Financial Aid

Appeal For Extraordinary Circumstance

The Catholic University of America is committed to offering our best financial assistance package the first time. However, we recognize that students and their families sometimes feel that there are extenuating circumstances in their particular case, so we will honor limited requests for review that meet one or more of the conditions listed below.

A financial aid package is based on the information provided by student and parent(s) when they submit the FAFSA. The Catholic University of America uses the data submitted on the FAFSA to determine student federal aid eligibility, and in conjunction with our own institutional methodology, to determine the institutional need-based eligibility. For The Catholic University of America to consider an appeal, the family must demonstrate an extraordinary change to the data provided on the FAFSA.

Families and students must realize that financial aid funds are limited and aid programs have statutory annual limits per student. In many cases, even if an appeal meets the criteria below, any adjustment in family contribution may not result in any additional aid. The Office of University Admissions awards scholarships based on merit only; scholarships are not open to negotiation or appeal.

If your family has experienced a major reduction in income, the university may consider prorated income as a basis for figuring your need for federal assistance. The reduction must have resulted from one of the special conditions listed below and must have occurred in the prior or current year that you are appealing. The Catholic University of America will not consider “fluctuations” of income caused by self-employment, sales commissions, bonuses, gambling or seasonal employment.

In addition, personal debts, such as credit cards car or home loans, and other consumer debt are not eligible for consideration, as they are debts of choice rather than extraordinary circumstances.

Prior or concurrent education loans for the student, siblings or parents will not be considered, nor will
the prior or concurrent cost of private schooling for the student or siblings.

Insurance premiums will not be considered. Medical expenses may only be considered in very extreme circumstances (i.e. non-reimbursed expenses exceed 15 percent of your family's Adjusted Gross Income). Schedule A of the 1040 will be required as documentation. Medical expense projections are ineligible for consideration.

Business losses and net operating loss carryovers are already built into the federal formula based on your tax information and will not be considered.

Bankruptcy or tax liens will not be considered as an extraordinary circumstance.

An appeal will only be considered if it meets one or more of the conditions listed. You must read, complete and sign the certification section of the application. All signatures must be notarized. No letter of appeal will be considered unless it is accompanied by the official appeal form, complete tax returns and schedules, and all other requested required documentation specific to your appeal circumstance.

In addition to the requirements shown under the individual conditions, signed copies of the student's and parent’s Federal Income Tax Returns must be submitted for both the year under review and the prior year. (For example, for an appeal of academic year 2009/2010, Federal Income Tax returns for 2008 and 2007 should be submitted). Complete tax return includes all schedules and W-2 forms for that tax year. No appeal will be considered unless all required documentation is provided, if an appeal is received with missing documentation or incomplete tax returns, the appeal will be denied without review. Please staple all documentation to the appeal form and return all documentation at the same time to the Office of Financial Aid.

If you have experienced one or more of the conditions listed, please print out and complete the "Appeal for Consideration of Extraordinary Circumstances" application and return with all required documentation attached. The Appeal of Extraordinary Circumstances Application is located on the Forms section of this website.

Conditions

1. Parents or self-supporting student (and spouse, if married) will have experienced an overall household income reduction of at least 25 percent. Loss of income must result from retirement, unemployment (defined as at least 12 consecutive weeks of unemployment), or change in employment.
   If retiring, please include the following documentation:
   • Documentation from employer detailing: effective date of retirement, year-to-date income and projected pension income.
   • Letter from Social Security Administration detailing benefits.
   If terminated, please include the following documentation:
   • Letter of termination from employer.
   • Last pay statement or letter from employer with year-to-date income.
   • Letter from State Unemployment Office detailing benefit amount or benefit ineligibility.
   • Letter from employer indicating details of severance package or lack of severance package.
2. Untaxed income has ceased or has been reduced. Only include changes in Social Security Benefits and/or child support received that were reported on the original FAFSA application. Please include the following documentation:
   • Documentation from third party (including contact information for verification) source that clearly shows the reduction you are claiming.
3. Parent or spouse of student suffered permanent and total disability. The parent or spouse's income information had to be included on the original FAFSA application to be considered. Please include the following documentation:
   • Signed (stamped signature is not acceptable) letter from physician (including contact information for verification) stating the extent and duration of disability.
   • Letter from employer detailing disability compensation (workman's compensation) and year to date income.
4. Parent or spouse of student died. The parent or spouse's income information had to be included on the original FAFSA application to be considered. Please include the following documentation:
   • Copy of death certificate.
5. Medical expenses may be considered in very extreme circumstances.
   i.e. non-reimbursed expenses must exceed 15 percent of your family’s Adjusted Gross Income and for which you have claimed a tax deduction. Insurance Premiums will not be considered and should not be included in the 15 percent threshold. Medical expense projections are ineligible for consideration. Please include the following documentation:
   • Schedule A of the tax form on which you claimed the expenses. (CUA reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation.)