Appeals

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 paystub
• Other documentation based on circumstances

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

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

Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal

• Death of dependent student's parent
• Death of independent student's spouse

Documentation specific to circumstances:

• Appeal form (contact the Office of Financial Aid to request the appropriate form)
• Copy of Death Certificate
• Documentation of surviving individual's current income

Circumstances that warrant this type of appeal

If you (independent student) or your parent (dependent student) reported child support for a minor child 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. 

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.
• Medical -must be paid medical expenses that exceed 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. 

Reasons/Scenarios that warrant this type of appeal

• Child abuse

• The location of the parent or parents is unknown.

• The student has been removed from the family home by the state.

Documentation Required

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to receive the required form and you will need to submit a signed and dated statement (approximately 1 page) detailing:

• Your current relationship with your parent(s)
• Whether you were claimed on your parent (s) or someone else’s tax returns during the year your FAFSA information was based on. (Example: The 2023-24 FAFSA is based on the 2021 tax year)
• Your last contact with your parent(s)
• Whether you have requested your parent to assist you in applying for financial aid
• Two letters of support from adults familiar with your case, such as a teacher, counselor, medical authority, member of the clergy, prison administrator, government agency, or court and should establish the unusual circumstances. 

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. 

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 - parents can appeal the decision with the Department of Education, 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.  More information about eligibility, interest rates, repayment and how to apply for Parent PLUS Loans can be viewed here. 

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 please click here.

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 this link. 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.