Find out how to request a professional judgment if you have special and/or unusual circumstances not reflected on your FAFSA.
In accordance with Federal regulations, University of Maryland Global Campus may take into account special and/or unusual circumstances that are not reflected in the information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, but may affect the family's ability to pay for a college education.
Administrators from the UMGC Office of Financial Aid can make adjustments to a student's expected family contribution for education expenses and/or financial aid dependency status as determined by Federal guidelines. These adjustments only affect need-based financial aid and are only made after receiving sufficient documentation from a student to justify an exception to normal Federal financial aid program guidelines.
Appeals and Processes
Significant changes in your family's income may merit recalculating your financial aid eligibility. Please review the information below to determine if you have an eligible reason for appeal.
Eligible Reasons for Requesting a Special Circumstances Appeal
Loss of employment that has resulted in a minimum 20 percent reduction of income. This income reduction must be documented for a minimum of 10 weeks.
Loss of untaxed income. This includes the loss of social security, AFDC/TANF, child support, alimony, disability payment, worker's compensation, or other untaxed income.
Change in marital status during the 2023–24 calendar year. The student (dependent or independent) marries or parent (if dependent) or spouse (if independent) is no longer residing in household due to separation or divorce AFTER the FAFSA has been filed.
Death of parent or spouse. The student's parent (if dependent) or spouse (if independent) passes away after the FAFSA has been filed.
Permanent and total disability. Parent (if dependent), student or spouse (if independent) suffered a permanent and total disability.
Note: It is highly recommended that graduate students apply for a Graduate PLUS loan if they are seeking additional funding for the 2023–24 academic year.
To begin the appeal process for the 2023–24 aid year, please select and print the appropriate form from those listed above. Your form must be completed in full and returned to the Office of Financial Aid with supporting documentation for your specific circumstance. Please read the form carefully to identify what additional information needs to be submitted with the form.
After receiving your appeal, the Office of Financial Aid will notify you within 5 to 7 business days via e-mail if any additional information is needed to support your appeal. Please monitor your e-mail and MyUMGC so that you can respond promptly and appropriately to any requests made by our office.
Incomplete appeals will not be accepted or reviewed. If you are unable to submit any of the documents listed on the appeal form for your specific circumstance, please address the reason for not providing that information in your statement.
The Special Circumstances Appeal forms and supporting documentation can be submitted online at the Help Center. Appeal forms received after the deadline for a given semester will be reviewed for the following semester.
A decision will typically be rendered in 10 of business days after your completed appeal is received by the UMGC Office of Financial Aid. All appeal decisions are final.
Submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval of an appeal. Additionally, approval of an appeal does not guarantee receipt of additional aid. You are responsible for all outstanding charges with UMGC.
A Special Circumstances Appeal is different from the Exceptions to Course Drop and Withdrawal and Refund Policies (Academic Appeals). Get information about refund exceptions at UMGC.
The U.S. Department of Education determines your student dependency status based on the information you provided on the FAFSA. In certain situations, students may submit an appeal to UMGC requesting that their dependency status be overridden. UMGC will use this process to review your situation and determine if you are eligible to be considered an independent student. An appeal can only be approved in certain limited and exceptional circumstances.
Important: The unwillingness and/or inability of your parents to financially support you and/or living on your own and paying your own bills are not by themselves reasons that demonstrate "exceptional circumstances" and cannot be considered.
To begin the appeal process, you must submit a 2023-2024 Unusual Circumstances Appeal Form. This form must be completed in full and returned to the Office of Financial Aid with documentation that supports your reason for appealing. Please read the form carefully to ensure that you submit all required documents. Your appeal must contain the following:
- A signed and dated statement that includes a complete history of
- Your relationship with your biological and/or legally adoptive parents
- Specific dates of events that caused your separation from your parents
- Where you have lived since separating from your parents
- Sources of income (include copies of your 2021 W2 form(s) and signed federal Tax Return)
- An explanation of how you have supported yourself while living apart from your parents
- Two signed and dated letters from professionals (on their letterhead) documenting their first-hand knowledge of your exceptional circumstance. The Office of Financial Aid may contact these references for additional information or clarification of your situation.
- Professionals include clergy, counselors, social workers, police, physicians, etc.
- Letters should be detailed and refer to actual events—they should not be restatements of information you have shared about relevant events, but should reflect the writer's direct knowledge.
- Police reports may, in some cases, substitute for one of the required letters.
Your Unusual Circumstances Appeal form and supporting documentation should be submitted together via UMGC's secure document submission page. Incomplete appeals will not be accepted or reviewed. If you are unable to provide any of the documents listed on the appeal form for your specific circumstance, please address the reason(s) for not providing that information in your statement.
If any additional information is needed, the Office of Financial Aid will notify you 5 to 7 business days after receiving your initial appeal submission. Please monitor your e-mail and MyUMGC so that you can respond promptly and appropriately to any requests made by our office.
A decision will typically be made within 10 business days of receipt of your complete submission. All appeal decisions are final and the student is responsible for any balance owed to UMGC, regardless of the outcome.
Submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval of an appeal. Additionally, approval of an appeal does not guarantee receipt of additional aid. You are responsible for all outstanding charges with UMGC.
The U.S. Department of Education holds UMGC accountable for all appeal decisions made.
We use Federal guidelines to develop an estimated Cost of Attendance, or a financial aid budget, based on indirect and direct costs associated with your education at UMGC. In some cases, you can request to have your COA adjusted to meet your actual expenses.
Additional Costs that can be Factored
If you incur additional expenses related to your education that are not included in the COA, the Office of Financial Aid may be able to increase your COA. Additional expenses must be for the semester/academic year for which you are requesting an exception. Previous years' or projected expenses cannot factor into the adjustment.
Potential Additional Expenses
| Expense | Required Documentation |
|---|---|
| Auto repair costs other than routine maintenance | Itemized bill/receipt and proof of payment |
| Books and/or supplies | Receipts or proof of payment |
| Dependent care expenses | Documentation showing the weekly expense for each dependent such as a statement from your service provider or your bill. Documentation must include the name and age of each dependent. |
| Expenses associated with a disability that are not covered by a third party | Itemized bill/receipt and proof of payment |
| Housing costs beyond those allotted in the COA | Copy of lease agreement/mortgage statement and receipts/proof of payment |
| Out-of-pocket medical expenses | Receipt/proof of payment or itemized unpaid bill showing amount to be paid out-of-pocket |
Appeal Process
In order to have a Cost of Attendance appeal reviewed, the following need to be submitted to https://www.umgc.edu/help/submit-case :
- A personal statement addressing circumstances that resulted in additional expenses
- Documentation supporting additional expenses with specified dates