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Family Contribution Appeal

What is a Family Contribution Appeal?

The Family Contribution Appeal is for students and their families who have completed a FAFSA and have experienced a reduction in resources which affect your family's ability to contribute toward your educational expenses. For example, someone in your family may have lost income due to something outside of their control. The goal is that your Family Contribution Appeal would reduce your Student Aid Index (SAI) and increase your financial aid eligibility. 

It's important to remember that you must complete the FAFSA (according to the directions outlined on the FAFSA) before you can apply for a Family Contribution Appeal.

The U.S. Department of Education allows financial aid administrators to determine which conditions warrant a special consideration. There are limitations to what conditions financial aid administrators can consider. To remain equitable, our office will review all applications on a case-by-case basis.

It is DMACC policy to consider a Family Contribution Appeal for the following circumstances which have caused a reduction of income/resources:

  • Decrease in income in 2023 or 2024 because of termination, layoff, involuntary reduction of hours, disability, retirement, company closing.
  • In 2023 or 2024, a decrease or loss of untaxed income or benefits that was reported on your 2024-2025 FAFSA. Untaxed income includes worker's compensation, child support, pensions and annuities, and taxable social security benefits.
  • Divorce/separation since you completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA. (The date of the divorce/separation must have occurred prior to the date you began attending DMACC.)
  • There has been a death in your family involving an individual whose financial information was reported on the FAFSA.
  • You or your family incurred excessive medical expenses in 2022 or 2023 due to the illness of a family member.

It is DMACC policy not to consider an SAI Appeal for reduction in income for the following:

  • Voluntarily leaving employment or reducing hours.
  • Tuition paid for elementary/secondary private school.
  • Unusual expenses related to personal living (e.g. wedding expenses, credit card bills, home mortgage or school loan payments, car payments, legal expenses, other miscellaneous consumer item expenses).
  • One-year bonus incomes such as lottery or gambling winnings.
  • Reductions in overtime pay (this will be reflected on the following year's aid applications).
  • Medical expenses other than those claimed as a deduction on a 2022 or 2023​ federal tax returns.

As part of the application, you, your spouse and/or your parent(s) will be asked to provide an explanation of your special circumstances.

When outlining your circumstance, please remember that it's important to outline why a circumstance occurred in addition to what occurred.  For example, if your parent(s) are no longer employed, outline why this is the case and provide documentation.

Documentation to be included can vary by student, spouse and parent circumstance.  However, documentation is required for the review to be completed.  Examples of documentation may be:

  • Signed copy of 2023 Federal Tax Return if reduction of income occurred in 2023
  • Documentation of 2024 earnings (most recent paystub, unemployment documentation, etc.) if reduction of income occurred in 2024
  • 2023 or 2024 Federal Tax Return Documenting Medical Expenses (Schedule A, for Example)
  • Letter from Employer or Doctor
  • Copy of Claimants Unemployment Record
  • Notice of Benefits Determination (i.e. Severance)
  • Copy of Disability Award
  • W-2 Forms
  • Military Separation Documents (DD-214)

Requesting a Family Contribution (SAI) Appeal and the Review Process

Students can now apply for a SAI appeal via our electronic process.  Step by step instructions can be found below by clicking on the button. Students can also reach out to a financial aid advisor to discuss the appeal process. On the electronic appeal form, the student will have an opportunity to type their explanation of circumstance and provide the required appropriate documentation. It's important to remember that you must complete the FAFSA (according to the directions outlined on the FAFSA) and be initially offered financial aid by DMACC before you can apply for the SAI Appeal.​

How to Request an SAI Appeal

How Long Does the SAI Appeal Process Take?

The review process can take three to four ​weeks to complete depending on the receipt of a completed electronic appeal, requests for additional information, and the time of year the application is submitted. When our office receives the application, a Financial Aid Ad​visor will contact the student and/or parent via email if any additional information or clarification is needed. Not all application reviews will be approved, warrant a change to the student's SAI, or change a student's original financial aid award offer. Any changes to the student's financial aid award offer will result in an email notifying the student of the change.