Special and Unusual Circumstances
Special and/or Unusual circumstances may occur when a student's current financial or dependency situation is no longer accurately reflected on the FAFSA.
Federal regulations provide Financial Aid Administrators the authority to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis, to adjust the cost of attendance or the values of the items used in calculating the SAI (Student Aid Index) to reflect a student's special or unusual circumstances.
Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the cost of attendance (COA) or in the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
- a death in the family
- loss of employment by the student or a parent
- unusually high medical expenses not covered by insurance
- separation and divorce after the FAFSA has been filed
- loss of untaxed income or benefit
- other extraordinary situations
Steps to Complete
- Submit the request using the Request for Special Circumstance form.
- Contact the Director of Financial Aid at stacyd@northeast.edu | (402) 844-7288 with any questions.
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.
- Abusive (physically and/or mentally) family environment
- Abandonment
- Parents cannot be located/no contact with any parent
- Other reasons
We cannot override dependency in cases where:
- parents refusal to contribute financially to the student's education
- unwillingness of parents to provide information
- student being financially independent
- parents not claiming a student as a dependent on their income taxes
Steps to Complete
- Submit the request using the Unusual Circumstance/Dependency Override form.
- Contact the Director of Financial Aid at stacyd@northeast.edu | (402) 844-7288 with any questions.
Students may have unusual educational expenses not accounted for in the Cost of Attendance (COA). Federal regulations give the Financial Aid Office the ability to adjust a student's cost of attendance budget based on certain additional expenses. Adjusting the COA may increase potential for loans or other sources of funding.
Expenses Include:
Purchase of a computer
Students in a program of study that require the use of a computer may request an increase to their cost of attendance (COA) once during their program of study for the cost of the computer. Increasing the COA does not guarantee additional aid eligibility; however, a copy of the purchase receipt can be submitted for review.
ChildCare Cost
If you pay for dependent care in order to attend class, study, commute, or perform other activities directly related to your college attendance you may request an increase to your cost of attendance (COA).
Additional Transportation Expense
Transportation expenses are already included in your cost of attendance (COA); however, if you incur or will incur expenses that exceed the standard budget amount and adjustment may be considered.
Study Abroad
Students enrolled in a study abroad experience approved for credit by Northeast Community College may request a review of their cost of attendance (COA) budget for additional expenses incurred due to the study abroad experience.
What to Expect
A Special Circumstance review typically takes between 3-4 weeks from the date when all necessary documentation has been received. Once processed, the student will be notified of the final determination of their request as well as an initial or revised financial aid offer. During peak processing times, the request may take longer than stated above.
An Unusual Circumstance request will be processed as quickly as practicable, but a determination will be made no later than 60 days after the student enrolls. Beginning with the 2023-24 award year, any student who was approved for a dependency override and made independent for financial aid due to unusual circumstances will continue to be independent for each subsequent award year at Northeast unless the student informs us that their circumstances have changed, or we have conflicting information about the student's independence. Students must still submit their FAFSA each year but should not need to take additional action to be considered an independent student each year.
Need help or additional information?
Email the Financial Aid Office at finaid@northeast.edu or call (402) 844-7285 or schedule an appointment.