Special Circumstances Appeal

Greetings Student!

Thank you for inquiring about a Special Circumstances Appeal.

Federal Financial Aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, Federal Student Loans, Federal Work Study) is granted by the Office of Financial Aid set forth by the Department of Education. Eligibility and federal aid offered are based on information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). In accordance with federal regulations, our office may consider special circumstance(s) that affects the family's ability to pay for a college education that are not reflected in the information provided on the FAFSA. We do encourage students to request an Special Circumstances Appeal if there is a SIGNIFICANT CHANGE (decrease) in your family’s financial situation since originally completing your 2025-2026 FAFSA®.

Some Eligible Reasons

Loss or reduction of income.
Loss or reduction of untaxed income.
Change in marital status during the calendar year.
Death of parent or spouse whose income and tax information are listed on the FAFSA® passed away AFTER the FAFSA® has been filed.
Permanent and total disability.
One-time disbursement of 401K or investment funds .
Out of pocket medical costs not covered by insurance for the calendar year.

Reasons that do not merit a special circumstance include:

Standard living expenses (e.g. utilities, credit card payments, mortgage payments, etc.)
Credit card or other personal debts

We do encourage students to request a " Special Circumstance Appeal" if there is a SIGNIFICANT change (decrease) in income since originally completing your 2025-2026 FAFSA®. The appeal process has been provided below.

Before appeal can be reviewed, it is required that both 2023 and 2024 Federal Income Tax Returns be filed with the IRS.

Name*

First NameLast Name

Email*

rpcc.edu email must be provided

Student ID number*

Lola Number

Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Please select the reason(s) you are applying for an exception. Documentation of each reason selected must be attached to form.

Loss or reduction of income.Loss or reduction of untaxed income.Change in marital status during the calendar year.Death of parent or spouse whose income and tax information are listed on the FAFSA® passed away AFTER the FAFSA® has been filed.Permanent and total disability.One-time disbursement of 401K or investment funds .Out of pocket medical costs not covered by insurance for the calendar year.

Example Documentation Required: (Not all inclusive)

Copy of termination or lay-off notice
Last paystub(s)
W-2 form
Leave and Earnings Statement(s)
Unemployment benefit notice
Birth or death certificate
Divorce decree
Documented interview between student and Financial Aid Advisor
Supplementary information about financial status or personal circumstances

Joint return filers who are no longer married. When a dependent student's parents filed a joint return and have separated, divorced, married someone else, or been widowed, the student must submit a tax transcript or return and a copy of each W-2 form for the parent whose tax information is on the FAFSA®.

The Financial Aid Committee will decide within 10-14 business days upon receipt of all submitted documents into the verification system. All decisions of the Financial Aid Committee are final and no exceptions can be made for requests in violation of the Federal and State regulations, which govern financial aid.