation submitted before turning in the Special Circumstances Form.

If you’ve lost your financial aid because you didn’t meet SAP standards, you may be able to appeal the decision and get your aid back — if you have a valid reason and a plan to improve.

What Is SAP? (Satisfactory Academic Progress)

To keep receiving financial aid, students must meet SAP standards, which include:

• Students must successfully complete a minimum of 67% of units attempted cumulatively, with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.  
• Students are allowed a maximum time frame of 150% of program length, measured in attempted units, in which to be considered for financial aid, with a maximum of 90 attempted units for most Associate and transfer programs.

Students who fail to meet the SAP requirements of GPA or 67% Completion Rate for the first time will be automatically placed in a Warning Status for one (1) term.  They are expected to meet SAP requirements by the end of that term, or will be placed on financial aid disqualification.  

What Is a SAP Appeal?

Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet SAP standards and lose eligibility for financial aid may submit an appeal.

• An appeal process is not required by the U.S. Department of Education — it is offered at the discretion of the college.
• You must clearly explain:
  • What caused the problem that affected your academic progress (e.g., illness, family emergency, personal challenges)
  • What has changed that will now allow you to succeed academically

Important: Just submitting an appeal does not guarantee that your financial aid will be reinstated.