The Special Circumstance Appeal Process
Note: Submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval.
How do I initiate a Special Circumstances Appeal for Federal Student Financial Aid?
- File your FAFSA and list the Brooklyn College school code 002687 on the application if you have not yet done so.
- Submit the Special Circumstances Appointment request Form available on the Financial Aid Forms and Document Submission webpage.
- Your advisor will review your request and contact you to schedule a ZOOM appointment to further discuss your circumstances.
Is my appeal confidential?
Yes. The contents of your appeal are completely confidential and protected under federal and state laws. Only authorized staff can view or process your appeal.
How will I know if my circumstances warrant an appeal?
Your advisor will determine whether your special circumstance warrants an appeal based on your interview appointment and supporting documentation. We recommend you have any supporting documentation available for your advisor to review during the initial appointment. Your advisor will notify you whether the appeal process is warranted or not and will counsel you on the next steps accordingly.
What happens if my circumstances warrant an appeal?
If your advisor determines that your circumstances meet the appeal criteria, you will receive an e-mail with instructions. Depending on the type of appeal, you may be provided a link to login to the Student Forms platform or the Dynamic Forms Platform. Once you login to Student Forms or Dynamic Forms (as appropriate to the appeal type) additional instructions will be available to you explaining what you need to do and which documentation you need to upload to complete the appeal process.
Why might an appeal not be warranted?
There can be many reasons why an appeal may not be warranted. Some of those reasons are related to federal guidelines of what is allowable or if the appeal process will have no change in your financial aid eligibility.
What happens if my circumstances do not warrant an appeal?
Your advisor will explain to you why an appeal is not warranted. Additionally, your advisor will discuss your current financial aid eligibility as well as other potential financial aid options with you in order to assist you in developing a financial aid plan. You will also receive an e-mail explaining that the appeal process is not warranted.
What can I, as a student, do to make the appeal process smoother?
As a student appealing for special circumstances you can make the process smoother by:
- Carefully review the appeal instructions to ensure that the documentation you submit meets the criteria necessary to support your appeal.
- Submit the appeal form and supporting documentation in a timely fashion according to any stated or published deadlines.
- Monitor your e-mail and act timely when requested by your financial aid advisor.
- Reschedule your appointment(s) if you need to cancel.
How long does the appeal process take?
The appeal process can take up to six weeks from when you submit all your required documentation. However, the appeal process can be longer or shorter depending on how quickly you complete the forms and submit supporting documentation.
What might delay my appeal?
If the documentation you provide is outdated, unclear, unsigned where applicable, does not meet the criteria indicated on the appeal form, has conflicting information, or does not fully support the reason for the appeal, the advisor may request that you clarify this information or provide more recently dated or corrected/additional documentation to complete the appeal process. In such cases, you will be notified by e-mail that additional documentation is needed or that something is incomplete. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to ensure that all documents that you submit are clear, signed as appropriate and complete.
How will I know when the process is completed?
You will receive an e-mail that the process has been completed and what the outcome of the appeal was. Note: Until the process is completed you must monitor your personal and Brooklyn College e-mail for any correspondences related to your appeal. If additional documentation is needed and you do not provide it your appeal cannot be processed. If the deadline for the appeal passes and your submission is incomplete. We will not be able to process it.
What happens when an appeal is approved?
If an appeal is approved, the Office of Financial Aid will make the necessary FAFSA corrections or Cost of Attendance adjustment to reflect the changes to the FAFSA or CUNYfirst record. If the adjustment results in a change to the financial aid package the package will be adjusted accordingly. You will be notified by e-mail that the appeal was approved.
What happens when an appeal is denied?
If an appeal is denied, you will be notified by e-mail that the appeal was denied. You can meet with your advisor to discuss why the appeal was denied and to discuss alternate financial aid options that are potentially available to you.