Financial Aid Appeal

Appealing for more financial aid means contacting your college financial aid administrator to request financial assistance beyond the originally offered amount. A financial aid overseer must approve an appeal, and school policies may insist students submit a letter and documents that prove special circumstances. Essentially, an appeal requires more effort from the applicant and more involvement from the financial aid department.

Appeal processes vary among schools, with institutions requiring specific forms, documents, and verification. For this reason, you should contact financial aid departments to determine your schools’ policies and preferred steps. Since students receive many forms of financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis, applicants should complete and return all appeal elements as soon as possible.

Departments approve appeals one year at a time, so a student may need to submit an appeal every year to continue earning additional aid. However, departments may require documentation to prove that the special circumstance, that impacted the student’s finances, still applies.

Special Circumstances include any financial circumstances that have changed in the last two years or anything that differentiates the student from typical students. The ten most common special circumstances include:

Job loss or decrease in income 

Divorce or separation of a dependent student’s parents

Death of a dependent student’s parent

Special needs or disabled children

Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses

Catastrophic loss, such as damage or loss from a natural disaster

Textbook costs beyond the standard allowance in the cost of attendance

Change in the student’s marital status

Dependency override

End of child support, Social Security benefits for a child or alimony payments

How to write an appeal for financial aid?

Step 1 – Assess Your Circumstances

Only special situations will qualify you to be awarded more financial aid. This includes a change in college-attending household members, divorce, and disability. You can ask financial aid departments for information to determine if your situation qualifies for appeal.

Step 2 – Contact the School’s Financial Aid Department

Each school requires different steps for filing financial aid appeals. For information on the appeal process, you should contact your school’s financial aid office.

Step 3 – Collect Needed Documentation

Provide documents that verify your special circumstances, including evidence of unemployment benefits or medical bills. Additionally, you can provide signed statements from social workers, police officers, and school faculty that confirm the special circumstance. These statements should also explain how this issue causes a need for additional assistance.

Step 4 – Write an Appeal Letter, If Needed

Most schools require an appeal letter that details reasons for needing more aid. These statements should address the special circumstance that impacts your finances with exact information, such as specific dates and salary differences. Other institutions may not require letters, but applicants may still need to submit appeal forms and verification documents. Those considering appeals should consult their financial aid departments for guidance on school policies.

Step 5 – Submit Your Appeal

You can submit your appeal information electronically, send appeals by mail, or deliver them in-person. Each school may prefer a different method, so applicants should ask financial aid departments for guidance. Applicants may call, email, or visit the financial aid office after submitting appeals to see if the department requires additional documentation. The time needed to process and review appeals may vary among schools, but in general, candidates can expect a decision in less than one month

Tips for how to win a financial aid appeal

• Contact your college financial aid office and/or the college financial aid administrator for guidance
• Make a note of the names of those you speak to
• Treat each contact professionally
• In all interactions be direct and be specific
• Become familiar with the policies and procedures to apply and appeal for financial aid
• Have your information and documentation ready
• When writing use a professional format
• Proofread all written correspondence
• Be conscious of deadlines

If your financial aid appeal is approved, it will be implemented by making a change in the data fields on the FAFSA. For example, if a parent has lost their job, the college financial aid administrator will change the income and income tax figures on the FAFSA.

This will generate a new Expected Family Contribution (EFC) using the FAFSA’s standard financial aid formula. The EFC will yield a new figure for Demonstrated Financial Need, based on the difference between the cost of attendance and the new EFC. This, in turn, will yield a new financial aid package.

We are sorry to hear that. Please note that there is no appeal beyond the college financial aid administrator. Neither the college’s president nor the U.S. Department of Education can override the financial aid administrator’s decision. Financial aid departments may reject appeals. To prepare for this possibility, candidates should explore other options to pay for their education. Tending to this task while waiting on an appeal decision can save time. For instance, students can research private loans, and then submit applications upon hearing a negative verdict.

Other sources of funds could include:

• Scholarships
• Private Loans
• Employer Tuition Reimbursement Plans
• Part-Time Jobs
• Summer Jobs
• Paid Internships

Read more about financial aid on the best financial aid guide.