91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳

If you are considered a dependent student, you will have to provide your parental demographic and financial information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. Here at 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, we recognize there may be circumstances that affect your ability to provide required parental information on the (FAFSA) application.

The Higher Education Act allows a student aid administrator to change a student from dependent to independent; this is known as a dependency override. A dependency override is performed on a case-by-case basis for students with "unusual circumstances" who are unable to provide parental information on their FAFSA.

We have developed guidelines to help you understand what is considered "unusual circumstances" for applying for a Dependency Override, see below. 

Unusual Circumstances Include:

• Abandonment by parents
• An abusive family environment that threatens the student's health or safety
• The student's inability to locate his/her parents
• Other circumstances deemed appropriate by a Student Aid Administrator

Unusual Circumstances DO NOT Include: 

• Parent refusal to contribute to the student's education 
• Parent unwillingness to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
• Parent does not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

How to Apply

Step 1: Fill out the FAFSA, indicating you have unusual circumstances and are unable to provide information about your parent(s).

Step 2: Once you receive notification from LU that your FAFSA has been received, login to Student Forms and complete the PJ Unusual Circumstance Appeal Form. You will be required to provide the following:

1. A detailed personal statement that includes:
   • The whereabouts of your biological parents and their current living arrangements. Include the last contact you had with your biological parents and the frequency of contact with them over the past year(s).
   • Why you cannot provide parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
   • Your living arrangements over the past year(s); with whom you have lived with and who has provided financial support for you.
   • An explanation of the extraordinary family circumstances that led to you leaving your parents' household.
   • How you are supporting yourself.
   • The date you last has contact with your parents or date you were last supported/left your parents' household.
2. Third party supporting documentation
   1. Official documents that support the extenuating circumstances such as, but not limited to:
      • Police Reports
      • Court Documents
      • Birth or Death Certificates
      • Incarceration Records
      • Child Protective Services Case Documents
   2. OR, Typed letters from two individuals who can attest to your situation.
      • The first letter should be from a professional individual not related to you (the student). Please submit this letter on letterhead.
        • Counselor
        • Social Worker
        • Teacher
        • Police
      • The second letter should be from either a professional or non-professional who is very familiar with you situation.
      • Each letter must include the individual's name, title or position, address, phone number, and must be signed.
      • The individuals cannot be related to each other and must reside at separate addresses.

Step 3: A Financial Aid Administrator will contact you if more information is needed. Please note that the Office of Student Aid may require supplementary documentation to complete the review process.

Step 4: You will be notified of the decision via Student Forms. The decision of the Student Aid Office is final and cannot be appealed.

If approved, you will be considered independent. OSA will presume you to be independent for each subsequent award year unless you inform us that your circumstances have changed; or we are notified of conflicting information about your independence.

LU recognizes that there may be circumstances that affect your eligibility for aid, which are not considered on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. If the information filed on the FAFSA does not reflect your current financial situation due to "special circumstances," you may submit the PJ SAI Appeal in Student Forms. By submitting this form, you are requesting the Student Aid Office to make adjustments to the data on your FAFSA, to more accurately reflect you and/or your family's current financial situation.

LU will consider the following "special circumstances":

• Financial changes between base year used on the FAFSA and current year
• High medical or educational expenses
• One time disbursement of 401K or investment funds
• Involuntary reduction/loss of income

How to Apply

Step 1: Fill out the FAFSA

Step 2: Once you receive notification from LU that your FAFSA has been received, login to Student Forms and complete PJ Special Circumstance - EFC/SAI Appeal Form. You will be required to provide:

1. A detailed statement that includes the following:
   • Reason you are requesting a professional judgement.
   • Extenuating circumstances that qualify you to request a professional judgement.
   • Dates that the extenuating circumstances occurred including date or expected date the extenuating circumstance ended. If professional judgement request is due to unusual expenses, please be specific about the types of unusual expenses. 
   • Any additional information that would be substantiate your extenuating circumstance.
2. Supporting documentation

Step 3: A Financial Aid Administrator will contact you if more information is needed.

Step 4: You will be notified of the decision via Student Forms. The decision of the Student Aid Office is final and cannot be appealed. 

The Office of Student Aid (OSA) establishes standard student Cost of Attendance (COA) budgets each year as a basis for packaging federal, state, and institutional student aid. These budgets reflect modest but adequate expense patterns of 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ students based on research conducted by OSA.

The COA consists of the following components unless enrolled Less Than-Half-Time:

• Tuition & Fees
• Books/Supplies
• Room & Board
• Transportation 
• Personal Expenses
• Loan Fees (for loan recipients)

If you are enrolled Less Than-Half-Time, your COA consist of the following:

• Tuition & Fees
• Books/Supplies
• Transportation

Allowable Adjustments to the COA

The Cost of Attendance policy allows an increase to your Cost of Attendance under the following circumstances:

• Student who enroll Less Than Half-Time may request a Cost of Attendance adjustment to add cost associated with room & board for the one semester. You may email financialaid@lamar.edu to make this request. This adjustment is allowed for up to three semesters, no more than two of which may be consecutive.
• A one-time adjustment to the COA for the purchase of a computer. You may email financialaid@lamar.edu to request an adjustment to their COA for the purchase of a computer. OSA may increase the student's COA by $2000 once the request has been received.
• Students enrolled in an eligible study abroad program. Student must submit the Study Abroad Assistance Request Form (STARF) to OSA via Student Forms. The student's COA will be increased based on the program cost as reported by the Study Abroad Office or certifying official.

A Student Aid Administrator may use Professional Judgement (PJ) on a case-by-case basis to adjust a student's Cost of Attendance for cost incurred during the applicable award year not listed above. Circumstances that warrant a professional judgement to the cost of attendance include but are not limited to:

• Unusually high childcare or dependent care cost
• Disability related expenses
• Professional license or certification cost
• Additional costs associated with a student's program of study that are above the cost of tuition & fees and/or books and supplies

How to Apply

Step 1: Fill out the FAFSA

Step 2: Once you receive notification from LU that your FAFSA has been received, login to Student Forms and complete PJ Special Circumstance - COA Appeal Form. You will be required to provide supporting documentation.

Step 3: A Financial Aid Administrator will contact you if more information is needed.

Step 4: You will be notified of the decision via Student Forms. The decision of the Student Aid Office is final and cannot be appealed.