Eastern Connecticut State University’s objective is to offer students the best financial aid assistance possible to support students in their academic pursuits. Eastern recognizes that every family’s financial situation is unique, and that circumstances may change after filing the FAFSA. Therefore, if you think the information submitted on your FAFSA no longer accurately represents your family’s current financial situation, please let us know. Some conditions that may constitute an appeal include:
For the 2025-2026 school year: If you have experienced one of the above circumstances, please complete the online form for a Special Circumstances Appeal. If you have any questions about this please reach out to the Financial Aid Department.
Special Circumstance Appeals and Unusual Circumstance Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and a final decision will be based on the eligible reason and supporting documentation provided. Be sure to include sufficient supporting documentation for the review. Request for missing or additional documentation that are not responded to in a timely manner can lead to a denial.
Requests are reviewed in the order received. The process can take 2-4 weeks and may be delayed longer due to certain circumstances or request for additional information/documentation.
All documents must be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to the end of the academic year or period of enrollment to be considered for review.
Complete and sign the Special Circumstances Appeal form.
During Step 1, our Financial Aid Counselors will determine if your circumstance is eligible to move forward in the Special Circumstance Process. If you are eligible, your Financial Aid Counselor will contact you for additional documentation that will be needed to complete FAFSA Verification & the Special Circumstance re-evaluation.
Your Financial Aid Counselor will let you know what documentation will be required to complete FAFSA Verification for your FAFSA, as well as what is needed from you to re-evaluate your financial aid.
All students requesting a Special Circumstances Appeal are subject to the verification process. If you were not previously contacted by Inceptia, Eastern’s partner in completing verification, a separate request for verification documents will be sent to the student once the Appeal has been received by the Financial Aid office. Documents needed for verification may include, but are not limited to: current tax returns and/or official IRS transcripts, W2 forms, verification worksheets, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: The verification process, which in some cases may be required before an appeal is able be processed, can result in an initial decrease/increase to a student’s originally estimated aid offer. The appeal process may not restore any reduced aid or offer additional aid.
See the list below for some examples of documentation you may need to provide in support of your Appeal.
Once the signed Appeal has been received with all required documentation, and verification has been completed, the Office of Financial Aid will review your appeal.
All notifications and communication regarding your Appeal will be sent to your Eastern email, so be sure to activate your Eastern email account and check it frequently for updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
NOTE: The Financial Aid Office may contact you for additional documentation on top of what is listed above. Please check your Eastern email frequently for requests & updates.
