When completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), students (and their families) are asked to provide income and asset information; however they are not asked to provide information about their expenses. In accordance with federal regulations, the Office of Financial Aid's Extraordinary Expense Petition allows students and families with special circumstances to document their extraordinary expenses so that the Office of Financial Aid may reevaluate students' financial aid awards.

The deadline to submit Extraordinary Expense Petitions for the 2011-2012 (Summer 2011 - Spring 2012) aid year is May 15, 2012.

Extraordinary Expenses

Students and families with one of the following special circumstances affecting their households may be eligible to complete an Extraordinary Expense Petition:

  • Medical or dental expenses (not covered or reimbursed by an insurance provider, governmental agency, or other agency);
  • Legal expenses;
  • Elder care expenses for a member of the household (not covered or reimbursed by an insurance provider, governmental agency, or other agency);
  • Disability care expenses for a member of the household (not covered or reimbursed by an insurance provider, governmental agency, or other agency);
  • Parent's out-of-pocket expenses for parent attending a college/university as a degree-seeking student;
  • Child care expenses;
  • Additional educationally related costs incurred by the student specific to his or her field of study (e.g., Film, Art, Music, Theatre, Nursing, etc.);
  • Excessive commuter expenses incurred by the student for travel to and from home to attend WSU;
  • Expenses for the rental or purchase of a personal computer for students enrolled at least half-time; and/or
  • Private school tuition (elementary or high school) for a member of the household.

Extraordinary expenses do not include everyday living expenses (such as rent or mortgage, food, clothing, etc.) or credit card or loan debt.

How to Petition Extraordinary Expenses

The student and family must first complete the FAFSA and list Wright State University (003078) as a school of choice. The student and/or family then must contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss their special circumstances with a Financial Aid Advisor. If the student and/or family is eligible to petition, they will be given an Extraordinary Expense Petition to complete and return (with appropriate documentation) to the Office of Financial Aid. Extraordinary Expense Petitions are made available no sooner than April prior to the start of the aid year.

If approved, the student's cost of attendance may be increased or Expected Family Contribution (EFC) adjusted to reevaluate the student's financial aid awards (such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Loan and Ohio College Opportunity Grant). In some cases, no change may occur to the student's financial aid.

Petitioning extraordinary expenses is an annual process. If there are continual expenses that are incurred, then students (and families) can contact the Office of Financial Aid to petition extraordinary expenses for the next aid year.

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