Appeals for financial aid
Think you qualify for an appeal?
Contact the Mane Desk at manedesk@smu.edu or 214-768-5555.
This page outlines special and unusual circumstances that may qualify you to appeal for additional financial aid.
Special circumstances
Some examples include:
- Change in employment status, income, or assets
- Change in housing status, like homelessness
- Medical, dental, or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance
- Child or dependent care expenses
- Death of a custodial parent
A financial aid administrator might adjust data elements in the Cost of Attendance or in the data used to complete the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile.
- Parents refusing to contribute to your education
- Parents unwilling to provide FAFSA or verification information
- Credit card debt
- Vacation expenses
- Car or mortgage payments
Unusual circumstances
Some examples include:
- Legally granted refugee or asylum status
- Parental abandonment or estrangement
- Student or parental incarceration
- Human trafficking, as described in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.)
A financial aid administrator might adjust your dependency status based on the situation.
- Parents refusing to contribute to your education
- Parents unwilling to provide FAFSA or verification information
- Parents not claiming you as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Demonstrating total self-sufficiency