Request for Re-evaluation

We recognize that income information presented on the FAFSA may not reflect a family’s current financial situation. Federal regulations allow Stony Brook to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to determine whether additional Federal aid can be given to a student due to eligible special circumstances that impact their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Students with documented ‘Special Circumstances’ that negatively affect their family’s financial situation could be eligible for a financial aid adjustment that could result in additional financial aid. For example, because of COVID-19 some employers have shut down, reduced work hours, furloughed employees and others may not have been able to work due to illness. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services may be able to review your special circumstances to adjust the amount of financial aid you receive or would have received.

In order to request a re-evaluation of your federal student aid, you must have a valid FAFSA on file. 

If your EFC is equal to 0, you are automatically qualifying for the maximum in federal aid programs. There are no changes we can make to your FAFSA that would change your eligibility to provide additional federal aid. Your EFC can be found via your Student Aid Report (SAR) which can be accessed by following these steps. 

Disclaimer: Re-Evaluations are reviewed on a case by case basis and not all re-evaluations result in additional aid. 

• Eligible Circumstances

  If you believe your change in circumstance meets any of the below criteria, we encourage you to follow the steps provided on this page to complete a re-evaluation request:

  • You or your parent(s) earned income on your current FAFSA application and have since experienced a loss of employment. This may be a result of a disability, natural disaster,recent termination of employment, or retirement.

  •  You or your parent(s) received unemployment compensation or untaxed income or benefit on your current FAFSA application and lost that income or benefit (e.g. child support, social security benefits, one time retirement account withdrawal etc.).

  • You already applied for Federal Student Aid and since that time your parent(s) have separated, divorced or been widowed.

  • You or your parent(s) had healthcare/dental expenses that were paid out of pocket and that exceeded 11% of your income protection allowance. 

  Income Protection Allowance
  Number in parents' household, including student	Number of college students in the household
  	1	2	3	4	5
  2	$19.080	$15,810	N/A	N/A	N/A
  3	$23,760	$20,510	$17,250	N/A	N/A
  4	$29,340	$26,080	$22,830	$19,570	N/A
  5	$34,620	$31,350	$28,110	$24,840	$21,600
  6	$40,490	$37,230	$33,980	$30,720	$27,470
  Note: For each additional household member, add $4,570.  For each additional college student (except parents), subtract $3,250.

  Examples of eligible circumstances

  • Wolfie Seawolf’s father lost his job in March 2020 and remains unemployed currently. Wolfie's father receives unemployment benefits. The amount of the benefit is substantially less than what the income reported on Wolfie's parents' 2019 tax return.

  • Wolfie Seawolf’s parents separated after they filed the 2021-2022 FAFSA. Their divorce is not finalized but the have maintained separate residences since their separation.

  • Wolfie Seawolf needed extensive medical care after cheering too loud at a football game. The medical expenses exceeded 11% of the income protection allowance for his family and the bills have been already paid out of pocket.
• Ineligible Circumstances

  Though our office sympathizes with any financial burden faced by members of our community, we can not consider the follow circumstances for a re-evaluation

  • Debt incurred not related to medical expenses.

  • Medical expenses that do not exceed 11% of your income protection allowance.

  • Regular monthly expenses, including but not limited to:

  • • • Mortgage

  • • • Utility

  • • • Car

  • • • Credit card

  • Elementary or secondary school tuition payments.

  • Unusually high dependent care expenses.

  • Expected family contribution is already 0.

  • • • If your EFC is equal to 0, you are automatically qualifying for the maximum in federal aid programs. There are no changes we can make to your FAFSA that would change your eligibility to provide additional federal aid. Your EFC can be found via your Student Aid Report (SAR) which can be accessed by following these steps. 

  Examples of Ineligible Circumstances

  • Wolfie Seawolf’s mother lost her job in March 2020. She was unemployed from March 2020 to June 2021.  In June of 2021, she was hired at a new job, making the same money. Her current financial situation is now the same as what was reported on the 2021-2022 FAFSA, and therefore a re-evaluation would not be warranted.

  • Wolfie Seawolf’s parents took $10,000 out of their retirement account in 2019 to help pay for Wolfie Jr’s private school costs.

  • Wolfie Seawolf’s parents have been sending money to some of their extended family overseas to help support them financially.

  
  
  

  Though our office cannot perform a re-evaluation for the above circumstances, you can complete a Budget Increase Request to potentially use additional loan funding to cover some of the above related costs. 

• How to Request a Re-evaluation

  If you believe your change in circumstance meets any of the eligible criteria, please complete the Re-evaluation Inquiry Form and a member of our re-evaluation team will reach out to you within 2-4 business days regarding the next steps in the process. Documentation is reviewed within 7-10 business days of submission. If additional documentation is required upon review, we will add a To Do List item to your SOLAR account. View our How We Communicate With You video for additional information. 

  What documentation will I need to submit?

  Documentation will vary based on the nature of your re-evaluation request. Regardless of the reason, all 21/22 submissions will need to include the following:

  • 2021-2022 Re-evaluation worksheet, signed by you and a parent (if you are a dependent student)

  • 2019 Signed IRS Tax Return with all associated schedules

  • 2019 W-2 form

  *If the re-evaluation is based on a change in student income, we would need the student's documentation. If it is based on a change in parent's income, we would need the parent's documentation.*

  Additional documentation that may be required includes, but is not limited to:

  • Unemployment insurance benefits

  • Recent pay stubs

  • Termination letters

  • Death certificate

  • Survivor benefits 

  • Separation/Divorce documentation

  
  

  Approved re-evaluations resulting in additional grant aid can be applied retroactively within the aid year. For example, re-evaluations approved in the spring can also apply to the prior fall, provided the student was enrolled.