Change of Circumstance

Financial Aid Appeal

Occasionally students and/or parents will feel that the information required on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) does not realistically reflect their circumstances or their ability to contribute to their college costs.  Before an appeal is reviewed the student must have submitted their FAFSA and been notified of their awards for the academic year.

The Financial Aid Appeal requests a reconsideration of the amount of aid that has been offered by providing additional information that will assist the office in determining the student's eligibility for additional financial aid. This information is typically related to:

• Divorce

• Retirement

• Death of a family member

• Loss of employment or significant reduction in income or benefits

• Unusually high medical expenses NOT covered by insurance

• Other unusual expenses or circumstances

Explanation of circumstances should be thorough, and when applicable, supporting documentation should be provided. Please note that expenses such as high credit card debt, home mortgage or repairs, or high costs of living are NOT able to be appealed. Also, appealing merely to ask for additional funds will not result in any changes. Appeals are reviewed only if your situation has changed dramatically or is not accurately reflected by the FAFSA.

Our mission is to provide funds to students who truly need financial aid. Often, we cannot do that unless we are fully aware of unusual circumstances that may exist. If you have any questions about whether a particular situation may qualify, please email finaidappeal@uwyo.edu to describe your situation that you would like to have reviewed.  A member from the Financial Aid office will reach out to follow up and gather more information to help determine if an appeal would be feasible and have a potential impact on the student’s financial aid award. All your data and documentation are kept confidential.