Special or Unusual Circumstance

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Appeal Information for a Special Circumstance or Unusual Circumstance

Under Federal law, a student and their family are primarily responsible to cover the cost of attending their college of choice to the extent that they are able. However, the U.S Department of Education and Benedictine University’s Office of Financial Aid recognizes that the information collected by the FAFSA may not accurately reflect each student’s unique circumstances. If you feel that the information reported on your FAFSA does not accurately reflect your family circumstance, Benedictine’s Office of Financial Aid may be able to adjust your financial aid eligibility based on your situation.

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Circumstance Appeal Process

The Circumstance Appeal process requires a thorough review by the Office of Financial Aid to determine what changes, if any, may be appropriate to change your FAFSA results. Each request is evaluated on a case-by case basis. Because of the individualized nature of these requests, the evaluation process may take 3-4 weeks, however, we will have an outcome no later than 60 days from the final submission of required documents.

There are different categories that financial aid administrators consider when reviewing a student’s circumstance:

Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations (loss of a job, death of the custodial parent, etc.) that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the data used to complete the FAFSA.

Unusual Circumstances refer to the conditions that justify an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration), more commonly referred to as a dependency override.

The U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to override a school’s decision. It is important to note that a review of a student’s special and/or unusual circumstance does not guarantee additional funding.

If you believe you have a unique circumstance, you can contact our office by coming in person to Goodwin Hall, Suite 214; calling 630-829-6100, or emailing BU financial aid office at [email protected] 

1. Review your Financial Aid award notification
   • To determine if you have an existing financial need.
   • Use the Out-of-Pocket Estimate Worksheet to figure your balance owed.
2. Submit Documentation
   • Review the Circumstance Appeal checklist to determine what unique circumstance applies your situation and provide substantial documentation to verify your circumstance. It is best to gather as much written evidence of your situation as you can.

• Processing
  • The Office of Financial Aid evaluates all the submitted documents. Keep in mind that you will be selection for verification before any adjustments will be made to your FAFSA.
  • If additional documentation is needed, the student will receive an email request send to their BenU email account.
• Decision
  • The Office of Financial Aid will determine if a student’s appeal request meets the criteria to make data element changes to their FAFSA.
  • If the appeal is approved, appropriate changes will be made to the student’s FAFSA and submitted directly to the U.S. Department of Education.  The U.S. Department of Education will recalculate the Student Aid Index (SAI) for need-based eligibility. The student will be notified of the changes by both the U.S. Department of Education and Benedictine.
  • Keep in mind that some cases, an adjustment does not increase the student’s total awarded amount or eligibility for grants or loans.