Special Circumstance Guidelines

Missouri State-West Plains' Office of Financial Aid aims to address all students' financial needs. To the extent allowed, we will consider life changes which render the information on your Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) inaccurate (e.g., a recent and significant loss of income). Special circumstances are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with the judgement of the administration serving as the final decision.

Review the guidelines below before submitting the Special Circumstance application. There are separate applications for Dependent students and Independent students.

Submitting a Special Circumstance application does not guarantee any change of your financial aid offer. Because of this, you are responsible for your Missouri State-West Plains account balance. Students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 may not submit a Special Circumstances application, as no aid increases can be made.

Use the table below to determine your particular circumstance. Action will be taken when the Office of Financial Aid receives all requested documentation, supporting summaries, and a complete signed Professional Judgement Form.

Important Dates

December 31, 2023 - Some circumstances will required you to submit a 2023 tax return if you apply for Special Circumstance consideration after December 31, 2023.
December 31, 2024 - Some circumstances will required you to submit a 2024 tax return if you apply for Special Circumstance consideration after December 31, 2024.

Possible Circumstance

Guideline

Loss/Change in Employment	Additional documentation is required (see worksheet)
Student, parent, or spouse received unemployment compensation or some other untaxed benefit and has lost that benefit	Additional documentation is required (see worksheet)
Parents or student/spouse are now divorced or separated Dependent student's parent is deceased Independent student's spouse is deceased	If the status was incorrectly reported on the FAFSA, submit this form to request a FAFSA correction If the status changed after the FAFSA was filed, submit this form to request a FAFSA update. Not all update requests will be granted Additional documentation is required (see worksheet)
High medical or dental expenses paid	Only expenses paid by family will be considered. Charges paid or reimbursed by a third party or insurance will not be considered Additional documentation is required (see worksheet)
Other circumstances not listed	Select this option if your income has decreased drastically from the tax filing year used on the FAFSA Additional documentation is required (see worksheet) If you have questions about your circumstances contact the Office of Financial Aid at (417) 255-7243