Special Circumstances

• The student must be admitted to Millersville University and have paid their confirmation fee (deposit) to the Admissions Office.
  • A Special Circumstance Re-evaluation request cannot be completed for prospective students who have not confirmed their acceptance.
• A completed FAFSA must be on file with Millersville University.
  • The Special Circumstance Re-evaluation process will only affect federal financial aid eligibility.
  • If you are a PA resident and/or PA State Grant recipient, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has a separate process for Special Circumstances.  
• There are some instances where a reduction of income (even if significant for your family) will not result in any changes to the students offered financial aid. 
  • If your SAI is already zero or below you are already receiving the maximum federal aid for which you are eligible and a Special Circumstances Re-evaluation will not increase your federal aid.
  • If your SAI reduces, but not enough to qualify you for additional funding from grants or subsidized loan funding.
  • If you are in a graduate-level program and only qualify for unsubsidized loans. 
• You must have an alternative plan in place to cover your balance due to the university to ensure you do not receive a payment extension fee (late fee) from the Office of Student Accounts.
  • The Special Circumstances Re-evaluation process does not guarantee additional funding.
  • You are encouraged to accept all other financial aid that is offered to you before the Special Circumstance Re-evaluation process is completed: including, but not limited to, Federal Direct Loans.
  • Learn more about additional aid resources and payment options such as Parent Plus Loans, Private/Alternative Loans, or Installment Plans. 

STEP 1:  fafsa

Because the Special Condition's process only impacts federal financial aid, you must first submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If this has already been completed, please skip to Step 2.

STEP 2:  contact THE office of FINANCIAL AID

If one of the circumstances listed above applies to you, please contact the Office of Financial to request a Special Circumstance. A Financial Aid Representative will be able to look at your account and help determine if completing this process might be a benefit for you.

• The Special Circumstance process does not automatically award a student additional financial aid. It simply recalculates the information on the FAFSA and your Student Aid Index (SAI).
• The SAI determines the type of aid you may be eligible for. Even if there is a significant reduction in your SAI, this does not guarantee additional aid.

STEP 3: COMPLETE the SPECIAL Circumstance FORM

If you would like to proceed with the Special Circumstance process, a Financial Aid Representative can add the requirement to the student's account where they will have access to download and complete the form.

• The form will detail the required documentation you must submit based on your specific circumstances.
• If you are unable to provide supporting documentation, unfortunately, we will not be able to process your request.
• FAILURE TO INCLUDE ALL DOCUMENTS OR LEAVING ITEMS INCOMPLETE WILL RESULT IN A DELAY IN THE PROCESSING OF YOUR INFORMATION OR HAVING IT RETURNED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Please mail ALL items to:

Millersville University
Office of Financial Aid
PO Box 1002
Millersville PA 17551

Or you can email your documents to fa.mail@milllersville.edu

STEP 4:  PROCESSING TIMELINE

Please be aware this review will take some time to complete due to the large number of requests that are expected. 

• The estimated completion time is 4-6 weeks from the date all documentation has been received. 
• Once your Special Circumstance Re-evaluation request has been reviewed, you will receive an email to your Millersville University email detailing the outcome and will be notified if any additional aid will be awarded to your account.
• If you do qualify for additional aid, it may not be significant enough to drastically change your balance due. Please visit our website for information regarding additional aid resources such as Parent Plus Loans, Private/Alternative Loans, or an Installment Plan.

The Office of Financial Aid cannot make any adjustments to the PA State Grant. Students and families would need to complete separate documentation for PHEAA. Below are different forms that can be completed for re-evaluation for eligibility for a PA State Grant:  

• Reduced Income Form
• Recent Separation/Divorce
• Medical Dental Expenses

The information reported on these forms will be used by PHEAA to reconsider your eligibility for the PA State Grant.  DO NOT LEAVE ANY LINE BLANK. 

Please note: If you mail this form to our office, we cannot forward it to PHEAA - you must send it directly to PHEAA.

Return the completed and signed form to:

PHEAA
PO Box 8167
Harrisburg PA 17105-8167