INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE
UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE
NO PARENT INFORMATION
When you completed and submitted your 2019-2020 Free Application For Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA
) your answers to the dependency status questions identified you as a dependent
student. This means you were required to provide parental information. You indicated that
you have an unusual circumstance and were unable to provide parental information.
Under Federal law to the extent your family is able, they are primarily responsible for paying
for your college expenses. To determine how much your family can afford to pay toward your
college expenses, we must collect your financial information and your parents’ financial
information.
However, Federal law allows for some exceptions, if you have an unusual
circumstance. The following are examples of some unusual circumstances where you may
submit your FAFSA without providing parental information (a Petition for Independence may
be warranted in these cases–Inquire at the Office of Financial Aid):
‚ Your parents are incarcerated; or
‚ You have left home due to an abusive family environment; or
‚ You have circumstances which have resulted in family estrangement; or
‚ You do not know where your parents are and are unable to contact them (and you have
not been adopted).
But not all situations are considered an unusual circumstance. The following are
situations that would not be considered an unusual circumstance:
‚ Your parents do not want to provide their information on your FAFSA; or
‚ Your parents refuse to contribute to your college expenses; or
‚ Your parents do not claim you as a dependent on their income taxes; or
‚ You do not live with your parents.
If you do not have a special circumstance and are unable to provide parental information you
normally do not qualify for federal student aid.
However, in situations where your parents refuse to provide their information on the
FAFSA and refuse to provide you with any financial support, there is an exception that
allows a student to submit the FAFSA without parental information and apply for an
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan only at the discretion of a financial aid administrator.
If you have a situation where your parent refuses to provide their information on the
FAFSA and refuses to provide you with financial support, please complete and submit
the attached form for a decision to apply for an unsubsidized loan only at the discretion
of a financial aid administrator.
If your parents refuse to sign and date a statement to this effect, you must get documentation
from a third party, such as a teacher, counselor, cleric or court.