DEPENDENCY OVERRIDE

A “Dependency Override” occurs when a financial aid administrator exercises professional judgment and overrides the Department of Education’s criteria for dependent students. An override may only be granted on a case-by-case basis for students with unusual circumstances. Parental incarceration, abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or parental abandonment are some reasons for which a dependency override may be considered. In these rare instances, students may complete a Dependency Override Worksheet.

What is Not Considered

Students are not considered independent for financial aid purposes for any of the following reasons:

  • Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
  • Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
  • Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax pur­poses
  • Parents live away from student or in a foreign country
  • Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

Students who think their unusual circumstances may warrant a dependency override should file the Dependency Override Worksheet.

For dependency overrides the student should file a Dependency Override Worksheet which can be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid Office. The Dependency Override worksheet explains all the required information that must be submitted in order have a successful dependency override. Some documentation that is asked for on the Dependency Override Worksheet is:

  • A personal letter from the student detailing the unusual circumstance along with
  • supporting documentation from a third party (guidance counselor, clergy person or social worker) who can corroborate the parental situation.
  • Applicable legal documents, court records, and police reports.

Please submit all documents with your Student Name and telephone number written clearly at the top of each page. Do not submit original documents unless you are told to do so. Make copies of what you submit. To submit “Professional Judgement” documents, you may bring them to the Financial Aid Office in person, fax them to (352) 331-2470 or email them to finaid@ssag.edu.

The academy’s financial aid deadlines vary based on the program you are interested in attending. Students must have all dependency override documentation submitted to the financial aid office no later than 2 weeks before the students desired class start date.

Once your documentation has been reviewed by the academy’s financial aid office they will process the dependency override and determine if you are eligible to start classes in your selected start date. If documents are submitted later than your due date or additional documentation is required by the financial aid office your class start date may be moved to the next available start date.

Your file will not be complete until all requested documents are received and processed by the Financial Aid Office. The professional judgement process may delay the awarding of financial assistance if corrections need to be submitted to the federal processor.

If you have questions, contact the Financial Aid Office by calling (352) 331-2424 Ext. 4 or email at finaid@ssag.edu.