Students who face higher costs due to extenuating circumstances may request a budget increase by submitting a formal appeal.  If approved, the budget increase would allow students to borrow additional loan funds, subject to annual loan limits and/or lender approval.

The following expenses will be considered for an increase to a student’s cost of attendance budget:

• Childcare or eldercare expenses – include a letter from childcare or eldercare provider detailing agreement (including fee, hours, etc.)
• Additional transportation expenses – include a letter indicating mileage, frequency of travel, reason for travel, and a printout of the route’s mileage from MapQuest, Google Maps, etc.
• Additional books and supplies – include copies of course syllabus and bookstore price list or receipts that show your expenses exceed the standard allowance
• Additional expenses related to an internship – include a letter indicating costs, such as transportation, clothing (if required to participate in internship program)
• Additional rental/mortgage expenses – include a copy of signed lease or mortgage statement
• Computer purchase – include a dated sales receipt outlining specific item(s) purchased, or a printed estimate for a potential purchase ($2,000 maximum purchase allowance)

To request a budget increase, complete an Appeal for Increased Cost of Attendance form from the Forms Portal and submit it along with all required supporting documentation.

Pursuant to the basic premise of student financial aid, parents and students have the primary responsibility to finance educational expenses.  A student’s dependency status is determined by the U.S. Department of Education based on their responses to the dependency status questions on the FAFSA or the Dependency Questions for Student section of the Institutional Aid Application.

The following conditions would not merit a review to a student’s dependency status, either alone or in combination (according to U.S. Department of Education guidelines):

• Parent(s) unable or refusing to contribute to the student’s education
• Parent(s) unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA, Institutional Aid Application, or documents for verification
• Parent(s) not claiming the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Student demonstrating total self-sufficiency

Appealing Dependency Status

A student may submit a dependency appeal request in cases of special or unusual circumstances contributing to an unintentional, uncontrollable break in relationship between a student and their parent(s).  Appeal reasons that may be considered include:

• An abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety
• A student is unable to locate their parent(s)
• A student may be an unaccompanied youth or at risk of homelessness

To begin the appeal process, the student should answer the questions on the FAFSA related to an Unusual Circumstance. The OSFAS will add a link to the appropriate form, based on your circumstances, to your To Do List in the Student Administration System. You will need to complete the required form and submit it, along with the required supporting documentation, to our office for review.

Renewal Process

If your dependency status does not change, each year you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Complete either the 2025-2026 FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/ or the Institutional Aid Application at https://financialaid.uconn.edu/undocumented_students/ without parental data on or before February 15th, 2025. Your application will indicate that it is in Reject or Incomplete Status until our office reviews and updates your renewal. You will receive a Financial Aid Notification once your file has been reviewed.