Special Circumstances: Income Review
The Financial Aid Office is committed to maximizing the qualifications of all financial aid applicants. A student/parent who wishes to present a special circumstance may submit an appeal.
Reasons for a review, though not limited to these, typically fall into one of the following categories:
- A change in the employment status, income or assets of the student, spouse or the students’ parents, if dependent;
- A change in family’s housing status (e.g., homelessness);
- Severe disability of the student or other member of the student’s household;
- A significant change in the household (e.g., marital separation of student or parents after FAFSA completion*, loss or reduction of untaxed income such as child support or Social Security benefits, death of parent, etc.);
- Unusually high out-of-pocket medical/dental expenses;
- Child care expenses during time spent at school;
- Additional family members in college, only if this presents a significant financial burden for the family;
- Other changes or adjustments that impact the student’s costs or ability to pay for college.
* If a student or parents’ marital status has changed since taxes were filed, but not since the FAFSA was filed, your FAFSA should be completed with only the remaining person’s income. This may mean the income on the taxes needs to be divided. If you need assistance with this, the Financial Aid Office can help.
Please complete the applicable Special Condition/Income Reduction form on our Forms page and submit with the required supporting documentation via one of the following:
- Finaid@virginiawestern.edu
- Upload via the Student Support Center
- In person at Chapman Hall, VWCC Campus
Once submitted, the Financial Aid Office will post a message to the student’s Message Center when additional action is required or review is complete. Please check your Message Center often and allow approximately 10 business days for the review.
Unusual Circumstances: Dependency Review
If you are under the age of 24, in most cases your financial aid eligibility must be determined using the financial information of your birth/adoptive parent(s). However, we realize that the family situations of some students may need further review because of unusual circumstances. Circumstances for a dependency review include, but are not limited to:
- Involuntary dissolution of the family due to death, imprisonment, or abandonment
- An abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety
- The student’s inability to locate parents
- Other mitigating circumstances.
The U.S. Department of Education requires documentation to be submitted to the Virginia Western Office of Financial Aid, Veterans’ Affairs, and Records in order to review your unusual circumstance(s). The Financial Aid Office makes decisions on a case-by-case basis and decisions are final.
You must submit the below form as well as:
- A typed and signed detailed letter from you, the student, explaining the unusual circumstance, including your relationship with either your biological or adoptive parents.
- A separate letter from an independent third party, not a family member, that includes what they have witnessed regarding your circumstances, their signature, and a telephone number where they may be contacted if there are additional questions. A court order may also be submitted if available.
- If you cannot provide a letter from an independent source, please explain why in your letter. You may submit a signed letter from another source like a family member in its place.
Please complete the applicable Dependency Review form on our Forms page and submit with the required supporting documentation via one of the following:
- Finaid@virginiawestern.edu
- Upload via the Student Support Center
- In person at Chapman Hall, VWCC Campus.
Once submitted, the Financial Aid Office will post a message to the student’s Message Center when additional action is required or review is complete. Please check your Message Center often and allow approximately 10 business days for the review.
Information and Resources
- Financial Aid Home
- Apply for Financial Aid
- What to Know About Your Aid Award
- Types of Aid
- Summer Financial Aid
- Career Training/Non-Credit Financial Assistance
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Using Financial Aid in the Bookstore
- Financial Aid Forms
- Cost of Attendance
- Special & Unusual Circumstances
- Net Price Calculator
- Policies & Conditions
- Student Consumer Information
Contact Us
finaid@virginiawestern.edu
Chapman Hall C106
855-874-6690
Fax: 540-857-6208
Mailing address:
3094 Colonial Ave. SW
Roanoke, VA 24015
Walk-in Hours
Mon-Thurs: 8:00 AM-5:30 PM
Fri: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
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