Lesson 2.6 · 3 minRequesting a review of your aidRequesting a review of your aid
Use this lesson to prepare a clear request for an aid review when your offer rests on a picture of your family that has since changed. Aid administrators can adjust the information behind an offer in special circumstances, and a well-documented request gives them what they need to decide.
When a review makes sense
The FAFSA uses income from two years before the award year, so it can miss changes that happened since. Losing a job, a drop in earnings, large medical or dental costs, a divorce or separation, or the death of a parent can all leave your offer based on an out-of-date picture. Financial aid administrators can use professional judgment to adjust data case by case when you document a change like this.
Other situations can be reviewed too, such as child care costs or an unusual family circumstance that affects your dependency status. In rare cases an administrator can grant a dependency override, which lets a student file without parent information. Each office sets its own process and decides each case.
Gathering what to send
Start by contacting the aid office and asking how it handles special circumstance requests. Many schools have a specific form, and some ask for an appointment first. Ask what documents they want, how long reviews usually take and whether to keep any deadline on your current offer while you wait.
Write a short, factual letter that explains what changed, when it happened and how it affects what your family can pay. Attach records that support each point, such as a layoff notice, recent pay stubs, unemployment benefit statements or medical bills. Keep copies of everything you send, and note the date and the name of anyone you speak with.
After you send the request
The office may ask for more information, and answering quickly keeps the review moving. Some schools will look at a stronger offer from another school and others will decline to, so ask about the policy where you are applying. The decision rests with the aid office, and it may adjust your cost of attendance, the data behind your Student Aid Index or the mix of aid.
If the answer leaves a gap, ask whether you can request another review if your situation changes again during the year. Then return to the plan you built in the earlier lessons, update the numbers and decide how you will cover what remains.
Try this week
- Ask your aid office for its special circumstances form
- List every change since the tax year the FAFSA used
- Gather a document for each change
- Write a one-page letter and keep a copy
Takeaway. When your situation has changed, a documented request lets the aid office take a second look at your offer.