Special Circumstances: Additional Expenses
A student can document expenses they incur in excess of the expenses already estimated in their cost of attendance by completing a Special Conditions Form (SCF). We provide separate SCFs for dependent undergraduate students, independent undergraduate students, and graduate students. The special expenses categories on the SCFs are as follows:
For dependent undergraduates
- Additional direct educational expenses (e.g., musical instruments, art supplies, tuition beyond the undergraduate flat fee).*
- The purchase of a personal computer.
- Excessive housing costs.
For independent undergraduates or graduate students
- Additional direct educational expenses (e.g., musical instruments, art supplies, mandatory conferences, dissertation research, tuition beyond the undergraduate flat fee or beyond 8 credit hours for graduate students).*
- Uninsured medical costs.
- Costs for dependent care.
- The purchase of a personal computer.
- Excessive housing costs.
- Excessive transportation costs (graduate students only).
A fourth type of SCF, for parents, also exists. However, there are no special expenses categories on the parent SCF, since a student’s budget is built solely upon estimated student expenses. The parent SCF is utilized to document changes in a parent’s financial situation.
The Special Conditions Form is an appeal, subject to review and approval. SCFs are available at our office and on our website (under Forms > Appeals). Further details about the appeal process can be found directly on the SCF.
*For undergraduates, tuition and fees are budgeted within the cost attendance based upon the flat fee assessed for 12-17 credit hours of enrollment; for graduate students, tuition and fees are budgeted within the cost of attendance based upon
8 credit hours of enrollment.