INCOME APPEAL
Rev. 13-Jul-20 Page 1 of 3
DEADLINE
Six weeks before your study period end date.
WHAT IS AN APPEAL?
An appeal is the process to request a reconsideration of your assessed award. If you have experienced an exceptional circumstance that
meets one or more of the criteria listed below, you may submit an appeal request. Once evaluated, the appeal request may result in a
change to your StudentAid BC award.
APPEAL CRITERIA
If you and/or your spouse/common-law partner or your parent(s), step-parent(s), sponsor(s) or legal guardian(s) have had, or anticipate
having, a significant decrease in income for the current year due to an exceptional circumstance(s), you may request an appeal for your
application to be reassessed using this year’s estimated income.
Exceptional circumstances include:
• COVID-19
• Medical illness or injury
• Family emergency (e.g., death or injury)
• Natural disaster
• Layoff, strike, lockout or other reduction in earnings beyond the family’s control
• Other exceptional circumstance
Note:
• If funding has already been disbursed, changes resulting from a reassessment may result in an overaward.
• If your income and/or your spouse/common-law partner’s income or your parent(s)/step-parent(s)/sponsor(s)/legal guardian(s)
income has not changed but an expense based on an exceptional circumstance has occurred, please use the Appeal Request for
Exceptional Expenses form.
HOW TO CALCULATE INCOME
Your Total Current Year Income is your income for the calendar year in which you submitted your student financial assistance application.
Add your actual income from the beginning of the calendar year up to the date of your application and your estimated income for the
remainder of that calendar year to calculate your Total Current Year Income.
Income includes money received from employment, pension, investment income, rental, RRSP, foster parent, net professional income,
workers’ compensation, employment insurance and disability assistance from all sources inside and outside of Canada (convert foreign
currency into Canadian dollars). Include any COVID-19-related taxable benefits, like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the
Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), in your calculations. Use the same process to calculate spouse/common-law partner or
parent(s)/step-parent(s)/sponsor(s)/legal guardian(s) income.
For example:
If you submitted your application on November 15, 2020, add your actual income for January 1, 2020 to November 15, 2020 to your
estimated income for November 16 to December 31, 2020 to calculate your Total Current Year Income.
APPEAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Talk to a Financial Aid Officer at your school, they can help you with the appeal process. If you are unable to contact a Financial
Aid Officer, contact StudentAid BC.
2. Review the Appeal Criteria.
3. Upload your completed Appeal Request Form to your StudentAid BC Dashboard.
Refer to the StudentAid BC Policy Manual for more information on appeals.
Appeal Request Form starts on page 2.