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Special Circumstances

OU MoneyCoach meeting with student

Special Circumstances

OU Financial Aid Services and the US Department of Education understand that there are often changes in circumstances that affect a student’s financial situation. This can result in a difference between the income reflected on the FAFSA and the current income available to a student and their family.

If you have encountered a recent decrease in income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a change in household size, or the loss of employment, we may be able to attempt a recalculation of your FAFSA information with documentation of the changes that have occurred. 

The Student Financial Center is available to advise students and their families regarding the option to attempt a recalculation of their 2023-2024 FAFSA. It is recommended that you follow these steps:

1. Carefully review the request form linked below according to your change of circumstance.

For income loss or changes that occurred during 2022:

For income loss or changes that occurred after January 1, 2023:

2. Collect all required documentation listed on the request forms. 

3. Contact the SFC if you have questions as you are completing the request form and collecting documents.  405-325-9000 or sfc@ou.edu.

4. Submit complete packets of the request form and all documentation to the Student Financial Center.  Contact information is included on the top of the request form.  It can also be submitted through the SFC Dropbox located in One.ou.edu. Incomplete submissions will be denied.

Be advised that the review and recalculation may take up to two weeks. Delays may occur during our peak financial aid processing seasons for processing. Students should watch their OU email and One.ou.edu account for updates or additional requests in case more information is required after the initial review. The recalculation of income will not always produce additional federal aid options. Updating the FAFSA details may produce additional unmet financial need that can allow students to become eligible for options that may include Direct Subsidized Loans, OU Institutional Loans, or financial aid scholarships.