Financial Aid for Evergreen Students with Special Circumstances
The goal of the Financial Aid Office at Evergreen is to make it possible for you to get the funds to meet your educational objectives. This goal extends beyond applying for student aid for the academic year.
We continue to support you throughout your academic career at our school. If you have changes to your situation or other special circumstances that you would like us to consider, please let us know and we will consider making adjustments to your budget and awards.
Questions Frequently Asked by Evergreen Students
- School has started and I haven't applied for financial aid yet. What do I do now?
- My financial aid is based on my income information from last year and things have changed since then. Is there something I can do to request more help?
- According to my FAFSA information, I am considered a dependent of my parents, but I think I should be considered independent. What should I do?
- Can I get more money for my commute to classes?
- I have children who need daycare while I am in class. Is there any help for me?
- The class I am taking requires that I buy special equipment or participate in travel, but I can't afford those things. Can I get more financial aid to cover them?
- I need some money right now for an emergency situation. Are there any programs that can help me?
- I got financial aid at Evergreen, but now I need to withdraw. What will happen?
- I got financial aid, but I'm not sure I'll earn all my credits. Will I lose my eligibility in the future?
- I got financial aid this year. How can I make sure I get it again next year?
- How can I get some scholarships?
School has started and I haven't applied for financial aid yet. What do I do now?
The deadline to apply for financial aid in a given academic year is the the end of the Spring term of that year, so go ahead and apply now. There are two basic steps for a current enrolled student to apply for Financial Aid at Evergreen:
- Complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)
This is an information gathering process to assess your need for and eligibility for aid. The results of the information you provide are used by the federal, and state agencies which will provide funding for you. The results are also often used by the school you attend and by groups that offer scholarships.
My financial aid is based on my income information from last year and things have changed since then. Is there something I can do to request more help?
Yes, the calculations used to determine a student's eligibility for student financial assistance generally take into account the family's income from the previous tax year. However, if there has been a change in employment status, a divorce or death of a family member or some other impactful event in your family, the income from a previous year used to complete your FAFSA, might be much higher than the income you expect for the current year. Families sometimes must adjust to other unexpected household and income changes, too.
If this could be true for your family, we need to hear from you. Reduction of income, loss of a job or a change in the number of family members can often be considered a special circumstance that we can consider to revise your offers of aid.
If the information you provided on the FAFSA does not reflect your current circumstances, and you would like us to consider revising your expected family contribution for the current year, please let us know by completing and submitting the Income Adjustment Form.
If you are a dependent student, be aware that we can only consider parental income changes.
If you have questions about this process, please contact us for more information.
According to my FAFSA information, I am considered a dependent of my parents, but I think I should be considered independent. What should I do?
Answers to these questions on your 2011-12 FAFSA determined your dependency status:
- Were you born before January 1, 1988?
- As of today, are you married?
- At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
- Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
- Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
- Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2012?
- When you were age 13 or older, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent/ward of the court?
- As of today, are you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
- As of today, are you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of an emergency shelter program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be considered independent by the Department of Education and your eligibility determined without reference to your parent(s) income and resources.
More information about dependency status
Under certain conditions, we may be able to override the dependency status that was determined from the information you submitted on the FAFSA.
If you do not meet the federal definition of being independent, but you have extenuating circumstances that we are not aware of, you may petition to have the Financial Aid Office make a waiver of your status. These decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis and justified by an individual student's unusual circumstances and must be documented in the student's file.
Note: The parent's unwillingness (vs. inability) to assist the student should not, in and of itself, be grounds for a dependency override.
Information about petitioning for independent status
Can I get more money for my commute to classes?
If you commute more than 30 miles (round trip) per day to attend classes at Evergreen, we may be able to increase your budget.
In order to do this, we need to know where you are commuting to and from (the number of miles you will travel per day). We will also ask you the number of days per week and which quarter(s) you will be commuting. For us to consider this information, please write us a letter asking to be considered for this increase and submit the Additional Transportation Expense Form. Read it carefully before submitting and be sure to include all the documentation it requires.
Additional Transportation Expenses Form
I have children who need daycare while I am in class. Is there any help for me?
We might be able to help you with this. To determine how much we can increase your budget, we will ask you how many children will need daycare, how many hours and days a week they will need it and for which term(s). Use the Additional Family Expenses Form and, again, Read it carefully before submitting and be sure to include all the documentation it requires.
Additional Family Expenses Form
The class I am taking requires that I buy special equipment or participate in travel, but I can't afford those things. Can I get more financial aid to cover them?
This is another situation where we might be able to increase your budget and offer you more aid. Write us a letter and tell us exactly how much money you will need, what it is for, and when you will need it. Attach any documentation of costs (class description, Individual Learning Contract, ticket costs, price quotes for equipment, etc.). Finally, complete the Additional Academic Expenses Form. Read it carefully before submitting and be sure to include all the specific documentation it requires. Don't wait until the last minute. It will take some time before a counselor is able to review your request and offer you what you need.
I need some money right now for an emergency situation. Are there any programs that can help me?
Yes, short-term loans for up to $400 are available to Evergreen students to cover temporary and unexpected emergency "cash flow" problems that jeopardize their ability to continue their education.
Short-Term Loans cannot be used to pay off charges like library past dues, housing charges, etc.
When applying for a short-term loan, make sure you do not already have a short-term loan that you haven't repaid, and check for delinquent charges on your student account. These things will prevent your application from being approved. Be sure you enrolled for the term for which you are requesting the loan.
I got financial aid at Evergreen, but now I need to withdraw. What will happen?
If you fully withdraw from Evergreen State College and you have received financial aid, then you may be required to return some of the funds you were awarded.
I got financial aid, but I'm not sure I'll earn all my credits. Will I lose my eligibility in the future?
The Office of Financial Aid must monitor the academic progress of every student receiving financial aid to ensure that the students are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their degree. We define satisfactory academic progress as earning 75% of the credits for which you enroll each year as well as maintaining 75% cumulatively over your academic career at Evergreen. If you are not achieving this goal, you are not eligible to receive financial aid.
If you have not made satisfactory academic progress, but you feel that you have experienced extenuating circumstances, you may petition to have this requirement waived.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies
I got financial aid this year. How can I make sure I get it again next year?
Be sure to follow the steps under question one on this page. You can, and should file your FAFSA and sign the Financial Aid Data Sheet for the coming year as soon after January 1st as possible.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
How can I get some scholarships?
It's a good idea to begin thinking about scholarships for next year during the fall. The deadline to apply for most scholarships through Evergreen is early in February, so you will want to acquaint yourself with the specific offerings and their requirements in time to prepare. It might also be a good idea to contact the Scholarship Office occasionally to ask if new information has been sent to the school.
Evergreen Scholarships Website
There are many resources for scholarships that you can access. Get in touch with community organizations, your affiliations through your and/or your parent(s)' profession, and ask your professor if he or she knows about any opportunities. Please use the Resources page on the Financial Aid site as a jumping off point to explore possibilities that can increase your available funds.