Special Circumstances

A special circumstance is when the information provided on the FAFSA form is not reflective of the family’s and/or student’s financial situation. A financial aid administrator may then adjust a student’s FAFSA data to more accurately reflect the current situation. Note: There must be a significant change to the household finances to be considered for a Professional Judgment.

It is important to note: The school does not have the authority to make direct adjustments to the SAI or the formula used to calculate the SAI, just data elements on the FAFSA which may change the SAI. Students who also do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy at Northcentral Technical College are not eligible to receive Title IV funding via an appeal for Professional Judgment.

In some instances, a student or family can demonstrate a financial loss from one year to the next, however, the financial loss may not be significant enough to justify more financial aid eligibility. It is important for you to know that not all changes in circumstances will result in an increase to a student's financial aid offer.

Circumstances that will be considered:

• Loss of employment
• Change in employment that resulted in reduced income
• Change in or loss of unemployment benefits
• Separation/divorce
• Death of parent or spouse whose info was reported on FAFSA
• One-time taxable income distribution (examples: IRA, Pension distribution, back-year Social Security Payments, withdrew from retirement to meet unexpected needs, received inheritance)
• Student's parent, if listed on FAFSA, has retired

Other situations that can be considered (for a re-evaluation of a student's Cost of Attendance):

• High Cost Tuition programs
• Unusually high medical or dental costs recently incurred
• Excessive Medical Expense Special Circumstances that can be considered: excessive out of pocket medical expenses that exceed 11% of the tax-filer's adjusted gross income (AGI)

Be aware that:  A change to the COA will typically not result in a student qualifying for additional financial aid. An increased COA typically allows the student to borrow additional loan funds, subject to annual loan limits and/or credit approval (for PLUS or private loans). Circumstances which do not warrant a review include unusual credit card debt, high living expenses, private secondary school educational costs, or parent’s refusal to pay for college.

This type of professional judgement is performed on a case-by-case basis and must be documented to substantiate the special circumstances that result in the approval or denial of the request. Required documentation will vary depending on the circumstances and will be requested by the financial aid administrator(s) completing the review of circumstances.

2024-2025:  Professional Judgment Request Due to Special Circumstances form

2025–2026:  Professional Judgment Request Due to Special Circumstances form

Review and Notification

Please Note: Requests are typically reviewed within 6 – 8 weeks. Once a determination has been made on a Special Circumstances request, a student will be notified of the decision via the students’ NTC student email account. The email will include a copy of the calculations that were made based on the documentation submitted, any SAI change based on the decision, and if applicable, the impact on the student’s financial aid award. The decision of the Financial Aid Office is final and cannot be appealed to the Department of Education.

Should you have questions, you may contact the Financial Aid Office at: financialaidadjustment@ntc.edu or by calling 715.803.1647.

Application Deadlines

In accordance with federal regulations regarding adjustments to FAFSA data, we will not be able to consider any applications or supporting documentation received after April 18, 2025, or three weeks prior to your last day of attendance, whichever comes first.

For the 2025-26 academic year, the same deadlines will apply. Any applications or supporting documentation for special circumstances or adjustments related to your 2025-26 FAFSA will need to be submitted before April 17, 2026, or three weeks before your last day of attendance for the 2025-26 academic year, whichever occurs first. Please ensure that all necessary materials are submitted in a timely manner to avoid delays in the review process for both academic years.

-0- and -1500 Student Aid Index (SAI) for 2024-25

If the FAFSA results in a calculated SAI of -0- to -1500-, eligibility for the maximum amount of need-based aid is granted, and a special circumstance review is not necessary, as the maximum amount of aid has already been awarded.

Aid Limits

Cases where a student has already received their annual or aggregate loan amount or exhausted lifetime limit on Federal Pell Grant will not see additional aid regardless of the special circumstance appeal outcome.

Unusual Circumstances (Dependency Override)

Student dependency status is determined by information provided on the FAFSA and required by the US Department of Education. Students may submit an appeal to override their dependency status and be considered an independent student, based on unusual circumstances.

Unusual circumstances include:

• Human trafficking
• Legal refugee or asylum status
• Parental abandonment or estrangement
• Student has been part of an abusive family environment (e.g., sexual, physical or mental abuse)
• Parental incarceration or institutionalization
• Death of both parents (or death of only parent in a single family household)

Unusual circumstances DO NOT include:

• Parent refusal to contribute to a the student's education costs
• Parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or for FAFSA verification
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Student does not live with parents
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

Please note that the determination by a financial aid administrator at another institution that a student should be considered independent is not binding on NTC.

If the dependency override is approved, NTC is required to carry that decision forward to future award years without collecting documentation unless the student reaches out to the Financial Aid Office and indicates his, her, or their circumstances have changed.

Requesting a Dependency Override Review

To discuss your unusual circumstances as well as the process and documentation required to request a dependency override, you should first reach out to the Financial Aid Office by calling 715-803-1647 or emailing: financialaid@ntc.edu.

The Financial Aid Office reviews dependency override requests on a case-by-case basis once the required documentation has been submitted. Students will be notified as soon as the request has been reviewed.  If it is determined that a dependency override is appropriate, the Financial Aid Office will update the student’s dependency status on the FAFSA.

All decisions regarding such requests are at the discretion of the Financial Aid staff and cannot be appealed.

Please note that the determination by a financial aid administrator at another institution that a student should be considered independent is not binding on NTC.

If the dependency override is approved, NTC is required to carry that decision forward to future award years without collecting documentation unless the student reaches out to the Financial Aid Office and indicates his, her, or their circumstances have changed.

2024-2025:  Request for Dependency Override Request Due to Unusual Circumstances form

2025–2026:  Request for Dependency Override Request Due to Unusual Circumstances form