Family Contribution Appeal

Sometimes information you provide on your FAFSA or TASFA no longer accurately reflects your or your family’s current financial situation. If your financial circumstances have changed, there are situations where financial aid professionals at the University can review and update your FAFSA or TASFA to reflect these changes. These changes may – or may not – impact your financial aid.

Please note that your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is determined by your FAFSA or TASFA. For students who complete the FAFSA, your EFC can be found on the top right side of your Student Aid Report (SAR) which is emailed to you from Federal Student Aid after you submit your FAFSA. If you are unsure where your SAR email is, you can access step-by-step instructions on how to view a copy of your SAR here: How Do I View My Student Aid Report (SAR)? You may also contact our office to discuss your EFC with a Financial Aid Advisor.

student in library

Important Information

If selected for Federal Verification, it must be completed before you are eligible to submit a Family Contribution Appeal.

If your EFC is “0” you have already been offered the maximum amount of aid you are eligible to receive and should not file a Family Contribution Appeal. However, we encourage you to contact our office to speak with a Financial Aid Advisor about your situation. You may contact our office at [email protected] or 254-968-9070.

If your EFC is greater than “0” please read the information below about the conditions which do/do not qualify for a Family Contribution Appeal as well as how to submit the appeal and possible outcomes. The appeal process is a way for us to ensure you are receiving the maximum amount of aid possible based on the changes in your financial circumstances.

The following conditions may be considered:

  • Loss or reduction of income including but not limited to loss of employment, reduction of pay, death of a parent or spouse, and reduction/loss of child support
  • Divorce or separation
  • Non-recurring income
  • High medical and/or dental expenses paid out of pocket
  • Impacted by a natural disaster

The following conditions generally may not be considered:

  • Information on the FAFSA resulted in a 0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
  • Loss of overtime or bonus
  • Bankruptcy, foreclosures or collection costs associated with outstanding debts
  • Consumer debt (credit cards, car payments, loans, etc.)
  • Payments on back taxes owed to the IRS
  • Lottery or gambling winnings or losses
  • One-time income used for non-life essential items (e.g. family vacation)

For FAFSA Eligible Students

To request and complete a Family Contribution Appeal (student instructions):

  1. Submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  2. Log on to https://tarleton.studentforms.com using your NTNET credentials. If you have not set up your account, you will have to confirm your student information to create your profile. This information must match your FAFSA exactly.
  3. After you have logged into https://tarleton.studentforms.com, click on the “+- Request” button near the top of the page
  4. Find “Family Contribution Appeal” listed. Click the green plus + sign to add the request for the appropriate aid year. Example: 2022-2023 is Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023 and 2023-2024 is Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024
  5. The system will ask you to briefly explain your reason for this request. This does not need to be in-depth. You will provide more information as part of the appeal later in the process.
  6. Once you have added the appeal, a tab should be listed on your account with a Family Contribution Appeal for the aid year. Click on the tab to see your appeal tasks.
  7. Click on the appeal link that says either “Dependent” or “Independent PJ Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Appeal” to show the tasks associated with the appeal. This should include filling out the web form and submitting third-party documentation to support and strengthen your appeal.
  8. Once you have filled out the web form and uploaded your supporting third-party documentation, click the Submit button to submit your appeal
  9. Once all requested documentation is submitted, you will receive a notification via your go.tarleton email of the outcome of the review within seven to ten business days. Please note this time may be extended during peak processing times.

For TASFA Eligible Students

  1. Submit your Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)
  2. You may contact our office to discuss a Family Contribution Appeal and obtain the proper form. You may reach our office at 254-968-9070 or [email protected].
  3. COMPLETE Family Contribution Appeals with Third-Party Supporting Documentation can be turned in to the Tarleton State University Financial Aid Office via email at [email protected], fax to 254-968-9600, in-person at any of our Tarleton campus locations, or by mail to:
    Tarleton State University Financial Aid, Box T-0310, Stephenville, TX 76402

With any professional judgment – including Family Contribution Appeals – the individual appealing must submit sufficient third-party documentation to support the reason(s) for the appeal as well as to strengthen their appeal. If sufficient documentation is not initially submitted, it may be requested after the appeal is received (delaying the review process). Please see below for examples of documentation based on the reason for the appeal.

This includes but is not limited to loss of employment, reduction of pay, death of a parent or spouse, and reduction/loss of child support. 

  • Last paystub with year-to-date income
  • Letter of separation from employer (for loss of employment)
  • Letter of offer of employment from new employer (for reduction of income)
  • Copy of most recent Tax Return Transcript if you didn’t use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when you submitted the FAFSA
  • Most recent W-2s
  • Copy of death certificate or obituary of parent or spouse
  • Copy of must recent pay stub or W-2 of surviving parent
  • Copy of most recent pay stub or W-2 for student if independent
  • Copy of life insurance documentation, if insured

Court documentation supporting reduction or loss of child support or documentation of benefits that you may be able to obtain online from your state showing the benefit amount of the child support, the start and stop dates, and if you are owed any past child support payments as well as the total past due amount owed to you.

  • Legal separation papers, copy of divorce decree, letter from your attorney, or separate lease/rental agreements
  • Copy of most recent pay stub or W-2 for the student or parent granted custody
  • 1099 tax forms or documentation of one-time income
  • Documentation to confirm what the income was used for
  • Schedule A if you completed Schedule A with your 1040 tax return
  • Receipts that show payments you made out-of-pocket for healthcare expenses if you did not complete Schedule A
  • No change: The change in circumstances did not impact your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or financial aid.
  • Reduced EFC but no change in financial aid offer: The change in circumstances reduced the EFC but not change it enough to impact your financial aid eligibility.
  • Reduced EFC and adjustments made to federal loans: The change in circumstances reduced the EFC and qualified you for some subsidized loan funding to replace the equivalent unsubsidized loan funding.
  • Reduced EFC and adjustments made to state and/or federal grants: The change in circumstances reduced the EFC and qualified you for additional state and/or federal grants.
  • Reduced EFC and adjustments made to state and/or federal grants and federal loans: The change in circumstances reduced the EFC and qualified you for additional state and/or federal grants as well as qualifying for some subsidized loan funding to replace the equivalent unsubsidized loan funding.