Eligibility Reconsideration
North Carolina Wesleyan University knows that life can throw curveballs, and the Office of Financial Aid is here to help! In some cases, with the right documentation, our team can review your situation to see if adjustments to your FAFSA can be made. We handle two types of unique situations: special and unusual circumstances. Let us know if this sounds like your situation!
Special Circumstances
Special circumstances are if the information you filed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) does not reflect your current financial situation or does not consider an unusual circumstance with you and/or your family that might affect what your family can pay toward your college cost. This may occur due to your FAFSA being based on two years prior tax information. Examples, but not limited to, include:
- Loss or change of employment status, income or assets
- Divorce/separation or death of a parent/spouse
- Disability
- Unusually high medical or disability-related expenses not covered by insurance
- Child care expenses
2024-25 Special Circumstances Appeal Request Form
Additional documents may be requested throughout the process.
The parent and/or student must submit the appropriate Special Circumstance Form and all required documentation prior to review. Responses are sent by email.
NOTE: The reconsideration process generally takes 3-4 weeks and does not guarantee an adjustment to the financial aid offer.
Unusual Circumstances
Unusual circumstances are conditions that support a change to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation. Examples include:
- Parental abandonment, estrangement, or parental incarceration
- Abusive or threatening home environment
- Human trafficking
- Other extenuating circumstances that prevent a student from contacting living parents.
Please note that unusual circumstances do not include:
- Parents refusal to contribute to student’s education
- Parents refusal to provide information for the FAFSA or verification
- Parents do not claim the student for income tax purposes, or that the student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
If you would like to discuss your unique situation with a member of our team, please contact us at financialaid@ncwu.edu.
