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Special Circumstances for Budget Adjustments

Special Circumstances

The Office of Financial Aid assigns all aid recipients an estimated Cost of Attendance, or budget. Your financial aid and scholarships cannot exceed that budget. However, in some cases, an adjustment can be made to your Cost of Attendance so additional financial aid can be offered. Please note that requesting an increase to your Cost of Attendance does not guarantee additional financial aid will be offered to you. 

Common Reasons to Request a Budget Adjustments

The following are examples of special circumstances that are eligible to apply for an adjustment:

  • Medical, dental, or disability expenses for the student
  • Childcare expenses
  • Computer purchase
  • Additional educational expenses
  • Additional transportation expenses
  • Excess housing expenses

How to Request a Budget Adjustment Due to Special Circumstances

  1. Complete your FAFSA form for the appropriate academic year at studentaid.gov.
  2. Schedule an appointment with one of our financial aid advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for a Budget Adjustment due to Special Circumstances at wichita.edu/finaidappt.
  3. The financial aid advisor will discuss your options. If your circumstance qualifies, you will be provided further direction on how to apply.
  4. You will need to provide documentation to support your application. Documentation may include a childcare contract, receipt of computer purchased or anticipated purchase, medical bill and statements showing the amount you paid out of pocket, receipt of educational expenses purchased, or lease agreement.

Note: Special circumstance requests will not be reviewed until all requested documentation is submitted. The review committee may request additional documentation based on your circumstances. Please allow up to 4 weeks for review and processing. An approval of a request may not always increase your financial aid offer.

What Types of Financial Aid Might I Be Offered With an Approved Budget Adjustment Request?

It depends. In some cases where you have already used your maximum annual financial aid for the school year (such as Pell grant limits or loan limits), you may not necessarily be eligible for an increase in your financial aid. Some options after a budget adjustment may include a Parent PLUS loan or a private student loan. If you had not already been offered the maximum federal loans, a budget adjustment may result in increasing your federal loan offer or evaluating your eligibility for other forms of financial aid.

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