If you answered no to all dependency status questions on the FAFSA, and you have "unusual" circumstances such as parental abuse or abandonment, you could be eligible to request a dependency override. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaidFREEWS and ask for the Request for Dependency Override form for the aid year you wish to apply.
Beginning with the 2023-2024 aid year, federal regulation updates included the following changes:
In addition to parental abuse or abandonment the following may be considered an unusual circumstance that might make you eligible for a dependency override:
In March 2023, the Financial Aid Office began sending emails to your Senators email
account if you answered no to all dependency questions on the FASFA and did not submit
parental data. Please look for an email from finaid@ws.edu with more information.
If you do not have an email from us and it has been longer than two weeks since we
received your FAFSA, please email finaidFREEWS to request information about the Dependency Override form.
The Requests for Dependency Override will be reviewed as soon as possible after receipt
- possibly two to four weeks - but could be longer during peak times such as the beginning
and end of terms. Please note that requests must be reviewed and determinations made
within 60 days of your enrollment in the term and receipt of your complete request.
Failure to submit a complete request within 60 days will result in a denial.
IMPORTANT - Dependency Override Requests should be submitted with all required items.
Override requests that do not have all necessary documentation will be given a deadline
to finish submission of required documents if it appears that the student may have
a valid unusual circumstance. Failure to submit all required documents by the deadline
will result in a denial. If it is determined that you do not qualify for unusual circumstances,
your request will be denied. If you do qualify, corrections will be made to your FAFSA
and you will be notified on your MyWS account. Please note that Dependency Overrides
will carry over to the next aid year unless your Unusual Circumstances no longer apply.
"Special Circumstances" refer to financial situations that may justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements that could impact the Student Aid Index (SAI) which determines a student's eligibility for Title IV aid - Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). Verification MUST be completed before a recalculation request will be considered. NOTE: If you already have a 0 or negative SAI, you do not qualify for a recalculation.
Special circumstances that will be considered:
Invalid reasons - recalculation requests will not be considered for:
Please come by the Financial Aid Office to request the Recalculation Form and specify which aid year you are requesting. You may also contact the Financial Aid Office at finaidFREEWS to request the form and specify which aid year you are requesting. Please read the form carefully to determine needed documents. Recalculation requests that do not have all necessary documentation may be made incomplete if it appears that the student has a valid special circumstance. You will be given a deadline to submit all required documents. Failure to meet the deadline will result in a denial. Circumstances that do not result in a change to your SAI or do not meet the definition will be denied.