Financial Aid Appeals

Financial aid eligibility is ordinarily determined using income information from approximately two years ago (i.e. 2022 tax information for the 2024-2025 academic year) and current assets as of the date the FAFSA is submitted. However, if the financial situation for you, your spouse (if applicable), or your parents (if parental information is provided on the FAFSA) has significantly changed from the information reported on your FAFSA, you may submit an income appeal.

In order for the Financial Aid Office to consider an income appeal, we must first confirm that the information originally reported on your FAFSA is correct. If you submit an income appeal, you may be asked to complete the verification process online if you have not already done so. Instructions are available on our blog and will be emailed to you if applicable.

Use the Income Reduction Appeal Form for the appropriate academic year provided below and submit it with the documentation requested on the form to appeal a change in financial circumstances.

• Income Reduction Appeal Form for 2023-2024
• Income Reduction Appeal Form for 2024-2025

If your income appeal is approved, your Expected Family Contribution or Student Aid Index will be recalculated using the federal need analysis formula and the documentation that you provided. This may or may not result in a change in your financial aid award.

Due to federal regulations, financial aid can be awarded only to students who meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements as established by NOVA and the federal government. All terms of enrollment are counted, whether or not aid was awarded or received.

Please review the full SAP policy on our Satisfactory Academic Progress website, including the section on appeals, which explains how to complete the “Understanding SAP and the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Process” online counseling session at https://nova.get-counseling.com. The SAP appeal form mentioned below will be provided at the end of that online counseling session.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form

In your appeal statement, you must thoroughly explain the circumstances that caused you not to meet the SAP requirements and what has now changed that will allow you to succeed academically going forward. If you are appealing SAP because you did not meet the minimum GPA requirement or you did not successfully complete at least 67% of the cumulative credits you attempted, you must also include in your statement how, why, and when the circumstances affected your courses. Include the specific dates, period of time, and the semesters that were affected by the extenuating circumstances.

Dependency Appeals to Exclude Parental Information

The U.S. Department of Education determines if parental information must be used to calculate financial aid eligibility based on information the student provides on the FAFSA. For more information on who is considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes and when parental information must be provided, please visit the Federal Student Aid Dependency website.

If you wish to appeal your dependency status due to exceptional circumstances, please submit the following form along with the documentation indicated on the form.

Appeal to Dependency Status Form

Please note that unwillingness and/or inability of your parents to financially support you or the fact that you are living on your own without financial support from your parents are not exclusively considered exceptional circumstances.

If your parent(s) are unwilling to provide their information on the FAFSA, but you do not have an unusual circumstance that prevents you from contacting them or obtaining their information, you may only request a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.  To do so, complete the following form.

Request for Unsubsidized Loan due to No Parental Support

Cost of Attendance Appeals

Financial aid eligibility is partially based on your estimated cost of attendance which includes an estimated allowance for tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board, and personal/miscellaneous expenses. To view an estimate of your cost of attendance, log into myNOVA and navigate to your Student Center. Then click View Financial Aid, select the appropriate aid year, and click NVCC Financial Aid Summary.

If you have expenses that are related to attending NOVA that are not reflected in your estimated cost of attendance, you may submit a written statement with supporting documentation to request that those expenses be included in your estimated financial aid budget. NOVA does not maintain a standard appeal form for these requests.

Examples of costs that may be added based on professional judgment include costs for approved study abroad programs, child/dependent care expenses stemming from the student’s participation in school-related activities, unreimbursed costs related to a disability, required tools and program kits, and the documented cost of a personal computer related to the student’s educational program.

Please note that if a cost of attendance appeal is approved, additional aid might not be available to meet the increased need. Often such appeals increase only potential eligibility for federal or private loans if the student is otherwise eligible for such loans.

Federal law requires nearly all male US citizens and male immigrants, 18 through 25 years old, to register with Selective Service. While registration is no longer required for Federal Student Aid, registration is still required to receive Virginia state financial aid.

If you are 26 years old or older and were required to register, you may submit a Selective Service Appeal to the Financial Aid Office regarding your eligibility for Virginia state aid if your failure to register with the Selective Service was not knowing and willful. To do this, provide:

• A Status Information Letter from the Selective Service (https://www.sss.gov/verify/sil/), and
• A signed statement clearly indicating the reason(s) that you did not register with the Selective Service between the ages of 18 through 25. You should provide a complete description and as much detail as possible regarding your situation. For example, some suggestions include:
  • How and when you first became aware of the requirement to register for the Selective Service;
  • Any attempts to register with the Selective Service, including when and where (attach supporting documentation);
  • Where you were living from age 18 through 25 and your citizenship status during that period;
  • Any attempts to enlist in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces – what branch, when, why you were rejected, and how you were notified (attach supporting documentation);
  • Incarceration and/or institutionalization during that period with documentation on official letterhead;
  • Any information/documentation that supports your claim.

Write your 7-digit student ID number on all documentation and submit it to the Financial Aid Office or upload it through your myNOVA To Do List.

If you are submitting a Selective Service Appeal, the Financial Aid Office, not the Selective Service System, will make a final determination of whether you have shown that your failure to register was not knowing and willful.

How to Submit an Appeal

If you have experienced an unexpected financial emergency that jeopardizes your continued enrollment and academic success at NOVA, you may contact your campus Financial Aid Office to discuss emergency aid or check with NOVA’s Financial Stability and Advocacy Centers about other financial resources that may be available.

Some examples of emergencies include:

• Temporary loss of job or income
• Homelessness or sudden loss of housing
• Theft of computer, books, clothing or other essential belongings
• Medical/dental emergency
• Transportation needs
• Loss of child care

Please note that emergency aid funding is limited.