A student qualifies for unusual circumstances when they can't provide parent information for reasons such as abuse, abandonment, estrangement, refugee or asylee status, trafficking, parental incarceration, or an inability to contact their parents. An approved determination changes dependency status to independent and carries forward at SF for later award years.
When the Student Already Answered Yes on the FAFSA
If the student answered yes to the unusual circumstances question on the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Portal [WEB LINK: eSantaFe login] already has a place to document the situation. SF makes the final determination. No new form is needed.
If the student answered yes and the FAFSA flagged that documentation is required, they upload the documentation through the existing portal item.
When the Student Did Not Answer Yes on the FAFSA
A student who answered no on the FAFSA, then had circumstances change, or who didn't realize the question applied to them, contacts the Financial Aid Office. The office adds the Unusual Circumstances Documentation form to the Financial Aid Portal at the student's request. The form is award-year specific.
Statement
The form requires a written statement that addresses four things:
- Why the student can't provide each biological or adoptive parent's information, addressing each parent separately
- Where the student has been living and how they support themselves
- What documentation they are providing
- How each piece of documentation supports their situation
The student should be specific about dates, locations, and people. Generalities make a weak case.
Documentation
Acceptable documentation falls into three categories. The strongest submissions include more than one type.
Third-party letters from non-relatives with direct knowledge. Signed, with the writer's contact information so the Financial Aid Office can verify.
Professional letters on letterhead. Teachers, guidance counselors, government agency officials, clergy, social workers, or other professionals who can speak to the student's situation.
Official records. Government documents, court records, police records, medical records.
Crossover with Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Many situations qualify under both paths. Abuse, abandonment, and estrangement are common to both. When both may apply, Unaccompanied Homeless Youth is often easier to establish and reaches the same outcome, independent status.
Submitting
The completed packet (form, statement, documentation) uploads to the Unusual Circumstances Documentation item in the Financial Aid Portal as a single file. A student can do this directly, or bring the packet in and the Financial Aid Office handles scanning and upload at intake.
What Happens Next
The Financial Aid Office reviews the request. Standard review is 2 to 3 weeks, longer at peak periods around the start of a semester. An approved determination changes the student's dependency status to independent. The determination carries forward at SF for each later award year unless the student reports changed circumstances or the Financial Aid Office identifies conflicting information. Approval is not guaranteed.