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Special Circumstances Appeal
University Mission
Franklin University understands that a student’s financial circumstances may change, and that the information reported on their FAFSA application may not accurately reflect their current financial status. Significant changes to income and unexpected expenses may affect a student’s ability to contribute toward their educational costs.
Regulation & Law
The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) has given special permission to financial aid administrators to evaluate a student’s special circumstance on a case-by-case basis and determine if adjustments can be made to their FASFA. This process is called a “Special Circumstance or “Professional Judgment” review.
Examples of Eligible Circumstances
Some examples of Special Circumstances are listed below, but are not inclusive because special circumstances can be different for every student:
- Loss of Employment and Income
- Decrease in Earned Income due to change in employment
- Unusual Medical/Dental/RX expenses (not paid by insurance)
- Death of a parent or spouse whose information is on the FAFSA form
- Divorce or Separation
- Disability or Retirement
- One-Time-Only Distribution (i.e. Pension, IRA, Capital Gain)
- Loss or Decrease in Child Support
- Other: Please provide a detailed explanation about your Special Circumstance. If you have questions or if you need assistance, please contact our Student Financial Services Counseling Team.
How to Request a Special Circumstance Appeal
The Special Circumstances Form is available below and details what type of supporting documentation you are required to submit to verify the change in circumstance.
The estimated review time for appeals is 2-4 weeks from the date that all supporting documentation has been received. However, our response time may vary depending upon the volume of appeals submitted for review. We appreciate your patience.
2024-2025 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE IS APPLICABLE FOR ENROLLMENT (2024 Summer, 2024 Fall & 2025 Spring Semesters)
Due to continued delays with the Department of Education’s FAFSA Simplification, Financial Aid Administrators are not permitted to make corrections to 2024-25 FAFSAs. Special Circumstance appeals for income adjustments cannot be finalized until corrections are made available, which would not be until as early as mid-July.
2024-25 Special Circumstances Appeal PDF Form (for Independent and Dependent students)
2024-25 Special Circumstances Appeal Electronic Form (for Independent students only)
2024-25 Cost of Attendance Increase Special Circumstances Request