We understand that a financial aid application cannot account for everything going on in a family’s financial situation. When your financial situation changes, or when something is not considered in a financial aid application, we ask that you communicate that to our office. You can find information on how domestic students can appeal their financial aid packages below.
Financial Aid Appeals
Financial aid appeals are used when there has been change to a family’s financial situation or if there is additional information/nuance that would be beneficial for the Financial Aid Office to take into consideration.
The following circumstances are automatically considered when evaluating your financial aid:
- Federal, state, and other taxes
- “Typical” medical expenses (usually around 5% of total income)
- Routine household expenses
- Routine vehicle and travel expenses
- Tuition expenses for children in private school reported on the CSS Profile
- Multiple children in college pursuing first-time undergraduate degrees
- Previously reported special circumstances
How to Submit a Financial Aid Appeal
In order to submit an appeal, please complete our Special Circumstances Request Form for the correct financial aid year. All current financial aid year forms can be found on our website. Here you will find detailed instructions on our appeal process, required documentation and timelines.
Please submit all Special Circumstance documentation through our secure upload portal.
Appeals generally take five to ten business days for processing, and this time frame may change depending on the volume of appeals we receive. Please wait to hear back before checking in regarding the status of your appeal.
What qualifies as a special circumstance?
Special circumstances are situations beyond a student’s or family’s control that impacts the information reported on the FAFSA. Listed below are appropriate examples for which your financial aid may be adjusted.
The following may qualify as a special circumstance:
- One time income such as…
- Significant changes in parent compensation
- Withdrawal of retirement funds for emergency purposes
- Moving allowances or similar expenses incurred and reimbursed by an employer
- Support of multiple households
- Married family members living apart, elder care, or care of family overseas
- Funeral expenses or unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that are both 5% of total income or more, and NOT reported on your IRS Form 1040 Schedule A (if previously provided)
- Graduate school expenses for siblings and/or other family members
- Educational debt
- Note: We will only consider parental educational debt that is currently in repayment, documented, and for students who are no longer enrolled.
- Job loss or significant reduction in income
The following are NOT considered special circumstances:
- Financial aid offers from other institutions
- Unwillingness to contribute to educational expenses
- Inability to pay the estimated bill from current income
- Expenses related to pets, vacations, weddings, etc.
- Consumer Debt
- Expenses related to extracurricular activities for younger siblings
- Fine arts or athletics
Note: It is our expectation that families will use all financial aid resources available to them to finance the estimated bill including student employment earnings, student loans, current salary, savings, investments and payment plans.
Considerations for Income Reduction or Job Loss
St. Olaf’s current policy for income or job loss is that the loss must have been at least six weeks ago with full documentation of the full impact. We do not looks at possible job loss or loss that just happened.
If you experienced a significant reduction in pay in the most recent tax year due to job loss/termination, wage/salary reduction, or mandatory furlough, we will reevaluate your financial aid when you are able to provide tax documents from that tax year so that all earnings information can be assessed.
When considering financing options, we recommend looking into monthly payment options, additional federal student loans, federal parent loans, or other private/alternative loan options. Find out more about your financing options, and contact us if you need assistance.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the main financial year we are using is the 2023 tax year. If there have been significant changes to your earnings since 2023, please submit your 2024 taxes.
Dependency Appeals
Students with unusual circumstances may appeal their financial aid dependency status.
Unusual circumstances, as defined by the FAFSA Simplification Act, refer to conditions that may warrant a change to your dependency status when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
What qualifies as an unusual circumstance?
The following may qualify as a unusual circumstance:
- Victims of human trafficking
- Legally granted refugee or asylum status
- Parental abandonment or estrangement
- Parental incarceration
- Deportation of parent(s)
- Documented cases of parental abuse and neglect
unusual circumstances do not typically include:
- Parent refusal or inability to contribute to a student’s education
- Parent unwilling to provide information on the CSS Profile, FAFSA, or for federal verification
- Parent does not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Total self-sufficiency by student
How to Submit a Dependency Appeal
To be considered for an unusual circumstance you must complete the following:
- A written explanation regarding your family circumstances, and
- A copy of your most recent tax return (if you filed), and
- Two (2) Affidavits from individuals who have known you a minimum of three years, if possible, who will attest to your situation. (e.g., other adult relatives, clergy, teachers, counselors, social workers)
Please submit all unusual circumstance documentation through our secure upload portal.
You should expect to hear from us within approximately five to ten business days after you have submitted your request with appropriate documentation. We will be sure to reach out if we have any further questions.