Special Circumstances

Is it possible to negotiate need-based financial aid? The answer provided by three college financial aid directors who spoke at the College Board Forum in San Diego in early November: sometimes provided you can prove you have special family financial circumstances that justify a larger need-based financial aid award.

According to the financial aid directors, there are three main “special circumstances” where adjustments may be considered based on the professional judgment of the financial aid office.

• Cost of Attendance – Some students may have extra costs that most students don’t, such as extra travel expenses, child care costs, or expensive supplies or books required by a certain major.
• Dependency Status – If the student can prove that he/she is legally no longer a dependent, sometimes colleges will treat the student as an independent for financial aid purposes. These are pretty rare, almost always requiring third party documentation to severe estrangement from the parents. Dependency overrides don’t include things such as the parents being unwilling to contribute, or the student just claiming they are totally self-sufficient.
• Family financial circumstances – The family has to be able to prove that there has been a change in the actual value of the financial data not reflected by questions asked by the FAFSA or CSS Profile: sibling tuition for private K-12 education, medical and dental expenses, death or divorce of parents, loss of income due to change of employment or disaster.

It really varies from institution to institution depending on the resources and philosophy of the college. This does not mean a negotiation. Every institution still has to be able to justify, document, and apply professional judgment consistently. Public institutions tend to be stricter; private ones use professional judgment more often.

If you think your family has special circumstances that may justify appealing your financial aid package: document your case. Send tax returns, non-custodial information, trust agreements, medical bills, etc. Contact the financial aid office directly. However, at some point, there’s no money left and no resources left to make adjustments.

In most cases, merit-only scholarships are handled through the admissions office. Sometimes a competing offer will be considered.

It never hurts to ask, but your chances of appeal are best if you can prove the extra money is necessary to attend.

AdmissionAdvice.com (Helping Students and Parents Make Smart College Choices)