Special and Unusual Circumstance Appeals

家庭捐款呼吁是针对已经完成FAFSA的学生和他们的家庭，并且已经经历了影响您的家庭为您的教育费用捐款的能力的资源减少. For example, 你的家人可能会因为一些他们无法控制的事情而失去收入，或者因为意外的事情而产生医疗费用, non-recurring incident not covered by insurance. 目标是您的家庭捐款呼吁将降低您的预期家庭捐款(EFC)(2023-24年FAFSA)或学生援助指数(SAI)(2024-25年FAFSA)并提高您的经济援助资格.

在申请家庭供款上诉之前，您必须填写FAFSA(根据FAFSA上概述的说明).

The Financial Aid office understands that certain programs have fees, books, 或者超出学生平均出勤费用的设备费用. 也可以理解的是，某些课程要求学生在平均出勤成本上获得比预算更多的学分，或者在学年期间情况可能会发生变化. 这些额外的项目费用可能会影响一个家庭承担学生教育费用的能力. The Financial Aid office may consider these unusual expenses when awarding financial aid. 财政援助办公室在减少援助之前会在内部考虑这些费用.

购买或租赁个人电脑可以包括在学生的预算时，文件提供给财政援助办公室. However, it does not guarantee additional financial assistance.

只有在调整后能够提供以前不能提供的额外援助的情况下，才会考虑入学费用申诉.

If you are considered a dependent student according to the financial aid definition, 除了你的收入和资产信息外，你的援助资格还取决于父母的收入和资产信息. 法律要求受抚养的学生提供父母的信息和签名，以便考虑联邦和州的经济援助. 当有特殊情况/不正常的父母关系允许学生被认为是独立的，以进行经济援助处理时，经济援助办公室可能会考虑依赖推翻上诉. 不正常的关系是指在这种情况下，有充分的记录和清楚的理解，学生不应该与父母接触，因为虐待, domestic violence, abandonment, or another extreme circumstance.

Federal regulations do not allow dependency exceptions for the following circumstances:

• Parents refusing to contribute to the student’s education.
• Parents unwillingness to provide information on the FAFSA or other documents.
• Parents not claiming the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Student demonstrating total self-sufficiency (not living with parent).

如果您的父母不能或不愿意在FAFSA上提供收入和资产信息和/或签名, 经济援助办公室可能会考虑允许学生在没有父母信息的情况下获得经济援助. This appeal would be called a Parent Refusal. As a result of your parent’s refusal to submit parental information, 你将没有资格获得任何联邦或大多数州的助学金，否则你可能会被授予，只有资格获得联邦直接无补贴贷款，该贷款在入学期间会产生利息.

See StudentAid.gov What should I do if I have a special circumstance and can’t provide parental information? for more information.

如果学生对FAFSA的依赖状态问题不能回答“是”，则表明该学生无家可归或有无家可归的风险(并且尚未由高中做出决定), a school district homeless liaison, a director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program, or a director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program), the Financial Aid Office can make the determination. 如果没有书面文件，可以根据对学生的书面采访来确定. Please schedule an appointment below if you are experiencing homelessness.

学生的生活安排必须证明他或她符合自食其力并有无家可归风险的无人陪伴青年的定义. Any student who is not yet 24 may qualify for a homeless youth determination. 生活在以下任何一种情况下并逃离虐待父母的学生可能被视为无家可归，即使父母会提供支持和居住的地方.

A student is considered homeless if the student lacks fixed, regular, and adequate housing. This is broader than just living "on the street." It includes living with other people temporarily because the student had nowhere else to go; in substandard housing (if it doesn't meet local building codes or the utilities are turned off, it is generally not adequate); in emergency or transitional shelters, for example, trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after disasters; in motels, campgrounds, cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, or any public or private place not designed for humans to live in; and in the school dormitory if the student would otherwise be homeless.

Homeless Youth Definitions

• At risk of being homeless: When a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate. For example, a student who is being evicted and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

• Homeless: Lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

• Self-supporting: When a student pays for his or her own living expenses, including fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

• Unaccompanied: When a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Housing

• Fixed Housing: Stationary, permanent, and not subject to change.

• Regular Housing: Used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis.

• Adequate Housing: Sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in the home.