The Financial Aid Review Request Process

Often a student or parent will find that the information required on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) does not realistically reflect their circumstances or their ability to provide the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). When this happens, a student may choose to submit an appeal to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) requesting that their situation be reviewed. Appeals may be one of two types:

1. Requests for reconsideration of aid eligibility due to changes in family circumstances or income
2. Requests for reevaluation of a students dependency status

Requests for reconsideration of aid eligibility due to changes in family circumstances or income

The first and most common type of appeal requests a reconsideration of the amount of aid that has been offered or provides additional information that will assist the OSFA in determining the student's eligibility for financial aid. The office should be notified in writing of changes in financial circumstances resulting from one or more of the following conditions:

• Divorce or separation
• Retirement
• Death of a family member (e.g. parent of a dependent student or spouse of an independent student)
• Loss of employment or a significant reduction in income or benefits
• Non-recurring income (e.g. one-time pension or IRA distribution)
• Unusually high medical expenses NOT covered by insurance
• Elementary/secondary tuition for family members other than the applicant
• Other unusual expenses or circumstances.

The preferred method of submitting this type of appeal is on a GMU Financial Aid Review Request Form, which may be obtained from the OSFA. The information submitted will be evaluated to determine if an adjustment can be made to present a more realistic picture of the family's ability to contribute to the cost of education. As always, adjustments to financial aid awards are subject to the availability of funds. An explanation of circumstances should be thorough and when applicable, supportive documentation must be submitted. Depending on the time of year and volume of appeals to be reviewed, a student may usually expect a decision to be made on their appeal within 3-4 weeks. Please note that expenses such as high credit card debt, home mortgage or repairs, or high costs of living are NOT areas subject to reconsideration. Also, appealing merely to ask for additional funds will not result in any changes. Appeals should be submitted only if your situation has changed or is not accurately reflected on the FAFSA. If we are unable to fully fund your eligibility and additional funding becomes available during the school year, you will automatically be considered for an increase in aid.

Financial aid applications which are received by the Federal Processor before March 1 of the year for which they are applying (example: March 1, 2006 for the 2006-2007 academic year) are considered to have met our priority filing date. Applications received after this date are considered late. The amount of funding that is available for late applicants is severely limited, and is usually restricted to Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Stafford Loan eligibility. Appeals requesting that a late application be considered as on-time will not be approved except under very unusual circumstances. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that their application reaches the Federal Processor by our priority filing date.

Requests for reevaluation of a students dependency status

The second type of appeal is called a dependency appeal. This appeal is for a student who feels that they should be considered independent from their parent(s) for financial aid purposes, even though they do not meet any of the automatic independent criteria as outlined in Step 2 of the FAFSA. Dependency appeals may be submitted under the following circumstances:

• A severe estrangement exists between you and your parent(s) which would make it unreasonable to expect you to be able to obtain the necessary parental data to complete the FAFSA. (Please note that your parent(s) choosing not to pay for your education is not considered an estrangement and is not grounds for an appeal.) The following are examples of what would be considered a severe estrangement:
  • You are in danger of abuse, either physical or mental.
  • You have been abandoned by your parents.

A variety of documentation is required for each type of dependency appeal. If a student wishes to pursue an appeal of their dependency status, he or she must schedule an appointment with their financial aid counselor to discuss options and documentation requirements. Approval of a dependency appeal does NOT guarantee that status in future years. Dependency appeals must be recertified EVERY YEAR. Your appeal will be reviewed by a committee of financial aid administrators. Additional documentation may be required to substantiate your appeal. You will be notified in writing as to the decision made on your appeal. If approved, we will sign the form authorizing the dependency override and submit it to the Federal Processor on your behalf.