Special Circumstance 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.

2022-2023 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE IS APPLICABLE FOR ENROLLMENT (2022 Summer, 2022 Fall & 2023 Spring Semesters)

2022-23 Special Circumstances Appeal PDF Form (for Independent and Dependent students)

2022-23 Special Circumstances Appeal Electronic Form (for Independent students only)

COVID-19 Special Circumstance Appeal Information

Franklin University understands that many students are facing unexpected financial hardships due to COVID-19 and wants to reassure you that we are here to help.

Job loss or reduction of income has unfortunately been very common during the pandemic. If the student, student’s spouse, or student’s parent (if dependent) has lost their job or had a reduction of income due to COVID-19 or any other circumstances and is currently receiving financial aid, we highly recommend students to apply for a Special Circumstance review to accurately adjust the financial impact of the loss of income on the FAFSA.

The Special Circumstances Form details what type of supporting documentation you are required to submit with the form 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.

**Note: Due to the American Rescue Plan change signed into law on March 11, 2021, if you received unemployment benefits during the 2020 tax year AND you filed your taxes prior to March 11, 2021 you may qualify for a Special Circumstance Review to adjust your Adjusted Gross Income. This applies to the 2022-2023 Financial Aid Award year ONLY.

Please contact our office at sfs@franklin.edu or (614)797-4700 and select option 2 if you qualify or have questions.