Special Circumstance Guidelines

MSU's Office of Student Financial Aid aims to address all students' financial needs. To the extent allowed we will consider life changes which render the information on your Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) inaccurate (e.g., a recent and significant loss of income). Special circumstances are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with the judgment of the administration serving as the final decision.

Review the guidelines below before submitting the Special Circumstance application. There are separate applications for Dependent students and Independent students.

Submitting a Special Circumstance application does not guarantee any change of your financial aid award. Because of this, you are responsible for your MSU account balance. Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) between -1,500 and 0 should not submit a Special Circumstance application as no aid increases can be made.

Action will be taken when the Office of Student Financial Aid receives all requested documentation, supporting summaries, and a complete and signed Special Circumstance Worksheet. To help with processing, please write the students BearPass Number on all submitted documents.

Important Dates

  • November 15, 2024 - Fall semester deadline to submit the 2024-2025 Special Circumstances application and supporting documents
  • April 1, 2025 -  Final deadline to submit the 2024-2025 Special Circumstances application and supporting documents

Special Circumstances Include:

  • Death or Divorce of a parent/spouse listed on the FAFSA
  • Job loss, job change, or change in income during 2023 tax year
  • AGI in 2023 was lower than AGI in 2022
  • Received a lump sum payment in 2022 (pulled from retirement, lottery winnings, inheritance, settlement, etc).
  • Paid for Private K-12 school in 2023
  • Excessive medical expenses in 2023

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