Students with Special or Unusual Circumstances

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) requires students to provide household income and tax data. For independent students, this includes spouse information. For dependent students, this includes information for parents. The U. S. Department of Education uses reported income and tax data to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is used in the formula to determine financial aid packages.

Sometimes there may be a special circumstance that reduces a student’s ability to pay for college which cannot be reflected on the FAFSA. This is because the form requires reporting of prior-prior year income and tax data. The Financial Aid Office has a process that allows the FAFSA applicant to document a special circumstance and, if approved, allows us to recalculate an EFC and re-evaluate a financial aid package. A review of special circumstances does not automatically guarantee an EFC adjustment nor an increase in financial aid funding. 

 Examples of situations that may qualify as special circumstance for FAFSA adjustments include, but are not limited to:

• Loss of income from unemployment, furlough, disability, or retirement
• Separation or divorce of a person listed on the FAFSA after the FAFSA has already been completed.
• Death of a family member whose income was reported on the FAFSA.
• IRA conversion from regular IRA to Roth IRA
• Termination of child support, alimony, worker’s compensation 

Students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their special circumstances.

 General Process: 

1. Click on this link to complete the initial questionnaire.  
2. Staff will generally review your request within 1-2 weeks.
3. All situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Any correspondence will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address.
4. If we can move forward, at a minimum, a student will be emailed a form and required to submit the following information to the Financial Aid Office:

1. Signed copies of federal income tax return for the requested tax year(s) and all schedules.Tax returns are required even if the IRS DRT was used. This is because the IRS DRT does not give the Financial Aid Office all the data elements needed to reassess tax values as a result of adjusting income.
2. W-2’s for the appropriate tax year(s).
3. Documentation of untaxed income (if applicable).
4. Third party documentation to validate the request for review of FAFSA data. Examples of documentation include unemployment claim payment history, layoff notice, severance letter, legal separation papers or divorce decree, death certificate, explanation of benefits for unreimbursed exceptional medical/dental expenses not covered by insurance.
5. Once all supporting documentation is received, the Financial Aid Office will begin its review to determine if an adjustment e is warranted and make any applicable adjustments to the COA and/or any aid involved after that.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an educational budget used in the determination of financial aid. A change to the COA does not guarantee a change to a financial aid offer and it is not an application for funding. An increased COA could provide additional eligibility for federal, private aid, or other outside sources. In some instances, a student may have increased eligibility for need-based and/or non-need-based aid.

 These are the standard components that are included in the Cost of Attendance calculation (starting with the 2023-2024 aid year):

• Tuition & Fees
• Federal Student Loan Fees (Actual)
• Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment
• Living Expenses  
• Transportation
• Miscellaneous Personal Expenses

Examples of situations that may qualify as an appeal for Cost of Attendance adjustments include, but are not limited to: 

• Enrolled in a high-cost program where costs of tuition/books/supplies exceed estimated tuition in COA figure being used to calculate aid eligibility.  
• High Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses incurred for a medical emergency or incident.  Please note: Unreimbursed means health care expenses not covered by insurance or third party.
• Unusually High Transportation Costs 
• Child or Dependent Care
• Disability-related expenses for educational needs
• Other Personal or Miscellaneous expenses.  One example could be costs associated for Study Abroad

General Process: 

1. Click on this link to complete the initial questionnaire.  
2. Staff will generally review your request within 1-2 weeks.
3. All situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Any correspondence will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address.
4. If we can move forward, at a minimum, a student will be emailed a form and required to submit supporting documentation for their situation.
5. Once all supporting documentation is received, the Financial Aid Office will begin its review to determine if an adjustment of income is warranted and make any applicable

Financial aid regulations assume that the family has primary responsibility for meeting educational costs. If a student is considered dependent, according to the financial aid definition, aid eligibility is determined by using student and parent income and asset information. Dependent students are required by law to provide parental information and signatures to be eligible for financial aid.

Financial aid administrators have the authority to change a student’s status from dependent to independent in cases involving unusual circumstances. Due to federal regulations, none of the conditions below qualify as an unusual circumstance resulting in a dependency override:

• Parents refusal to contribute to the student’s education.
• Parents are unwilling to provide information on the application or verification documentation.
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

It is very important to note that when it comes to dependency overrides, there is a distinction between parents who are unable to provide information and parents who are unwilling to complete a child’s FAFSA. Unfortunately, many parents will refuse to complete their section of the FAFSA which prevents the student from receiving financial aid. Students can remind their parents that submitting their information on the FAFSA does not obligate them to pay for college. However, their refusal to provide FAFSA data will prevent the student from receiving financial aid. Sometimes a parent is concerned about the privacy of their tax data. Students can remind their parents that all financial aid information is confidential and protected under the Family Education and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The phrase “unusual circumstances” means a situation that make it inappropriate to expect a parental contribution for the student. The following unusual circumstances may warrant a dependency override and include:

• Parents are deceased.
• Parents are incarcerated or institutionalized.
• The student comes from an abusive family.
• Parents cannot be located.
• The student has been abandoned.

We understand that many students have unique family dynamics. Students are asked to contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their situation. All information and documentation provided by the student is considered confidential. Please note that submission of a petition does not guarantee that a dependency override will be approved. 

General Process: 

• Submit your FAFSA indicating that you are unable to provide information about your parents and that you have a special circumstance.
• Click on this link to complete the initial questionnaire.  
• Staff will generally review your request within 1-2 weeks.
• All situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.   Any correspondence will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address.
• If we can move forward, at a minimum, a student will be emailed a form and required to submit supporting documentation for their situation.  Documentation would generally include:
  • A typed statement to address the situation with both parents and timeline.
  • Third party documentation on letterhead to the Financial Aid Office detailing their first-hand knowledge of the family circumstances. Third parties could include, but are not limited to, guidance counselors, clergy members, mental health professionals, officers of the court, or law enforcement personnel. The letters must include the name of the individual, their job title and contact information.
  • Documentation of Residency
  • Documentation of Health Insurance

• A decision will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address within 2-3 weeks. This decision is final and cannot be appealed to NWTC or the Department of Education.

If your parents no longer provide any financial support for you, you do not live with a parent, and your parents are refusing to provide their information for the FAFSA, you can only be considered for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. An unsubsidized loan is a low, fixed interest rate loan with flexible repayment terms. Financial need is not required to qualify, and we encourage students to reach out to the Financial Aid Office with questions on this. 

General Process: 

• Submit your FAFSA indicating that you are unable to provide information about your parents and that you are applying for an unsubsidized loan only. 
• Click on this link to complete the initial questionnaire.  
• Staff will generally review your request within 1-2 weeks.
• All situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.   Any correspondence will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address.
• If we can move forward, at a minimum, a student will be emailed a form and required to submit supporting documentation for their situation.  Documentation would generally include:

1. Typed statement. 
2. The form will have a page for each parent to sign that they are no longer providing financial support, when the support ended, and that they refuse to provide their information on the FAFSA.  If a parent is not able to sign for any reason, please indicate why in typed statement.

• A decision will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address within 2-3 weeks. This decision is final and cannot be appealed to NWTC or the Department of Education.

A student is considered homeless if the student lacks fixed, regular, and adequate housing. This includes students who are living in shelters, motels, cars, or parks, or who are temporarily living with other people because they have nowhere else to go. Additionally, students are considered homeless if fleeing an abusive parent who would otherwise provide the student with financial support and a place to live.

If a student answers yes to the general homelessness question on the FAFSA, they will be asked if they received a “homeless youth determination.” If the answer is yes, the student will be asked to provide a homeless youth determination from:

• High school or school district liaison
• The director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program

Sometimes a student will not have a homeless youth determination from the entities listed above. In these cases, students are asked to contact the Financial Aid Office to assist us in making the determination of homeless youth status. 

General process

• If you do not have a determination from an entity listed above, submit your FAFSA indicating that you are unable to provide information about your parents and currently homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
• Click on this link to complete the initial questionnaire.  
• Staff will generally review your request within 1-2 weeks.
• All situations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.   Any correspondence will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address.
• If we can move forward, at a minimum, a student will be emailed a form and required to submit supporting documentation for their situation.  Documentation would generally include:
  • A typed statement to address your living situation and how you are providing support for yourself.
  • Documentation from any of the following to assist with the determination and students should contact Financial Aid if any documentation cannot be obtained:
    • Local school district personnel
    • State homeless education coordinators
    • The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
    • Third parties such as a private or publicly funded homeless shelters and service providers.
    • Financial aid administrators from colleges that the student previously attended.
    • College or high school counselors
    • Mental health providers, social workers, mentors, doctors, or clergy

• A decision will be sent to the student’s NWTC email address within 2-3 weeks. This decision is final and cannot be appealed to NWTC or the Department of Education.