Step 3: Seven situations are described below. Please check the box that best describes your situation.
1. You are unable to obtain your parents’ nancial information due to physical or emotional abuse, drug/alcohol
abuse, or other extraordinary family situations.
Required Documentation:
Signed statement from an adult professional who is familiar with your situation and can verify your circumstances. This may include
teachers, school counselors, professors, clergy, social workers, medical professionals, employers, or any other adult who you know in
a professional capacity. The letter must be on agency letterhead, be signed, and include the professional title of the writer.
A letter from you explaining the situation in detail.
One or more of the following:
- A letter, from someone other than a relative or a friend (i.e. the parents of a friend of the student, a neighbor, an employer).
- Police or court reports.
- Documentation from a social agency.
2. Both of your parents are incarcerated or your custodial parent is incarcerated and the other parent meets
the circumstances described in section 1, above.
If the above applies to you, please provide the following to the nancial aid oce:
A signed statement in your own words describing your situation. Please include all relevant details including names, dates, and places.
Any available documentation that details the beginning date and length of incarceration. This might include court documents,
newspaper articles, or a statement from the incarcerating institution.
If one of your parents is incarcerated and the other parent meets the circumstances described in section 1, provide all the materials
requested in section 1 as they pertain to that parent.
3. Your custodial parent has died and the other natural parent is still living. You, however, have neither had contact
with nor received any nancial support from the living parent for a signicant period of time.
Required Documentation:
Letter from you explaining the situation in detail.
A copy of the death certicate for the deceased custodial parent.
A letter from an objective third party which supports your claim that you have neither lived with nor received nancial support
from the noncustodial parent for a signicant period of time.
A copy of your birth certificate
4. You are an unaccompanied homeless student.
Required Documentation:
A letter from you explaining your situation in detail – including clari cation of why you consider yourself homeless.
One or more of the following:
- Documentation of where you are living on a temporary basis.
- A letter from an objective party that explains and con rms your homeless status.
5. You became married after completing the FAFSA, which was led as dependent status.
Required Documentation:
A letter from you explaining your situation in detail – including how a dependency status change will aect your eligibility
Copy of marriage certicate.
A copy of YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE’S most recent FEDERAL TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT(s)
6. You are legally divorced and maintained a residence apart from your parents while married and continue to do so.
If the above applies to you, please provide the following to the nancial aid oce:
A signed statement describing your situation. Please include all relevant details including names, dates, and places.
Copies of your marriage license and divorce or dissolution court documents.
Any other available documentation verifying that you are fully self-supporting.
7. Other
Required Documentation:
Please speak to a nancial aid counselor to determine eligibility for a dependency override appeal.
