Scholarships & Financial Aid
1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3335
Knight Hall, Room 174
Laramie, WY 82071-3335
Phone: (307) 766-2116
Fax: (307) 766-3800
Email: finaid@uwyo.edu
In-Person: Our Office Hours
Please note that appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The decision to either approve or deny a request is final, and not all appeals will result in additional aid.
Circumstances that may qualify:
Death of parent, or spouse
Divorce or separation not reflected on the FAFSA
High medical expenses
Significant income change/loss of income
One time income received
Parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, or incarceration
Circumstances that cannot be considered:
Circumstances already accounted for in the FAFSA
Consumer debt such as credit cards
Mortgage or home repairs
Purchase of a vehicle, etc.
Non-educational expenses such as pet care or vacations
Expenses already included in the Cost of Attendance
Processing time for appeals may be up to four weeks, and we are not able to guarantee that the appeal will result in additional financial aid.
In cases where our office determines that an income estimate for the year cannot be used, processing may be delayed until the needed income documentation becomes available or taxes for that aid year have been filed.
All appeals are considered and reviewed by a committee within the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid.
The final appeal outcome will be sent to the student’s UWYO email address.
Outcomes may be one, or a combination, of the following scenarios:
An adjusted Student Aid Index (SAI) amount allows for a partial or full Pell Grant only for students who will earn their first bachelor’s degree.
The addition of a Federal Work-Study Award.
Reallocation of a partial Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan offer to a Federal Direct Subsidized Loan offer based on calculated federal need and the student’s grade level.
An updated Student Aid Index (SAI) but no change to the federal aid award(s). When this situation occurs, we will provide you with the option to pursue the appeal knowing that it will more than likely not change what has currently been offered as financial aid.
If we find that an appeal is not feasible, or an appeal would result in no change to your federal aid package, we suggest that you explore the option of accepting the Federal Direct Loan offer(s), consider a Federal Parent PLUS Loan, explore private educational loans, or set up a payment plan with Student Financial Services.
If you have questions, or require additional information or support, please contact our office by email (finaidappeal@uwyo.edu), phone (307-766-2116), or in person (Knight Hall Room 174).
Federal guidelines stipulate the following conditions do not solely qualify as circumstances meriting a dependency override:
Examples of Unusual Circumstances Considered
Lack of Parent Support
If your situation does not meet the requirements for a Dependency Override, but you still cannot provide parental information, you have the choice to submit the FAFSA without parental data. If you do not provide their information on the FAFSA, the application will be considered “rejected,” and you might not be able to receive any federal student aid. The most you would be eligible for would be a loan called a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The FAFSA will tell you what to do if you are in this situation.
Renewal Dependency Status (Effective beginning academic year 2023-2024 forward)
Financial Aid Administrators may presume that any student who has obtained an adjustment for unusual circumstances and a final determination of independence will be considered independent for each subsequent award year at the same institution, unless the student informs the institution that their circumstances have changed or the institution has conflicting information about the student’s independence.
If we approved your appeal in a previous year, approval is based on your continuing personal situation as documented in the appeal that was initially approved.
Unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness
Please download the Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determination document for detailed instructions, including the contact information of our TRIO-designated liaison. You will hear from our office within 10 business days of receiving your determination form from TRIO or other McKinney-Vento liaison.
To better understand determining factors that are considered for this update request, please review the following Flowchart:
Download the SchoolHouse Connection Flowchart
Getting Started:
Step 1: Select Your Appeal Type
If this is your first time appealing your dependency status with our office, you must clearly demonstrate an adverse family situation to be considered independent for financial aid purposes.
Step 2: Write your personal statement: Explain your extenuating family circumstances and why you should be considered an independent student. Your statement must address both parents and include details of the following:
Step 3: Third party documentation is required.
In addition to your personal statement, you must submit letters from third parties or court documents that support your statement. Include documentation you feel will support your appeal for independent status: for example, court orders of permanent status (not temporary status), death certificates, verification of incarceration, and letters (on letterhead and signed by the author) from school counselors, clergy, or family physicians, may be appropriate. Letters from friends and family members are not acceptable as the sole source of documentation.
Submitting your Appeal
Please send your appeal and supporting documentation using the Secure Document Upload
What happens next?
We will review the information you submitted. If we need additional information, you will receive an email and/or phone call notifying you of the status. Once we have everything necessary, we will make appropriate adjustments to data on your FAFSA. You will receive an email from the FAFSA processing center when we do this. Please do not make any changes to this data as doing so will cause major delays in processing your aid. Once we receive the adjusted FAFSA results, we will complete your financial aid package. You will receive an email to review and accept your financial aid in WyoRecords.
How Long Will This Take?
The actual review of documents, reprocessing of the FAFSA, and subsequent adjusting of aid can take an average of 10-15 business days. The key to making this a timely process is to watch for status updates, check your email frequently, and respond promptly to requests for additional information.
Questions?
If you have questions, or require additional information or support, please contact our office by email (finaidappeal@uwyo.edu), phone (307-766-2116), or in person (Knight Hall Room 174).
Cost of Attendance appeal form
Below is a list of what specific documentation is acceptable for each potential category a student may be interested in increasing.
Submit expenses for the student only. If married or living with roommates, the cost is split evenly between contributing household members. Please note: Additional expenses cannot be added if a student lives in military housing.
Submit expenses for the student only. If married or living with roommates, the cost is split evenly between contributing household members. Please note: Additional expenses cannot be added if a student lives in military housing.
Currently not included on the COA Appeal form. However, the student may submit documentation within the Medical Category (e.g., a note from a dietitian with estimated monthly costs) if food expenses are due to a medical condition.
Documentation may include a personal statement from the caregiver, daycare bills, university daycare forms, etc. The student can only include costs that occur during enrollment.
Acceptable documentation includes itemized receipts of textbooks and supplies (e.g., art students purchasing software or writing utensils, etc.).
Acceptable documentation includes evidence of the route driven to and from school (such as Google Maps). Appeals for mileage will be approved in cases where the mileage expenditure (based on the current IRS [Internal Revenue Service] business mileage rate/per mile, the number of days per week, and the number of weeks in the semester that the commute is made) exceeds the standard COA budget.
Estimate for repair or a billing statement in student’s name.
Please note: Car payments and routine maintenance (oil changes, air filters, batteries, etc.) are not acceptable expenses.
Costs incurred traveling to your home residence are acceptable.
Costs incurred participating in a study abroad opportunity are also acceptable.
Acceptable documentation is the cell phone provider bill, which must be in the student’s name and indicate only their portion of the bill.
The student must provide an insurance bill in their name. Dependent students can submit only if they are not covered under their parent’s policy.
+ Out of Pocket Medical Expenses
These are not included in a student’s budget. Students can include both one-time expenses (e.g., an eye doctor's visit with new glasses) and recurring expenses (medical treatments). Bills that indicate the “patient” must be provided.
A student may request funding for a computer one-time per academic career. We can accept a billing statement or an estimated printout for documentation.
+ Professional Conference Attendance
This category is for graduate students only. Special documentation from the students’ department is needed for travel and hotel expenses. Acceptable documentation includes a receipt or print-out of conference registration fees and receipts for airline and/or hotel charges.
Documented expenses that exceed the standard budget, including Flight Costs as noted above.
Submitting your Appeal
Please send your appeal and supporting documentation using the Secure Document Upload
How Long Will This Take?
The actual review of documents, and subsequent adjusting of aid, can take an average of 10-15 business days. The key to making this a timely process is to watch for status updates, check your email frequently, and respond promptly to requests for additional information.
Questions?
If you have questions, or require additional information or support, please contact our office by email (finaidappeal@uwyo.edu), phone (307-766-2116), or in person (Knight Hall Room 174).
Initial scholarship eligibility for first-time entering student (freshman or transfer) may be appealed if a student has experienced relevant extenuating circumstances, or other factors, they feel impacted their ability to receive a scholarship.
An appeal can be submitted by a first-time entering freshman student to request we consider their high school weighted GPA for initial eligibility. (Only applies to students entering UW beginning fall 2025 semester.)
Continuing scholarship eligibility may be appealed if a current student did not meet renewal criteria following spring semester and has experienced relevant extenuating circumstances, or other factors, they feel impacted their ability to renew the scholarship. Scholarship criteria are reviewed according to the terms and conditions the student received when the scholarship was offered.
Appeal Process
As part of the appeal process, students will be required to write a brief narrative explaining your situation and what you want the committee to consider. If appealing because you did not maintain eligibility for a scholarship, explain what was beyond your control and what corrective measures you have taken to address those issues.
Appeal Forms
First-Time Entering Students
Use this form if you will be entering UW beginning spring 2025 semester. This form will open on November 1, 2024, and close on January 4, 2025.
Spring 2025 Initial Eligibility Scholarship Appeal Form
Use this form if you will be entering UW beginning fall 2025 semester. This form will open on January 1, 2025, and close on April 30, 2025.
2025-2026 Initial Eligibility Scholarship Appeal Form
Current Students
Use this form if you are a current student. This form will open after eligibility reviews occur following spring semester, and it will close on August 15, 2025.
Loss of Federal Aid Appeal: Federal aid is contingent upon continued satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards a degree or certification. The academic performance of students will be monitored every semester. Appeal details can found on our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy page.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3335
Knight Hall, Room 174
Laramie, WY 82071-3335
Phone: (307) 766-2116
Fax: (307) 766-3800
Email: finaid@uwyo.edu
In-Person: Our Office Hours