Income Adjustment Appeal
Students and families experiencing a significant income reduction other than the income reported on the current FAFSA or CADAA may be eligible to file an Income Adjustment Appeal. Not all appeals will be granted. If you (student) are currently ineligible for Financial Aid, submitting an appeal does not change your ineligibility for Financial Aid.
Circumstances that allow for an Income Adjustment:
- Loss of income or benefits
- Separation or Divorce
- Death of a parent
|
Circumstance |
Dependent Student |
Independent Student |
Eligibility to submit an Income Adjustment appeal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Loss of employment |
You and/or your parents earned income in 2024 is less than in 2021 or 2022 |
Your and/or your spouses earned income for 2024 is less than in 2021 or 2022 |
If you answered no, you are ineligible to submit an Income Adjustment Appeal for this purpose. If you answered yes, you are eligible to submit an appeal. |
|
Loss of benefits |
You and/or your parents received benefits in 2021 or 2022 that have now have ceased |
You and/or your spouse received benefits in 2021 or 2022 that have now ceased |
If you answered no, you are ineligible to submit an Income Adjustment Appeal for this purpose. If you answered yes, you are eligible to submit an appeal. |
|
Separation/Divorce or Death of a Parent/Spouse |
Your parents separated or divorced after you filed your FA Application OR parent listed on FA App died after submitting the application |
You and/or your spouse separated or divorced after filing your FA App OR spouse listed on FA App died after submitting the application |
If you answered no, you are ineligible to submit an Income Adjustment Appeal for this purpose. If you answered yes, you are eligible to submit an appeal. |
The Income Adjustment Appeal is available on the Forms section of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Website
Budget Increase Request
Students and families experiencing an increase in Medical and/or Child Care expenses may be eligible to submit a Budget Increase Request. Costs that allow for an increase in your Cost of Attendance* (COA). An increase to your COA does not increase your eligibility for need-based grant awards.
- Out of Pocket Medical Expenses
- Child Care Expenses
The Budget Increase Request is available on the Forms section of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Website
Unusual Circumstance Appeal
This appeal is for applicants who would like to request a review of their dependency status for financial aid consideration. Please read the following information before submitting an Unusual Circumstance Appeal. Federal regulations state that a student is considered independent for financial aid if they can answer yes to any one of the dependency questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
If you do not meet any of the criteria and feel your circumstances warrant review for independent status, submit this appeal, and supporting documents, to Financial Aid and Scholarships for review. Please note, that a student is not considered independent solely based on the following:
- Your parents do not claim you as a tax exemption;
- Your parents do not support your choice of academic major or courses;
- Your parents do not want to participate in paying for your educational costs;
- Your parents feel that they are unable to contribute toward your costs.
- You are financially independent of parents
The Unusual Circumstance Appeal is available on the Forms section of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Website