Special Circumstances SAI Appeal

Documentation Required:

• Most recent signed IRS 1040 Tax Return including all Schedules, if applicable.
• W-2s for both parents, if there were two earning wages
• If laid off, letter of termination from employer and copy of final earnings statement (paystub, including severance package information)
• Notice of unemployment insurance award from the Employment Development Department (EDD)
• If you have reestablished employment or reduction of wages: most current paystubs from new employer
• If change of self-employment/business income, please provide an explanation of the changes along with projected net profit/loss of business

Documentation Required:

• Most recent signed IRS 1040 Tax Return including all Schedules, if applicable.
• If the more recent taxes still include a different one-time source of income that was received, please explain what should be excluded and why.

*Before submitting the appeal, be sure to review your FAFSA/CADAA answers. Often the one-time source of income is from a "Rollover" of retirement funds (untaxed withdrawal from an IRA or Pension). Your parent might need to go back and correct the FAFSA/CADAA to report the exclusion of the rollover amount (might have missed it by mistake). 

Documentation Required:

• Most recent signed IRS 1040 Tax Return including all Schedules, if applicable.
• Divorce Decree or Proof of Marital Separation or Copy of Death Certificate
• If no legal proof of separation, you must provide documentation verifying that parents maintain separate households (for example: utility bills, rental leases, etc.)
• W-2s for both parents if possible, in order to separate and remove income from one of the parents
• If the more recent taxes include other miscellaneous sources of income, please explain what should be excluded and why.
• Documentation of any other additional support following the loss of parent/spouse that should be considered (life insurance, death benefits or pension plan, spousal support, child support, etc.)
• For divorce/separation, explain which parent belongs on the aid application as the main contributor (who provided the most financial support to the student over the past 12 months), along with who is now part of that parent's family size (any siblings who will be supported by that parent).

*This appeal should only be for separation or loss of parent that occurred recently after the FAFSA/CADAA was filed. If your parent already reported their marital status as divorced/separated, but a prior year joint tax return came in with both incomes still included, they might need to go back and correct the FAFSA/CADAA to manually report their own separated income (might have missed it by mistake). 

Documentation Required:

• Most recent signed IRS 1040 Tax Return including all Schedules, if applicable.
• Receipts or billing statements from medical provider(s) as proof of expenses paid that were not covered by insurance.
• A written statement as a list of all expenses that itemizes the following details: the Company Name, Patient Name, Date of Occurrence, Out-of-Pocket Amount Paid

*We can only adjust your income for expenses that occurred within a 12 month tax year period (not cumulative amount spanning over multiple years).

Documentation Required:

• Most recent signed IRS 1040 Tax Return including all Schedules, if applicable.
• Receipts or billing statements from college(s) as proof of expenses paid that were paid out of pocket (could include student account history, outside lease agreement if living off campus, etc.)
• Copy of sibling's official Financial Aid Award Letter from college showing their Cost of Attendance, Grants/Scholarships Amounts, and the Net Price or Net Cost.

*We can only adjust your income for expenses that occurred within a 12 month school year (not cumulative amount spanning over multiple years).