Appeal/Special Circumstances

Appealing Your Financial Aid Awards

If your or your family have had a changes in financial circumstances that you feel are not being reflected in your financial aid, we encourage you to contact your financial aid counselor to have a discussion about your circumstances and the options you have, which may include appealing your aid offer. Not all changes in circumstances can be considered as the basis of an appeal.

Submitting a financial aid appeal does not guarantee additional need-based aid. However, your counselor will be happy to discuss other financing options with you, including additional non-need-based loans.

Because appeal approval is not guaranteed, you must still pay any bills owed at the time of your appeal by the billing due date.

If you have questions or want to start the appeals process for reconsideration of your aid offer, contact your financial aid counselor.

Unique Family Circumstances

In situations where a student’s parents are separated, divorced, or were never married, the Non-Custodial Profile is required in order to be considered for University of Rochester need-based grant assistance. I would like to request additional documentation that will help clarify your situation so that I may determine whether this requirement is appropriate for you.

If the whereabouts of your noncustodial parent are unknown, or if you have extenuating circumstances regarding your situation, you can submit the Non-Custodial Parent Profile Waiver Request Form.

To start an appeal for a waiver of the CSS Profile for your non-custodial parent, you’ll need to submit:

1. A Non-Custodial Parent Profile Waiver Request Form
2. Attach a detailed letter explaining the situation with your non-custodial parent
3. A letter from an impartial third party regarding your situation.  This impartial third party should be someone who knows your family and can attest to the details you have provided.  Family friends or relatives are not considered an impartial third party.

It is important to note that exceptions to University policy are never made solely on the basis of a parent’s unwillingness to assist. Therefore, copies of divorce decrees or other documents showing that the non-custodial parent is not obligated to contribute would not be sufficient.