Special Circumstances for Financial Aid

We know and understand that sometimes the FAFSA doesn’t capture a student’s true financial situation and their ability to invest in their education. If you feel this applies to you, please review these options.

Special Circumstance Appeal

• Loss of employment or reduction in wages
• Loss of benefits or untaxed income
• Retirement
• Divorce or separation of parent/spouse
• Death of a parent/spouse
• Continuing and unusually high medical and/or dental expenses not itemized on Federal Tax Returns or covered by insurance
• One time income

If any of the above circumstances apply to you, please complete and submit our Special Circumstance Appeal Form for Dependent students or the Special Circumstance Appeal Form for Independent students, along with any supporting documentation. These forms can be found on our Financial Aid Forms webpage.

Unusual Circumstance Appeal

If you have submitted the FAFSA, a set of questions will determine your dependency status. If you believe that your circumstances do not fit the criteria to be a dependent student and prevent you from including your parents’ information on the FAFSA, you may be eligible for a dependency override. An unusual circumstance or dependency override can include parental abandonment, an abusive family environment that threatens a student’s health or safety, parents’ being incarcerated or the student being unable to locate their parents. An unusual circumstance does not include the parents’ refusal to contribute to the student’s education, the parent is unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification, not claiming the student as dependent for income tax purposes, or the student demonstrating self-sufficiency.

You will need to supply the following information to the Student Financial Services Office:

• Personal statement explaining your current situation, how you are meeting financial needs, and details surrounding your current unusual circumstance.
• A supporting statement documenting first-hand knowledge of your unusual circumstance. This can include a counselor, employer, doctor, mental health provider, lawyer, or a family friend.

Please notify the Student Financial Services Office of your intention to request an Unusual Circumstance Appeal (sfs@queensl.edu, 704-337-2225). Student Financial Services Counselors will work with you on how to submit documentation for the appeal.