FAFSA Adjustment

The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) requires students to provide household and 2022 tax information. For independent students, this includes spouse information, if married. For dependent students, this includes information for parents. The U.S. Department of Education uses this information when calculating the Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is used to determine aid eligibility.

Sometimes there may be a special circumstance not reflected on the FAFSA that reduces a family’s ability to pay for college and education-related expenses. The FAFSA Adjustment process allows you or a member of your household to document a special circumstance, which, if approved, may allow the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) to recalculate your SAI and re-evaluate your financial aid.

Please note, if you already have a -1,500 SAI, as determined by the FAFSA, there is no need to complete this appeal. You are already receiving the maximum amount of financial aid. Graduate students are not eligible for federal aid that is based on need, therefore in most cases this appeal will not benefit graduate students.

On this page:

• FAFSA Adjustment Policy
• How to Apply
• Supporting Documentation

FAFSA Adjustment Policy

Annually, and on a case-by-case basis, the OFA may recalculate your SAI and re-evaluate your financial aid awards after reviewing documentation of a special circumstance for you or a member of your household (spouse or parents). Prior to reviewing your FAFSA Adjustment Form, you will be required to complete the FAFSA Verification process. If you have not already been selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education, the OFA will assign verification requirements when your FAFSA Adjustment Form is received. The added requirements for the verification process can be viewed in your WINGS Express.

Situations that qualify as a special circumstance for FAFSA adjustment for the 2024-25 aid year include: 

• Health care expenses (e.g. medical, dental, etc.) paid by you during the 2023 calendar year that were not covered by insurance or a third party.
• Loss of income (2023 or 2024 compared to 2022) 
• A one-time higher-income event (i.e. not reoccurring due to the same circumstance), such as an inheritance, windfall, settlement, buyout, withdrawal, etc. that occurred in 2022 and was reported on your 2024-25 FAFSA.
• The parents included in the household on the student’s 2024-2025 FAFSA were married at the time the student filed his or her FAFSA and were reported as married on the FAFSA, but the parents’ marital status is now separated, divorced, or widowed; and this marital change occurred on or before December 31, 2024.

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How to Apply

You (and members of your household, if required) must complete and return the 2024-25 FAFSA Adjustment Form and supporting documentation to Enrollment Services no later than April 1, 2025. The submission of a FAFSA Adjustment Form does not guarantee your SAI will be adjusted. See our Important Dates page for processing timelines for FAFSA Adjustments and other financial aid documents.

Upon receipt of your FAFSA Adjustment Form, the Office of Financial Aid will require you to complete the FAFSA Verification process. Once the FAFSA Verification process is complete, the Office of Financial Aid will review your FAFSA Adjustment Form and supporting documentation. If your household has a qualifying special circumstance, the Office of Financial Aid will recalculate your SAI and re-evaluate your financial aid awards.  

You (the student) will be notified via your Wright State University email account when the result of your FAFSA Adjustment Form is available to view in WINGS.

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Supporting Documentation

You or members of your household are required to submit supporting documentation with the FAFSA Adjustment Form. For the situations that qualify as a special circumstance for FAFSA adjustment, the following items are requested:

Special Circumstance for FAFSA Adjustment	Supporting Documentation
Health care expenses (e.g. medical, dental, etc.) were paid during the 2023 calendar year that were not covered by a third party	Tax Transcript (or signed copy of 2023 Federal Income Tax Form 1040) Schedules 1, 2, 3 (only those schedules filed with the tax return) Schedule A itemized deductions (only if filed with the tax return) Copies: receipts; medical provider statements; canceled checks
Loss of all or part of one of the following sources of 2022 taxable or untaxed income reported on the 2024-25 FAFSA compared to 2023 or 2024: Income Earned from Work; Unemployment; Adjusted Gross Income; Child support received.	Letter of termination date/reduced wages/hour on company letterhead Documentation of untaxed income AND 2023 tax documents W-2s for 2023 (include spouse's W-2s also, if married) Tax Transcript (or signed copy of 2023 Federal Income Tax Form 1040) Schedules 1, 2, 3 (only those schedules filed with the tax return) OR 2024 income documents Copies of last pay stubs for 2024; unemployment; other types of income Also include spouse income items for 2024, if married
A one-time event, such as an inheritance, windfall, settlement, buyout, withdrawal, etc., occurred in 2022 and was reported on the 2024–25 FAFSA.	Documentation of untaxed income W-2s for 2023 (include spouse’s W-2s also, if married) Tax Transcript (or signed copy of 2023 Federal Income Tax Form 1040) Schedules 1, 2, 3 (only those schedules filed with the tax return)
The parents included in the household on the student’s 2024-25 FAFSA were married at the time the student filed his or her FAFSA and were reported as such on the FAFSA, but the parent’s marital status is now separated, divorced, or widowed, and marital change occurred on or before December 31, 2024.	Copy of death certificate; separation agreement; divorce decree Tax Transcript (or signed copy of 2023 Federal Income Tax Form 1040) Schedules 1, 2, 3 (only those schedules filed with the tax return) W-2s for 2023 (for the remaining parent in the household)

If you or a member of your household is unable to provide the supporting documentation requested above, please contact Enrollment Services to discuss your circumstance to determine if other forms of documentation may be considered.