Special Circumstances

The FAFSA does not capture everything. If your costs or your family's finances look different from what your application shows, you can ask us to review your situation. There are multiple types of appeal requests. See below for the different options available to you.

Each request has its own form. Read the instructions carefully, since most delays come from missing documents.

Childcare Expenses If you are a single parent, or married with a working spouse, childcare costs can be added to your budget. We use figures set by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, reviewed each year. Childcare Form

Computer Purchase You can ask for a budget increase to buy a computer once during your time here. There is no separate fund for this. An approved request raises what you can borrow, rather than giving you money. Computer Form

Dependency Override You may not meet the federal definition of an independent student. If your circumstances still make it unreasonable to expect your parents to contribute, ask us to review your dependency status. Dependency Form

Reconsideration of Income Has your income or your family's income dropped since the tax year on your FAFSA? We can look at your current situation instead. Job loss, reduced hours, divorce and the death of a parent or spouse are common reasons. Income Guide

Unusual Expenses Costs well above what a typical student faces can be added to your budget. Examples: high medical or dental bills, equipment a class requires and disability-related costs no other program covers. When you ask us to raise your cost of attendance, the official name is a Budget Increase Request. You may also see it called an appeal; it is the same process. Budget Increase Form

DENTAL STUDENTS AND COMPUTERS Your first-year cost of attendance already includes a computer allowance, so you cannot submit this request. If your computer needs replacing, contact our office.

Most rejected requests break one of these four rules.

Documentation Is Required

Every request needs proof: receipts, statements or letters that show the change you are describing.

Deadlines and Fund Dates

Each form states its submission deadline. Institutional funds also run out during the year: after Nov. 15 for fall, April 15 for spring and July 15 for summer, an approved request may no longer produce additional aid.

Allow Four to Eight Weeks

Reviews take time, especially at the start of a semester. Submit as early as you can.

Decisions Are Final

Committee decisions cannot be appealed, so make your request complete the first time.

A BIGGER BUDGET

Childcare, computer and unusual expense requests raise your cost of attendance. That is the ceiling on your total aid, so raising it makes room to borrow more. It is not a grant.

A NEW CALCULATION

Reconsideration of income and dependency override change the information behind your Student Aid Index. That can change what you qualify for. For graduate and professional students, the change is to loans, not grants.

YOU ALWAYS GET A DECISION IN WRITING We email you either way. If your budget went up, that email has your new cost of attendance, which is the figure a private lender asks for. Apply for a private loan only after you have it.

APPROVED DOES NOT MEAN MORE MONEY Approval means we look again. It does not create aid. Institutional funds run out after Nov. 15 for fall, April 15 for spring and July 15 for summer, so a request approved after those dates may not bring more aid. For graduate and professional students, a reconsideration changes loans, not grants.

WHAT AN INCREASE CAN AND CANNOT DO

Federal borrowing changed on July 1, 2026, and federal loans now carry set annual and lifetime caps. An approved increase raises the ceiling on your total aid, but it cannot raise a federal loan past its cap. Reaching a federal cap does not mean you are out of options. A larger budget can still make room for a private student loan, a scholarship or other aid. Ask us what your increase would actually change before you gather documents.

Read the Federal Loan Updates

NOT SURE WHICH REQUEST FITS?

Ask us before you fill anything out. A short conversation can save you weeks, especially if your situation touches more than one category. Email [email protected] or call 303-724-8039.

What Now?

Explore Types of Aid Grants, loans and work-study, and what makes each one different. Where Is My Refund? Aid pays your bill first. What is left is released to you by the Bursar. Dropping a Class? Changing your credits after the term starts can change your aid and create a bill. Something Changed? Lost income, a change at home or unusual costs can all be reviewed. Need a Form? Everything your To Do List might ask for, with a line saying what each form does.

Financial Aid & Scholarships Office

CU Anschutz

Education II North

13120 East 19th Avenue

#3113

Aurora, CO 80045

[email protected]

303-724-8039

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