Special Circumstances or Unusual Circumstances
Emory understands that students may experience changes in their financial situation and/or living conditions that may not be reflected in their most recent financial application materials. We are here to help you navigate any of these unexpected circumstances you may experience and ensure you feel confident in your ability to continue your studies with the financial support you need. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help you navigate financial or other changes.
Changes In Your Finances/Special Circumstances
If you experience a substantial change in your financial resources – such as loss of employment, natural disaster, death of a parent, extraordinary medical expenses, or unexpected tuition expenses – or experience changes concerning your living conditions that impact your dependency status – such as human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment or incarceration - you can complete and submit a Special Circumstances/Finances Appeal Form, along with any supporting documents. A financial aid committee will review your submission materials, your eligibility, and available funds to determine whether the Office of Financial Aid can adjust your package.
Your completed Appeal Packet should be submitted by email, USPS, or fax (fax is the preferred method) and include:
- A completed Special Circumstance Appeal Form
- Any supporting documents you believe are relevant to explain your situation
- Any supplemental or new tax documentation, if not already submitted to IDOC, such as:
- Completed tax returns for all businesses (forms 1065, 1120-S, 1120, K-1s, and the itemized list for "other deductions")
- A Signed Amended tax return form 1040x
You may be asked to provide additional information after your initial completed Appeal Packet is submitted. The timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of your packet will impact the outcome of your appeal.
Submitting a special circumstance appeal does not automatically ensure your request will be approved. If your appeal is approved, you could receive an increase in institutional grants, institutional loans, or a combination of both.
Submission Priority Date | Response Date | |
2023-2024 Final Appeal Date | January 10, 2025 | January 24, 2025 |
Submission Priority Date | Response Date | |
Admitted Early Decision I | January 3, 2025 | January 10, 2025 |
Admitted Early Decision II | February 14, 2025 | February 21, 2025 |
Admitted Regular Decision | March 28, 2025 | April 4, 2025 |
Admitted Regular Decision | April 11, 2025 | April 18, 2025 |
Admitted Regular Decision | April 18, 2025 | April 25, 2025 |
Admitted Transfers | May 9, 2025 | May 16, 2025 |
Returning Students | July 11, 2025 | July 18, 2025 |
Returning Students | July 25, 2025 | August 8, 2025 |
Returning Students | August 13, 2025 | August 22, 2025 |
Returning Students | August 29, 2025 | September 10, 2025 |
Final Fall Appeal Date | September 11, 2025 | September 19, 2025 |
Appeals submitted after a submission priority date will be considered at the following scheduled appeal meeting. There is no deadline to submit an appeal. Appeals submitted after the last scheduled appeal meeting will be addressed in an ad-hoc basis by the committee.
Although Emory understands that many factors can impact a family's financial resources, because of the limited nature of resources and a commitment to provide fair consideration of the financial circumstances of all our students, we will not consider appeal requests based on the following events or conditions:
- Financial support of grandparents, siblings older than 23, and non-immediate family members
- Consumer debt, such as credit cards or educational loan debt
- Job loss of less than 3 months
- Investments held for others
- Requests to exclude retirement assets not invested in a traditional retirement account
- Student merit or achievements
- Aid or scholarships awarded by other institutions
- Unwillingness to contribute to educational expenses
- Inability to pay the calculated family contribution from current income
Please note: It is our expectation that families will use all resources available to them to finance education, including current salary, savings, investments, student loans, parent loan, and the Emory Payment Plan, if necessary.
Changes In Your Dependency/Unusual Circumstances
If you experience a substantial change in your living conditions that impact your dependency status – such as human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment or incarceration - you can complete and submit a Special Circumstances Appeal Form, along with any supporting documents. A financial aid committee will review your submission materials, your eligibility, and available funds to determine whether the Office of Financial Aid can adjust your package.
Your completed Appeal Packet should be submitted by email, USPS, or fax (fax is the preferred method) and include:
- A completed Unusual Circumstance Appeal Form
- Any supporting documents you believe are relevant to explain your situation
You may be asked to provide additional information after your initial completed Appeal Packet is submitted. The timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of your packet will impact the outcome of your appeal.
Submitting a special circumstance appeal does not automatically ensure your request will be approved. If your appeal is approved, you could receive an increase in institutional grants, institutional loans, or a combination of both.
Unusual circumstances do not typically include:
- Parents refusal to contribute to a student's education
- Parents will not provide information on the CSS Profile, FAFSA, or for federal verification
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Demonstrates total self-sufficiency by student
Withdrawing From Emory
At the end of the Add/Drop/Swap period each term, a student may completely withdraw from Emory with permission from the appropriate school deal and clearance from the Student Accounts and Billing Office and the Office of Financial Aid. Financial aid packages are offered under the assumption the recipient will remain enrolled through the completion of the term. Anyone who receives financial aid and withdraws completely before the end of the term may be eligible for only a percentage of the funds initially offered.
Return of Federal Aid
Withdrawn students earn federal aid based on the amount of time they are enrolled for the applicable term.
Any federal funds received but not earned must be returned to the funding program(s) in the following order:
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
- Other federal Title IV aid programs
- The student
Once a student has completed 60% enrollment for the term, they have earned 100% of the federal aid offered. If a student withdraws after this point, they will not be required to return federal Title IV funds.
Return of Institutional Aid
Each school at Emory maintains its own policies regarding the return of institutional funds upon withdrawal. We encourage you to contact the Office of Financial Aid before you are fully withdrawn to understand how this action will affect your eligibility for institutional aid and your student account balance.