If your family financial circumstances have changed, or if you feel like we have misunderstood some aspect of your situation, please reach out to your financial aid counselor ASAP to help start a review.
Our initial offer is based on documents (such as the CSS Profile and FAFSA) that use past data. All financial aid applicants are expected to provide parental financial information annually. If your family financial circumstances have changed more recently, or if you feel like we have misunderstood some aspect of your situation, please reach out to your financial aid counselor ASAP to help start a review.
Please note: We aren’t able to match another school’s offer just because they are giving you more aid (for example, a merit scholarship somewhere else). However, your financial aid counselor may be able to recommend ways to supplement your aid or advantageously manage your resources, so you should still reach out to them.
Review process
If you believe you need a review of your financial aid offer, begin by reaching out to your financial aid counselor.
Note that appeals cannot be considered for events that have not yet happened, such as an expected job loss or future medical expenses; extremely recent changes, such as an unexpected job loss, may require some time and clarity to consider. However, you should still contact your counselor if you have questions or concerns about forthcoming or very recent events to get guidance on if and when to review your offer.
Appealing a review
While most reviews are resolved through the standard review process with your counselor, sometimes a student wishes to appeal their review. To do so, inform your counselor, and they will bring your case to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.
When reviewing your eligibility, the Financial Aid Appeal Committee may use their professional judgment to take into account any special and/or unusual circumstances. MIT is required to follow the U.S. Department of Education’s regulations when using professional judgment. MIT also has its own internal policies regarding professional judgment when determining institutional aid eligibility.
The Committee will review your appeal, along with supporting documentation, and provide a decision via email within approximately two weeks. If we need to reach out to you for more information about your specific situation, it may take additional time to review your appeal.
Special circumstances
Special circumstances refer to financial situations that may allow for an adjustment to an element on your FAFSA and/or CSS Profile that may change your aid. You should reach out to your financial aid counselor first so they can let you know what we will need for your specific situation. We will work with you individually to determine what documentation may be needed.
Some special circumstances include (but are not limited to) a loss of income, a change in your household, medical expenses, extreme currency devaluations, a change in your dependency status, etc. You can and should reach out to your financial aid counselor about any of these cases.