Special Circumstance, Re-evaluation
The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship Services recognizes that income information presented on the FAFSA may not reflect a family’s current financial situation. Federal regulations allow Stony Brook University to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to determine whether additional federal aid only can be given to a student due to eligible special circumstances that impact their Student Aid Index (SAI). 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.
| Special Circumstance Deadline Date: 2024-25 Academic Aid Year | May 1, 2025 |
|---|
Requirements for Special Circumstance Review
In order to request a re-evaluation of your federal student aid, you must have a valid FAFSA on file for the academic aid year you are trying to review.
| Academic Aid Year | FAFSA Application | Tax Year Information Used on FAFSA |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 Academic Aid Year | 2025-26 FAFSA | 2023 Taxes |
| 2024-25 Academic Aid Year | 2024-25 FAFSA | 2022 Taxes |
- If your SAI is in the range of 0 to -1500, 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 SAI can be found via your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) 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 a recent job change that resulted in underemployment, pay reduction or reduction in hours.
- You or your parent(s) had healthcare/dental expenses that were paid out of pocket and that exceeded 11% of your income protection allowance.
Requesting a Re-evaluation for 2024-25
The re-evaluation process for the 2024-25 school year will begin May 1, 2024.
If you believe your change in circumstance meets any of the eligible criteria, please contact our office on or after May 1 via email at finaid@stonybrook.edu or you may contact us via phone at 631-632-6840 for guidance and instructions on submitting your request to review. Documentation is reviewed within 2 to 3 weeks of submission starting May 1. 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 2024-25 submissions will need to include the following:
- 2024-25 Re-evaluation worksheet, signed by you and a parent (if you are a dependent student)
- 2022 Signed IRS Tax Return with all associated schedules
- 2022 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.