Under Federal law your family is primarily responsible -to the extent they are able- for paying for your college expenses. To determine how much your family can afford to pay towards your college expenses, we must collect your financial information, and, if you are a dependent student, we must also collect your parents' financial information.

However, you indicated that you believe you have a special circumstance and are unable to provide parental information; you should complete information about you and your finances and skip any questions about your parents. Your special circumstance may be one of the following:

• You are unable to provide parental information.
• You are homeless.
• You are seeking an unsubsidized loan only.

Since you indicated that you believe you have a special circumstance and are unable to provide parental information, we were unable to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is the index used by colleges to determine how much student aid you are eligible to receive.

You must follow up with the Financial Aid Administrator (FAA) at the college you plan to attend, in order to complete your FAFSA and receive an EFC. Also note the following:

• Under Federal law, only your FAA has the authority to decide whether or not you must provide parental information on your FAFSA.
• You will have to provide documentation to verify your situation. Gather as much written evidence of your situation as you can. Written evidence may include court or law enforcement documents, letters from a clergy member, school counselor or social worker, and/or any other relevant data that explains your special circumstance.
• After reviewing your circumstances carefully, your FAA will decide if you must provide parental information or if your circumstances allow you to proceed without providing parental data. Your FAA’s decision is final and cannot be appealed to Federal Student Aid.