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.

Types of Special Circumstances

Students facing unique financial situations may request a Special Circumstance Appeal to have their financial aid eligibility reassessed. There are two types of Special Circumstance appeals:

Student Aid Index (SAI) Adjustment – This appeal allows students/families the ability to report circumstances that are not appropriately reflected on the FAFSA.
Cost of Attendance (COA) Appeal – If a student has additional education-related expenses not accounted for in the standard financial aid COA such as childcare, medical costs, or required technology—they may appeal to have their cost of attendance adjusted, potentially increasing their financial aid eligibility.

Examples of Eligible Circumstances Student Aid Index (SAI) Adjustment

Some examples that are eligible for this type 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.

Examples of Eligible Circumstances for Cost of Attendance (COA) Increase

A Cost of Attendance (COA) Appeal allows students to request an adjustment to their financial aid budget if they have necessary expenses that exceed the standard cost estimates. Examples may include;

Higher than average living expenses such as housing, and/or utilities
Education related technology
Costs for child/dependent care incurred while completing coursework.
Costs for unusually high medical expenses not covered by insurance.

Requesting 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.

Students are limited to 2 Special Circumstance Appeals for COA per award year.

2025-2026 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE IS APPLICABLE FOR ENROLLMENT (2025 Summer, 2025 Fall & 2026 Spring Semesters)

2025-26 Special Circumstances Appeal PDF Form (for Independent and Dependent students)

2025-26 Special Circumstances Appeal Electronic Form (for Independent students only)

2025-26 Cost of Attendance Increase Special Circumstances Request