When circumstances change
The Office of Financial Aid understands that a student or family’s financial circumstances can change unexpectedly. In order to address these issues, we are able to provide special circumstances appeals for FAFSA filers and need-based appeals for international students. Below you can find the eligible circumstances that can be reviewed and considered for additional aid.
If you find yourself in this situation, please reach out to our office with an email to finaid@calarts.edu detailing your situation, and we will let you know what your appeal options are.
If you are a U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident and would like to be considered for an appeal, we request that you first complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so that there is a formal record of your financial need or SAI (Student Aid Index).
If you are an International Student studying on an F-1 visa, please note that you are not eligible for federal or state-based student aid. We will also ask that you speak with the International Office to discuss your Declaration of Finances and seek additional guidance.
If you are a student receiving the maximum amount of Veterans Affairs education benefits, an approved appeal for additional need-based funding might result in lowered Yellow Ribbon Grant/other VA funding and no additional refund.
Please note that submission of any appeal form does not guarantee approval or receipt of additional financial aid. Please allow 2-3 weeks for evaluation, and the Office of Financial Aid will reach out with any follow-up questions or to request additional documentation relating to your appeal. You will be notified via email of the result of your appeal.
If you are experiencing an urgent need for assistance with food or basic needs, please click here for information regarding the Basic Need Center and see “Additional Resources” for supplemental local resources.
Circumstances that may be considered for appeal
Job loss or income reduction
If total income is expected to be less in the current year than the income reported on the FAFSA, you may submit an appeal based on a reduced income.
Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal
- Reduction in income due to change in employment, reduction in the number of hours allocated to employee, or loss of a source of income
- Unemployment
Documentation specific to circumstances:
- Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
- Letter of termination from employment, layoff notice, a final pay stub showing year-to-date earnings, documentation of unemployment benefits expected or currently receiving
- Documentation of new employer and a current pay stub
- Other documentation based on circumstances
Parent divorce or separation not reflected on FAFSA (dependent students)
Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal
- Legally filed divorce of parent of dependent undergraduate student
- Legally filed separation of parent of dependent undergraduate student
Types of documentation required
- Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
- Copy of divorce decree or notice of filing for legal separation
- Verification of custodial parent’s current income
- Other documentation based on circumstances
Student divorce or separation not reflected on FAFSA (independent students)
Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal
- Graduate or independent undergraduate student legally filed divorce
- Graduate or independent undergraduate student legally filed separation
Types of documentation required
- Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
- Copy of divorce decree or notice of filing for legal separation.
- Verification of student’s current income
- Other documentation based on circumstances
Death of a parent or spouse
Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal
- Death of dependent student’s parent
- Death of independent student’s spouse
Loss of child support for minor child
Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal
If you (independent student) or your parent (dependent student) reported child support for a minor child on the FAFSA, but no longer receive the child support income. Examples of this circumstance are: The child is now over the age of 18 and the custodial agreement for child support ends at age 18.
Documentation specific to circumstances:
- Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
- Legal documentation regarding the reason that you have ceased receipt of child support payments
Medical, dental, or nursing home care
Reasons/scenarios that warrant this type of appeal
- Elder care expenses can be considered only if the elder is not already reported in the family size on the FAFSA. We do not consider elder expenses paid to other family members.
- Must be paid medical expenses exceeding 11% of adjusted gross income to be considered.
Documentation required
- Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
Supporting documentation for the expenses you are appealing for the calendar year. Note for medical, please only provide documentation of medical expenses that have already been paid. Do not provide copies of medical tests, diagnosis, or other confidential information.
Request to be considered an independent student
Reasons/scenarios that warrant this type of appeal
A student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of unusual circumstances preventing the student from contacting parents. These circumstances could include:
- Human trafficking, as described in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.)
- Legally granted refugee or asylum status and are separate from their parents, or their parents are displaced in a foreign country
- Parental abandonment or estrangement and have not been adopted
- Abusive or threatening environment
- Student or parental incarceration and contact with parents would pose a risk to the student
Other students will continue to qualify as independent on their FAFSA form and not required to provide parental information if they:
- Are active duty military
- Are a veteran of the US Armed Forces
- Were an orphan, ward of the court, or in foster care at the age of 13 or older
- Are or were a legally emancipated minor or in a legal guardianship as determined by a court in the student’s state of legal residence
- Are a student unaccompanied and either homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless
Documentation required
Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to receive the required form; you will need to submit a signed and dated statement (approximately one page) detailing the following information. Documentation may include (but is not limited to) the following:
- A documented interview between the student and the financial aid administrator;
- Submission of a court order or official federal or state documentation that the student or student’s parents or legal guardians are incarcerated;
- A documented phone call or written statement, which confirms the unusual circumstances with:
- A state, county, or tribal welfare agency;
- An independent living case worker who supports current and former foster youth with the transition to adulthood;
- A public or private agency, facility, or program servicing the victims of abuse, neglect, assault, or violence; or
- A documented phone call or written statement from an attorney, guardian ad litem, a court-appointed special advocate (or similar), or a representative of a TRIO or GEAR UP program which confirms the circumstances and the person’s relationship to the student;
- A documented determination of independence made by a financial aid administrator at another institution in the same or a prior award year; or
- Utility bills, health insurance, or other documents that demonstrate a separation from parents or legal guardians.
Starting with the 2024-25 award year, both first-time and renewal applicants who indicate on their FAFSA form that they have an unusual circumstance will be granted provisional independent status. They will be able to complete the form without providing parental information. They will also receive an estimate of their federal student aid eligibility, which will be subject to a final determination by the institution they attend. If a student’s institution approves their unusual circumstances, their independent status will carry over when they renew their FAFSA form in future award years, and they will be considered independent for as long as they remain at the same institution and their circumstances remain unchanged.
Unaccompanied homeless youth
To be considered an unaccompanied homeless youth, a student must be unaccompanied and homeless, or unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of being homeless.
The documentation for the Office of Financial Aid evaluation of the living arrangements of a student must demonstrate that they meet the definition of this category of independent student.
Circumstances that may not be considered
Below are circumstances that do not qualify for a need-based or special circumstances appeal review.
- Request to match the financial aid award from another school
- Increased off campus rent expenses
- High consumer or business debt
- Parent attending college
- Request for assistance with a balance owed for a prior academic year
- Request for assistance with increase in tuition fees from prior year
- Devaluation of your home country’s currency
- Request to exclude stepparent income on your FAFSA
- A school is not obligated to exercise professional judgment for a student because a professional judgment was conducted at another school
If your current circumstances do not qualify to be reviewed as a need-based or special circumstances appeal, there are still other options to consider and explore to help cover your balance and auxiliary education-related expenses.
Cost of attendance appeals
CalArts establishes a cost of attendance (COA) each academic year, which includes the average amounts for standard educational expenses incurred by our students during the academic year. Students may experience unforeseen expenses during an academic year that are not accounted for in the typical estimated cost of attendance.
Students can request an increase in their COA for one of the following reasons:
- Purchase of computer: receipt documentation for purchase is required
- Technology needed for coursework: must supply documentation from professor that technology is specifically required for course, receipt documentation for purchase is required
- Childcare expenses: documented costs associated with care for a dependent child of the student
- Automobile expenses: documented costs associated with the operation and repair of a vehicle used for transportation to and from school, residence, and place of work
- Housing costs: total reasonable rent costs above the estimated average listed in the off-campus COA can be considered (note that housing adjustments have a maximum of $2,000 beyond published COA component)
To request an appeal of your cost of attendance, please contact the Office of Financial Aid. You will be informed about the required documentation based on your appeal reason and how to submit documentation for your appeal.
Other financing options
Monthly payment plan
CalArts offers an option to pay your direct charges over the course of a few months. Students can enroll in a monthly payment plan and their payments will be automatically withdrawn each month. To learn more about monthly payment plans and the dates to enroll by, please see the bottom of the page on this link.
Federal PLUS Loans
Consider financing using the Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan (for dependent BFA students) or a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan (for graduate students). We recommend that you carefully consider the amount that is feasible for you and your family to borrow annually to assist with educational expenses that are not met by your financial aid award or other resources. A family/student should consider the addition of the monthly PLUS payments to their current and future expenses. A family/student should also consider the maximum monthly loan payments if it would be necessary to borrow the same amount for the remainder of the student’s tenure at CalArts.
Federal Student Aid provides a calculator to assist borrowers in determining their borrowing capacity and calculate monthly PLUS Loan repayment. Receipt of this loan is contingent on the approval of a Federal Parent PLUS Loan application, which includes a credit check. The federal credit check process will check for adverse credit history; if a parent is denied, they have a few options. They can appeal the decision with the Department of Education, and the parent borrower can also add an endorser (co-signer) to their loan. PLUS Loans can be borrowed for up to the cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid the student is receiving. PLUS loans must be repaid by the parent borrower. Find more information about eligibility, interest rates, repayment, and how to apply for Parent PLUS Loans at our Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan page.
Private education loans
Students can also apply for a private student loan to help cover their balance. Contingent upon application approval from a bank, credit union, or higher education lender, students can apply for loans up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid the student is receiving. For more information on this type of loan and to view common lenders who our students have borrowed with in the past, visit our private educational loans page.
Outside scholarships
Scholarships are available from many sources including high schools, places of worship, civic groups, and employers. We recommend that you check with your high school guidance or college counselor, the reference section of your library, and organizations in your hometown. One of the best ways to find scholarships to apply for is by using a scholarship search engine. We recommend using one of the search engines listed at the top of our outside private scholarships page. Receipt of outside scholarships could affect your eligibility for certain aid types and cannot exceed the total cost of attendance in a given academic year.