Special and Unusual Circumstances - Massasoit Community College

You may request a review of your financial aid package at any time due to significant changes in your and/or your family’s circumstances that may impact your ability to pay for college. There are two categories of unique situations: special and unusual circumstances.

Special circumstances are defined as unexpected events or situations beyond your control. Examples include but are not limited to:

Reduction in income due to
- loss of employment,
- reduction in work hours,
- loss of benefits such as Social Security or child support,
long-term illness or disability,
unusually high medical expenses, or
the death of a spouse or dependent student’s custodial parent after filing the FAFSA

Unusual circumstances are conditions that support a change to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation. Examples of unusual circumstances include, but are not limited to:

Human trafficking,
Refugee/asylee status,
Parental abandonment, estrangement, or parental incarceration,
Death of a parent, or
An abusive family situation

Please note that unusual circumstances do not include:

Parents refusal to contribute to student’s education,
Parents refusal to provide information for the FAFSA or verification,
Parents do not claim the student for income tax purposes, or
Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

Process for Appeal: Students who find themselves with special or unusual circumstances are urged to contact the Financial Aid Office to speak to a Financial Aid Counselor. Students who wish to appeal based on special circumstances should complete the Income Reduction and Special Circumstances Appeal Form. Students who wish to appeal based on unusual circumstances should complete the Dependency Override Request Form. Appeal forms can be found on the Financial Aid Forms page.

The Financial Aid Office may reach out to request additional information. Please monitor your Massasoit email account for requests for additional information. Incomplete appeals will be denied. The Financial Aid Office will review complete appeals for special and unusual circumstances as quickly as practicable, but no later than 60 days after the student enrolls or 60 days after the student submits the appeal.