Financial Aid Appeals
We recognize that you or your family's financial situation may change unexpectedly. If your financial circumstances have changed, you may submit an appeal to be reviewed by the Financial Aid Review Committee. In all cases, the appeal must come from the student.
If you have questions about your particular situation or any of the required documents, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Types of Appeals
Overview
Students who wish to have educational or living expenses above and beyond Cal Lutheran's standard Cost of Attendance considered by the Financial Aid Office must submit a letter explaining what items they want considered, why the items should be considered, and include documentation of those expenses.
Items that may be considered include, but are not limited to:
- Child care
- Purchase of computer or other large expense related to education
- Commuting costs above those already considered in the budget
- Additional unit charges (over 18 units)
- Living in a more expensive residence hall with a meal plan
Procedure
Contact the Financial Aid office to speak with a counselor who can assess your situation and begin the appeal process.
Determining Your Dependency Status
There are strict guidelines set by the federal government that govern dependency status. Almost all undergraduates are considered dependent for the purpose of awarding financial aid, even if the student does not live with their parents..
If you're not sure, the Federal Student Aid website provides a list of criteria to determine if you are a dependent or independent student for financial aid purposes. All graduate students are considered independent for purposes of awarding financial aid.
If none of the above criteria apply, then the student is considered to be a dependent student – even if the student can claim themselves on their taxes. However, the Financial Aid Office has the authority, through Section 480(d)(7) of the Higher Education Act, to change a student's status from dependent to independent in cases involving unusual circumstances.
Circumstances that do not merit a dependency override
Note that all of these circumstances below are largely discretionary in nature. A student cannot become independent just because the parents are unwilling to help pay for the student's college education. These circumstances can be either alone or in combination.
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education;
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the application or for verification;
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes;
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
Circumstances that do merit a dependency override
Although these circumstances are not always sufficient for a dependency override, they do not preclude it.
- an abusive family environment (e.g., sexual, physical, or mental abuse or other forms of domestic violence)
- abandonment by parents
- incarceration or institutionalization of both parents
- parents lacking the physical or mental capacity to raise the child
- parents whereabouts unknown or parents cannot be located
- parents hospitalized for an extended period
- an unsuitable household (e.g., child removed from the household and placed in foster care)
- married student's spouse dies or student gets divorced
Procedure
Please speak with your Financial Aid Counselor if you have questions or would like more information on your dependency status and how to file an Unusual Circumstance Appeal.
Overview
In order to receive gift assistance from Cal Lutheran, a student must be enrolled full time (12 to 18 units per semester).
Procedure
Students who wish to receive their institutional gift assistance while attending part time must submit a letter to the Financial Aid Office stating the reason for their part-time status and asking for a re-evaluation of financial aid.
Overview
For a Federal Parent PLUS Loan, the Department of Education will perform a check for adverse credit history and generally notify both the parent and the Financial Aid Office within 1-2 business days whether the parent's credit was approved or denied.
If your parent's credit is denied for a Parent PLUS loan
If the parent's credit is denied, the parent or student may choose to pursue one of the options below:
- Have your parent add a credit-worthy endorser to their Parent PLUS Loan application
- Have your parent appeal the credit decision with the Department of Education
- The student may be eligible to borrow an additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
instead of the Parent PLUS loan.
- Once the Financial Aid Office is notified of the Parent PLUS loan credit denial, we will determine the student's eligibility for an additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
- If eligible, an additional Direct Unsubsidized loan will be added to the aid offer and the student will be sent a revised aid offer notification email via their Cal Lutheran email address.
- The student can then accept the Additional Unsubsidized Loan in Financial Aid Self-Service.
Please speak with your Financial Aid Counselor if you have questions.
Overview
If your financial situation has changed dramatically since you completed the FAFSA, please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss if you might be eligible to appeal for any financial aid adjustments.
Overview
A student placed on Financial Aid Suspension may submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee if there were extenuating circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP requirements.
Procedure
Students must submit the following to the Office of Financial Aid within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of the suspension notification.
- Financial Aid SAP Appeal Form (Choose GPA/Pace or Maximum Timeframe Form)
- Personal Statement: Within the form, student must provide a concise statement explaining why they were unable to maintain SAP, what has changed, and the action to be taken to ensure they will be successful going forward; and
- Provide acceptable documentation of extenuating circumstances (see below for examples) that prohibited them from meeting SAP; and
- For Maximum Timeframe Appeals only: Students must also include a Student Educational Plan or “Program Evaluation”, developed in consultation with a Cal Lutheran Faculty Advisor or Student Success Counselor to outline courses required to complete degree.
Examples of Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating Circumstance |
Example of Acceptable Documentation |
Personal injury or illness |
Detailed letter, on letterhead, from physician explaining dates and types of illness, recommended treatment, dates of non-attendance, prognosis, etc. |
Death/illness or injury of a close family member |
Death certificate, obituary notice; documentation of illness or injury of close family member. |
Legal Issue |
Divorce decree, separation agreement, police report detailing incident, date and those involved |
Job Conflict |
Letter from supervisor, on letterhead, stating scheduling problems, etc. |
Disability |
Letter from Disability Services Office addressing problems that arose during the term in question and the resolution for future terms or medical documentation from other outside sources, letter from a doctor, etc. |
Other |
Any other documentation that will support the appeal (letter from faculty, or third-party source) |
Additional Information
Financial Aid SAP Appeals will be processed in the order received. Incomplete documentation or late appeal submission may delay the committees review and final determination.
Students are responsible to pay any charges for the term out of pocket or enroll in the Monthly Payment Plan while waiting for a decision on an appeal in order to meet Student Account Financial Clearance requirements.