Student Financial Services

FAFSA Adjustments

If your family’s income is now lower than what was reported on the FAFSA, adjustments to your FAFSA may be possible.

However, please note the following:

• Completing a Special Circumstances form does not guarantee that there will be changes to your financial aid package. If the household’s current or projected income remains at or above $100,000, it is unlikely that an appeal will change the financial aid package.
  
  
• If your current EFC is zero or extremely low, you are not eligible for Special Circumstances, as adjustments to your FAFSA would not change your financial aid status. In this case, you already receive the maximum possible eligibility for federal need-based aid.
  
  
• Submission of a Special Circumstance Appeal does not exempt your account from the payment due dates, late fees, and holds on your account.
  
  
• Special Circumstances cannot be used to change eligibility for state aid programs such as TAP, SUNY Tuition Credit, Excelsior, etc.

Excelsior and Pell

If you currently receive Excelsior Scholarship funding and qualify for Federal Pell Grant funding as a result of your Special Circumstances Appeal, then your Excelsior Scholarship will be reduced by the amount of Pell Grant funding you receive. Excelsior Scholarships only cover the balance of tuition after all free grant funding is applied.

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Circumstances Not Considered

The federal government limits the criteria that can be considered special circumstances.

As a result, Purchase College will not consider or make adjustments for any of the following:

• Parents will not help pay for college
• Car payments or car insurance
• Consumer debt (credit cards)
• Mortgages and rent
• Tuition paid for other household members in college
• Unusual expenses related to personal living (such as wedding expenses, loan payments, home repairs, or legal expenses)
• Medical insurance premiums (excluding Schedule A if included in your Federal Tax Return)
• Individual medical/dental bills or statements
• One-year bonus incomes (such as lottery winnings or gambling winnings)
• Reduction in overtime pay
• All bankruptcy or reductions in income from bankruptcy proceedings
• Home equity, IRA, 403B, and 401K loans

If your reason for special circumstances is not listed above, please complete the Special Circumstances Form along with all required documents based on the appropriate academic year.

We will not review your Special Circumstances Appeal until ALL of the documents below have been submitted.