Special Circumstances
Families who have had significant changes in their financial status after the FAFSA has been filed are advised to submit a Special Circumstance Application to the Financial Aid Office. Depending upon the allowable circumstances, adjustments to the financial aid award may be made by the Special Circumstance Committee.
Examples of common special circumstances include:
- loss of a job;
- reduced wages;
- divorce or separation;
- death of parent;
- medical expenses not covered by insurance;
- tuition paid for other siblings in elementary or high school;
- parent in college;
- loss or reduction of income;
- and other unusual circumstances that might affect your ability to contribute to educational costs.
Read more about special circumstances.
Verification
Students may be required to verify the accuracy of the information entered on the FAFSA. The Department of Education randomly selects a sample of students each year to go through the verification process. If you are selected, a Verification Worksheet and other tax documentation will be requested by the Financial Aid Office.
The verification process must be completed before financial aid can be credited to the student’s account. Your original financial aid award is an estimate and could change after the verification process is completed. Completing the paperwork requested in a timely manner will allow your family to plan financially for the upcoming academic year. You will receive a revised financial aid award letter if your aid changes due to this process.
Conflicting Information
The Financial Aid Office is required to resolve any conflicting information in the student’s financial aid file or other related educational records prior to determining or disbursing financial aid funds. In many cases, additional documents will be requested from the student or family. Failure to resolve the conflicting information will eliminate financial aid eligibility.
Enrollment Changes
To be eligible for certain aid types, you must meet the enrollment requirements for each program. For example, to be eligible for institutional, as well as some state and federal programs, a student must be taking at least 12 credit hours per semester. This is considered a full-time course load. For the Federal Stafford loan and Federal PLUS loan programs, a student must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours per semester (half-time).
You may be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant in any enrollment category. Any change in enrollment during the academic year may cause changes in your financial aid award. The Financial Aid Office must adjust or void some aid types when it is necessary. These adjustments could result in your owing money to the University.
Withdrawals
A student who withdraws during a semester must immediately inform the Registrar’s Office to complete the withdrawal process. Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal. If you withdraw from school during a term, your aid will be adjusted according to Ohio Dominican’s Refund Policy. You will need to complete Exit Loan Counseling if you borrowed Federal Student Loans.