Special Circumstances

Professional Judgement: Special or Unusual Circumstances

If you have an extenuating circumstance or need additional financial assistance, please read through the various options below. We encourage you to contact our office so that we can assist you in determining what your options are and the best way to proceed.

Special Circumstance 

Current circumstances are not always reflected accurately on the FAFSA since the tax information being reported is two years old. If your financial situation has changed significantly during the past two years, the Financial Aid Office may be able to help with a professional judgment – special circumstances appeal which results in a recalculation of financial need and can potentially lead to more federal and state grant aid.

A special circumstance is a financial situation (loss of a job, etc.) that justifies an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the cost of attendance (COA) or in the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation. 

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Recent unemployment (student, spouse, parent)
• Change or reduction in income (possibly due to divorce or separation, or other circumstance)
• Death of a spouse or parent
• Disability of a student, parent, or spouse
• One-time income (example: 401K or IRA withdrawal)
• Medical, dental or other expenses not covered by insurance.
• Housing change due to homelessness

Unusual Circumstance (commonly known as dependency override) 

Students who would normally be classified as a dependent student for FAFSA purposes may have an unusual circumstance that prevents access to parental tax information. Again, the Financial Aid Office may be able to help with a professional judgment – unusual circumstances appeal which waives the need for parental information on the FAFSA, making the student independent for FAFSA purposes and giving students access to federal financial aid in spite of the absence of parental information.

An unusual circumstance is a condition that justifies an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation that prevents an otherwise dependent student from accessing parental demographic and financial information. This is more commonly referred to as a dependency override. 

Some examples include: 

• Parental abandonment, neglect, or incarceration
• Court ordered custody other than a biological parent
• Abusive or unsafe family environment
• Inability to locate either biological parent for another specified reason

Appeal Process

• First, complete the FAFSA for the respective aid year.
• Complete and submit the respective form to finaid@tctc.edu for review: Special Circumstances Form or Unusual Circumstances Form, which will walk a student through needed information and documentation.
• A financial aid administrator will review the form and documentation and follow up with student via the student’s TCTC email to request more information or communicate an update on the status of the appeal.
• A decision is made within 2-3 business days, typically, but may take up to 5 business days in high volume customer service times.

Appeal Approval

• If approved, the financial aid administrator will adjust information reported on the FAFSA so that the Department of Education can recalculate the Student Aid Index (SAI) or Dependency Status indicator. The SAI is the number that the school uses to determine a student’s eligibility for need-based financial aid.
• Please Note: The school does not have the authority to make direct adjustments to the SAI or to the formula used to calculate the SAI; only data elements on the FAFSA which may change the SAI.
• Once the adjusted FAFSA comes back to TCTC, an official financial aid offer is assessed and disseminated to the student for review.
  

Still have questions?

To discuss your circumstance prior to completing an appeal, you may contact the Financial Aid office:

• Phone - 864-646-8282 Option 1
• Email - FinAid@tctc.edu
• In-person at TC Central on the Pendleton Campus (Ruby Hicks Building)

Emergency Assistance

SC Thrive is an application for various state and federal assistance. Please call SC Thrive directly for help filling out the application at 800-726-8774 or you may contact our TCTC Wellness Office to set up an appointment with an SC Thrive counselor at 864-646-1569.

Assistance for Other Circumstances

• DACA - Scholarship Opportunities for DACA/Undocumented Students
• Homeless Youth Determinations – contact the Financial Aid Office directly for instructions.