FAFSA Adjustment
When you (the student) file the 2018–19 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you are required to provide information about your household (e.g., yourself and your spouse, if married, or your parents, if required), including 2016 income information. The household data provided on your FAFSA is used by the U.S. Department of Education’s Central Processing System to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is intended to represent your household’s financial strength.
Sometimes you or members of your household (spouse or parents) experience a special circumstance not reported on the 2018–19 FAFSA that has impacted the household’s ability to pay for your educationally-related expenses. The FAFSA Adjustment Form allows you (and members of your household) to document your special circumstance which, if approved, may allow the Office of Financial Aid to recalculate your EFC and have your financial aid re-evaluated.
On this page:
FAFSA Adjustment Policy
Annually, and on a case-by-case basis, the Office of Financial Aid may recalculate your EFC and re-evaluate your financial aid awards due to your or a member of your household's (spouse or parents) documented special circumstance. The Office of Financial Aid will require you complete the FAFSA Verification process prior to reviewing your FAFSA Adjustment Form.
Situations that qualify as a special circumstance for FAFSA adjustment for the 2018–19 aid year include:
- Health care expenses (e.g. medical, dental, etc.) paid during the 2017 calendar year that were not covered by insurance or a third party.
- Loss of all or part of one of the following sources of 2017 taxable or untaxed income as it compares to the 2016 income reported on the 2018-2019 FAFSA: (1) wages, salaries, and tips; (2) unemployment; (3) Adjusted Gross Income; (4) child support paid; (5) child support received; (6) living allowances paid to military, clergy, and others; or (6) veteran’s non-educational benefits.
- A one-time event (i.e. not reoccurring due to the same circumstance), such as an inheritance, windfall, settlement, buyout, withdrawal, etc., occurred in 2016 and was reported on the 2018-2019 FAFSA.
- A parent included in the household on the student’s 2018-2019 FAFSA is enrolled at least half-time in a degree- or certificate-granting program during the 2018-2019 academic year at a college/university that participates in the federal student aid programs.
- The parents included in the household on the student’s 2018-2019 FAFSA were married at the time the student filed his or her FAFSA and were reported as such on the FAFSA, but the parent’s marital status is now separated, divorced, or widowed, and marital change occurred on or before December 31, 2018.
- Elementary or secondary school tuition expenses for a dependent child were paid between July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 that were not covered by a third party.
How to Apply
You (and members of your household, if required) must complete and return the 2018–19 FAFSA Adjustment Form and supporting documentation to RaiderConnect by February 15, 2019. The submission of a FAFSA Adjustment Form does not guarantee your EFC will be adjusted. See our Important Dates page for processing timelines for FAFSA Adjustments and other financial aid documents.
Upon receipt of your FAFSA Adjustment Form, the Office of Financial Aid will require you complete the FAFSA Verification process. Once the FAFSA Verification process is complete, the Office of Financial Aid will review your FAFSA Adjustment Form and supporting documentation. If your household has a qualifying special circumstance, the Office of Financial Aid will recalculate your EFC and re-evaluate your financial aid awards.
You (the student) will be notified via your Wright State University email account when the result of your FAFSA Adjustment Form is available to view in WINGS Express.
Supporting Documentation
You or members of your household are required to submit supporting documentation with the FAFSA Adjustment Form. For the situations that qualify as a special circumstance for FAFSA adjustment, the following items are requested:
| Special Circumstance for FAFSA Adjustment | Supporting Documentation |
|---|---|
| Health care expenses (e.g. medical, dental, etc.) were paid during the 2017 calendar year that were not covered by a third party |
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Loss of all or part of one of the following sources of 2016 taxable or untaxed income reported on the 2018–19 FAFSA:
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| A one-time event, such as an inheritance, windfall, settlement, buyout, withdrawal, etc., occurred in 2016 and was reported on the 2018–19 FAFSA |
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| A parent included in the household on the student’s 2018-2019 FAFSA was enrolled at least half-time in a degree- or certificate-granting program at a college/university that participates in the federal student aid programs. | Enrollment verification from the college/university indicating the parent is enrolled at least half-time in a degree seeking program during that is Title IV eligible during May 2018 to April 2019. |
| The parents included in the household on the student’s 2018-2019 FAFSA were married at the time the student filed his or her FAFSA and were reported as such on the FAFSA, but the parent’s marital status is now separated, divorced, or widowed, and marital change occurred on or before December 31, 2018. |
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Elementary or secondary school tuition expenses for a dependent child that were not covered by a third party and are beyond the amounts already accounted for on the FAFSA. |
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If you or a member of your household is unable to provide the supporting documentation requested above, please contact RaiderConnect to discuss your circumstance to determine if other forms of documentation may be considered.
