Circumstances that will NOT be Considered

  • Student is living at home (or with relatives) but paying rent
  • Student has ongoing arguments with parent(s) and due to this the parent(s) have refused to help the student
  • Student has chosen to leave parent(s) and put him or herself through college
  • Parent(s) have chosen not to help pay for the student’s college expenses or provide their financial information
  • Student has a step-parent who refuses to provide financial support or income information

Reason(s) to submit an appeal

  1. Your parent(s) have been permanently declared incompetent by judicial action:
    • Provide documentation, such as court orders or notarized affidavits.
    • Provide a Third Party Letter: Signed statement from a professional on letterhead who is not a family member, substantiating your claim of independence. This can be a priest, rabbi, counselor, social services professional, medical professional, law enforcement officer, officer of the court, etc. (Any Third Party Letters not on letterhead will need to be notarized.)
  2. You are receiving public assistance:
    • Provide documentation proving receipt of public assistance.
    • Public assistance does not include food stamps, unemployment compensation, or aid as a dependent child under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Program.
  3. You are receiving Social Security Income or Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) under your name:
    • Provide evidence from Social Security officials.
    • This does not include Social Security Benefits you are receiving due to a death of a parent (Survivor’s benefits) or any other benefits received under your parents’ names.
  4. You have been rendered financially independent due to the involuntary dissolution of your family, resulting in relinquishment of your parents’ responsibility and control.
    • Examples of this include: abuse, abandonment, unfit environment, etc.
    • Provide documentation of the dissolution of your family, such as court orders or notarized affidavits.
    • Provide a Third Party Letter: Signed statement from a professional on letterhead who is not a family member, substantiating your claim of independence. This can be a priest, rabbi, counselor, social services professional, medical professional, law enforcement officer, officer of the court, etc. (Any Third Party Letters not on letterhead will need to be notarized.)