Special Circumstances
a FINANCIAL AID RE-EVALUATION
We understand that situations can change. If your family has experienced a significant change in income due to unexpected circumstances—such as job loss, permanent reduction of work hours, divorce, the passing of an immediate family member, a decrease or loss of child support, high non-reimbursed medical expenses, or a one-time pension/retirement withdrawal—you may qualify for a re-evaluation of your federal financial aid eligibility.
💡Pro Tip: This process is only available to committed students who have paid their enrollment deposit.
📌 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
We evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis. Based on the documentation you submit, our office will review your FAFSA to determine if adjustments can be made to your Student Aid Index (SAI)—directly impacting the type of financial aid you qualify for.
✅ Requesting an SAI re-evaluation does not guarantee additional financial aid. Adjustments are based on federal guidelines and formulas.
✅ Even with a significant income reduction, your financial aid eligibility may not always change.
✅ If additional aid is awarded, it may not drastically reduce your remaining balance—especially if you are living on campus in the residence halls.
📖 For full details, review the "Terms of a Special Circumstance Re-Evaluation" section below.
⏭️TAKE THE NEXT STEPs
If you believe you may qualify for a re-evaluation of your financial aid, start the process today! 📩
1️⃣ Complete the Special Circumstances Form.
2️⃣ Include required supporting documentation.
3️⃣ Submit to the Office of Financial Aid for review.
💡 Pro Tip: OFA may request additional documentation after the initial review of your submitted materials.
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TERMS OF a SPECIAL Circumstances re-evaluation
✔️ Eligibility Requirements:
- You must be admitted to Millersville University and have paid your confirmation fee (deposit).
- A completed FAFSA must be on file with Millersville University.
- This process only applies to federal financial aid eligibility.
✔️ Important Considerations:
- If you are a PA resident or PA State Grant recipient, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has a separate process for special circumstances.
- If your SAI (Student Aid Index) is already zero or below, you are already receiving the maximum federal aid available, and a re-evaluation will not increase your aid.
- In some cases, a significant income reduction may not impact your financial aid.If your SAI decreases but not enough to qualify for additional grants or subsidized loan funding, your aid package will remain the same.
- Graduate students who only qualify for unsubsidized loans will not see changes in their financial aid eligibility.
✔️ Planning Ahead:
You must have a backup plan to cover any remaining tuition balance. Failure to pay on time may result in a payment extension fee from the Office of Student Accounts.
- A Special Circumstances Re-Evaluation does not guarantee additional funding.
- Before submitting your request, we encourage you to accept all other financial aid options offered, including Federal Direct Loans.
💡 Need Additional Support?
Explore additional financing and payment options.
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STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
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 17551Or 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.
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RE-EVALUATION FOR STATE AID
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:
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