Appealing Your Aid

NOTE: This process is NOT for appeals or questions regarding merit scholarships, which are awarded based on academic achievements in high school. For any inquiries related to merit scholarships, please reach out to the Admissions Office. The process below only applies to need-based financial aid.

If your family has experienced a change in circumstances (e.g. job loss, unexpected uninsured medical expenses) since you completed your application for financial aid, we are able to reconsider your initial aid package based on the change in circumstances.

How to Begin

To begin an appeal, complete one of our appeal forms in Student Forms. Please follow the steps below carefully and choose the appeal form type that best fits your situation. Be sure to provide all the information requested. An incomplete appeal request could delay the process considerably.

Please also be advised that even though your financial situation may have truly changed and you have provided adequate documentation, we may not always be able to offer any additional assistance due to availability of funding.

Steps to Submit an Appeal

1. The student should log into Student Forms.
2. In the top right corner, under your name, click on Manage Requests.

3. Select an appeal type from the list that appears. Be sure to choose an appeal type from the column that matches the academic year for which you are appealing. See below for descriptions of each appeal type:
   • Satisfactory Academic progress (SAP) Appeal – Use this form if your aid has been terminated due to not making Satisfactory Academic Progress (e.g. if your financial aid was terminated because of low grades).
   • Professional Judgement: Unusual Circumstance Appeal – Use this form to request a Dependency Override or to provide information on your Conditional Independent Student Status (e.g. This appeal type is used to report situations of abandonment, an abusive family environment, incarceration of a parent, etc.)
   • Professional Judgement: Special Circumstance – SAI Appeal – Also sometimes called an “EFC” appeal, use this form to report one or more of the following:
     • Loss of job, wages, or benefits
     • One-time income appeal (e.g. a one-time withdraw from a tax-deferred pension)
     • High medical or dental expenses
     • Unusual expenses (such as elder care, emergency home repairs, etc.)
     • Divorce, separation, or passing of a parent
     • Any other changes related to income or assets
   • Professional Judgement: Special Circumstances – COA Appeal – Use this form to report educational expenses for the present school year that exceed PC’s standard Cost of Attendance (this form is generally used by returning students in higher-cost housing options).
   • Emergency Fund Application – Use this form to communicate general financial hardship for which the change in circumstances does not fit into any of the above categories.

4. Fill out and submit the appeal type that you selected.
5. After submitting the appeal form, note that we likely will request additional documentation as the appeal is reviewed. You will see these requests in your Student Forms account, and each time a new request is posted you will receive an automatic email and text message notification at the email address and phone number you listed in Student Forms. Prompt replies to these requests will prevent your appeal from becoming delayed.

Undergraduate Students (Prospective & Transfer)

Know that we will make every effort to respond to your appeal before your admissions deposit deadline. We encourage you to reach out to our office and the Admissions Office if you have any questions or concerns regarding deadlines. We are always here to support you.

Undergraduate Students (Returning)

Since our resources are limited, it is possible that we may not have grant funding available to provide additional assistance for students who have experienced a change of circumstance. We recommend that you plan your financing based on your most recent financial aid package listed in your CyberFriar account.

Policies and Procedures