FAFSA: Unusual Circumstance

On your FAFSA, you answered that there is an unusual circumstance that prevents you from contacting your parents or that contacting your parents pose a risk to you.

A person experiencing an unusual circumstance may have:

  • Left home due to an abusive or threatening environment.
  • Are abandoned by or estranged from their parents and have not been adopted.
  • Have refugee or asylee status and are separated from their parents, or their parents are displaced in a foreign country.
  • Are a victim of human trafficking.
  • Are incarcerated, or their parents are incarcerated, and contact with the parents would pose a risk to the student.
  • Are otherwise unable to contact or locate their parents, and have not been adopted.

How to Request a Review of Your Dependency Status

  1. Schedule an appointment with one of our financial aid advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for a Dependency Override due to Unusual Circumstances at wichita.edu/finaidappt.
  2. The financial aid advisor will discuss your options. If your circumstance qualifies, you will be provided further direction on how to apply.
  3. You will need to provide documentation to support your application. Acceptable documentation could include:
    1. Third-party documentation from a counselor or teacher, clergy member, community group, government agencies, medical professionals, or other relevant third party.
    2. Other documentation, if applicable, could include death certificate, police report, or legal documents.

Note: Unusual 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.

Need Help?

If there are other circumstances that prevent your parent from providing their information or you would like to meet with a Financial Aid Advisor, you can schedule an appointment with us. 

Schedule an Appointment

Are Your Parents Willing to Provide Their Information?

If this question was answered incorrectly and your parent is willing to provide their information on your FAFSA, log into your FAFSA at studentaid.gov to make a correction to add your parent’s information. Your parent(s) will then receive an email invitation from Federal Student Aid to add their financial information to FAFSA.