Special & Unusual Circumstances
At Columbia Basin College, we recognize that the FAFSA or WASFA may not always reflect your current situation. Federal and state regulations allow financial aid administrators to review individual circumstances and make adjustments using Professional Judgment on a case-by-case basis.
These reviews fall into two categories: Special Circumstances and Unusual Circumstances
Special Circumstances (Income Adjustments)
Special Circumstances refer to changes in your or your family’s financial situation that are not reflected on your FAFSA/WASFA.
Examples may include:
- Loss or reduction of income
- Separation or divorce
- Death of a parent or spouse
- High unreimbursed medical expenses
- One-time income that is no longer available
If approved, the Financial Aid Office may update FAFSA or WASFA data elements in your
application to more accurately reflect your current financial situation, based on
changes that occurred after the tax year reported on your application. This may result
in a recalculation of your Student Aid Index (SAI).
Unusual Circumstances (Dependency Overrides)
Unusual Circumstances refer to situations where a student is unable to provide parent information on the FAFSA or WASFA due to unique or severe circumstances.
Examples may include:
- Parental abandonment or estrangement
- Abuse or unsafe living environment
- Parental incarceration (incarceration by itself is not sufficient reason to make a student independent)
If approved, a dependency override will be processed, and the student will be considered independent for financial aid purposes.
Situations That Do NOT Qualify
The following, alone or in combination, do not qualify as unusual circumstances for a dependency override:
- Parents refusing to provide their information on the FAFSA/WASFA
- Parents not claiming the student for tax purposes
- Parents unwilling or unable to contribute financially to the student’s education
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
How to Request a Review
Stop by or contact Hawk%20Central or reach out to Financial%20Aid to determine which form you will need to complete this petition.
For all requests:
- Provide a detailed explanation of your situation
- Submit all required supporting documentation as instructed on the form
- Monitor your student/preferred email for follow-up requests
The Financial Aid Office may request additional documentation to complete the review.
Important Information
- All requests are reviewed case-by-case
- Submission does not guarantee approval
- All conflicting information must be resolved before review
- Processing times may vary depending on documentation
Professional Judgements can only be made for actively enrolled students. They also cannot be done retroactively for students who are no longer enrolled
