Contribution appeal at NAU

Has your financial situation changed since completing the FAFSA?

A Contribution Appeal is for students and/or parents whose financial situation has changed since completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to re-evaluate your Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is a measure used to determine need-based financial aid.

Note: Starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the EFC will change to the Student Aid Index (SAI). To better understand these terms, visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid Glossary.

Special circumstances that could be reasons for submitting a Contribution Appeal might include, but are not limited to:

Loss of employment
Reduction in earnings
Paid medical costs not covered by insurance
Death of a parent
Tax liens
Out-of-pocket payment of k-12 private education tuition

The following are not considered special circumstances:

Pending reduction in income due to fluctuating commissions or consumer debt
Refusal of a parent to provide financial support to the student (see special circumstances for more info)

Special circumstances and required documentation

Special circumstance	Types of documentation required	Circumstances allowed for
Unemployment	A copy of employment separation letter, including verification of severance pay or retirement benefits (or the lack thereof); Or a copy of a letter or statement establishing the amount of eligibility for unemployment benefits; Or copies of recent W2s and 1040 Tax Form or Tax Return Transcript if their current income is less than their previous year’s income	Student, spouse, parents
Disability or Injury	Copies of statement(s) reflecting eligibility for benefits, monthly amount received, and start and end dates of payments; Or copies of current W2s and 1040 Tax Form or Tax Return Transcript if their current income is less than their previous year’s income	Student, spouse, parents
Loss of income	A copy of termination notice of other income (e.g., social security benefits, trust payments, alimony, child support); if currently employed, submit last 2 paycheck stubs	Student, spouse, parents
Death of spouse or parent	Required to provide the date of the event; and copies of supporting documentation or certificates	Spouse or parents
Report of one-time income	Required to provide a copy of your previous year’s 1099-R or other financial statement of one-time income (e.g., early IRA distribution, conversions, and rollovers); Prior-prior year tax forms; Prior year tax forms	Student, spouse, parents
Medical treatment	Copy of the statement(s) from the insurance provider, pharmacy, or medical facilities stipulating the amount of the medical expenses paid that were not covered by insurance	Student, spouse, parent, household
Private education (K–12)	Copy of tuition statement that includes total tuition cost as well as any financial assistance received	Student siblings (if dependent), student children (if independent)
Tax liens	Statement from the Internal Revenue Service and/or State Tax Board indicating monthly payment amount on back taxes owed	Student, spouse, or parents
Court-ordered payments	Receipt of payments	Student, spouse, or parents

Important things to know

The 2024–25 FAFSA uses 2022 tax year information, so an appeal for the 2024–25 FAFSA will be considered only for changes that occurred during the 2023 tax year.
Taxes from the tax year where the changes occurred must be filed before submitting a contribution appeal.
Students with a zero SAI do not need to submit the appeal form, as their SAI cannot be reduced to below zero. They will have already been offered the maximum amount of aid.
An appeal will only be approved if the SAI decreases as a result of the appeal process.
If the appeal is approved, a student may only become eligible for the Pell Grant or subsidized loan.
An approved appeal will not necessarily result in a change to your financial aid.
Estimate your SAI with tax information using the federal government’s Aid Estimator.
Students are responsible for paying all tuition/fees and other university charges by payment deadlines, regardless of the appeal outcome.
Once an appeal is submitted and all required documents are received by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, it can take up to 25 business days to process the appeal.

Forms

Parent Contribution Appeal

Student Contribution Appeal

Deadlines

How and when to submit a contribution appeal

The deadline to submit an appeal for the 2024–25 academic year is April 10, 2025.

ON THIS PAGE