Financial Aid Adjustments for Unusual and Special Circumstances
The FAFSA Simplification Act introduces adjustments for unusual and special circumstances, allowing aid administrators to modify a student's financial aid based on unique situations.
Distinction between unusual and special circumstances:
- Unusual Circumstances: Justification for adjusting a student’s dependency status, often involving a dependency override.
- Special Circumstances: Financial situations, such as job loss, warranting adjustments in the Cost of Attendance (COA) or Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
A student may experience both unusual and special circumstances. Financial Aid offices may make tailored adjustments with proper documentation.
Unusual Circumstances Defined
A student for whom a TTC financial aid officer makes a documented determination of independence because of unusual circumstances in which the student is unable to contact a parent or where contact with parents poses a risk to the student.
A student deemed independent due to documented circumstances, including:
- Human trafficking victims
- Legally granted refugee or asylum status
- Parental abandonment or estrangement
- Student or parental incarceration
Exclusions:
- Parents' refusal to contribute
- Parents not providing FAFSA information
- Parents not claiming the student as a dependent
- Student demonstrating total self-sufficiency
Submission and Review Process of Unusual Circumstances
After submitting the FAFSA, students must provide supporting documentation directly to TTC's Financial Aid office.
An overview of the review process, examples of documentation and estimated timelines are provided. TTC will review all requests for a determination of independence as soon as possible, but no later than 60 days after the student enrolls.
Examples of supporting documentation for unusual circumstances:
- Documented interviews with financial aid administrators
- Court orders or official documentation of parental incarceration
- Statements from welfare agencies, independent living case workers or agencies supporting victims
- Statements from legal representatives, educational institutions or documents demonstrating separation
Special Circumstances Defined
Includes changes to family income, recent unemployment, dislocated worker status and homelessness due to housing change.
Examples of supporting documentation for special circumstances:
- Most recent IRS tax return transcript, W2 form
- V1 verification worksheet
- Letter of explanation, court/legal documents
- Copy of unemployment record, most recent pay stub
- Documentation of disability award, any notice of benefits determination
- Third-party verification of the situation
Submission and Review Process of Special Circumstances
After submitting the FAFSA, students must provide supporting documentation directly to TTC's Financial Aid office.
An overview of the review process, examples of documentation and estimated timelines are provided. TTC will review all requests for a determination of independence as soon as possible, but no later than 60 days after the student enrolls. If approved, the FAFSA is corrected and student receives an approval notification via TTC email.