Financial circumstances change, and you may have special circumstances that affect you and/or your family’s ability to contribute to your education. We are here to help.
Appeals for the 2023-24 school year will be available through the Berkeley Financial Aid Form portal website from May 1, 2023 to February 3, 2024.
NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS, you will be able to access the website that allows you to submit an appeal after you accept your offer of admission and create a CalNet ID. If you need immediate assistance, contact Cal Student Central.
Special Circumstances: Parent & Student Contribution Appeals
If you or your parents’ have special circumstances that are impacting your ability to contribute, you can consider requesting a Expected Family Contribution (EFC) appeal. We will review your appeal and make adjustments, as appropriate, based on your current financial situation.
Special circumstances we will generally consider through an EFC appeal:
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;
Change in income due to a divorce or separation;
One time only income distributions;
High out of pocket medical and/or dental expenses, K-12 private school tuition, or tax liens;
Costs associated with a natural disaster.
Special circumstances we do not consider through an EFC appeal:
Changes to assets or inability to liquidate assets;
Loss of overtime or bonus;
Bankruptcy, foreclosures or collection costs associated with outstanding debt;
Consumer debt (credit cards, car payments, loans, etc.);
Lottery or gambling winnings or losses;
One-time income used for non-life essential items (e.g.. family vacation);
Parents (step parents or biological parents) who do not wish to provide support;
Marital separation where the parents are still living together;
Note: if you have not registered with the Berkeley Financial Aid Forms website, you will need to do that first. This is a one time process that matches up your personal information with the aid application we have on file for you. Find out how to get started with the financial aid form instructions to get started.
After you have logged into the Berkeley Financial Aid Forms website, click on the blue + REQUESTbutton at the top of the page.
Choose the Family Contribution Appeal—to add the form to your file, click on the green + button.
Provide a brief explanation as to why you are requesting the appeal. You will have an opportunity to go into more detail later.
Once you have completed the web-form, you will be asked to upload documentation that supports the appeal.
When everything is in order, click the Submit button to submit your appeal.
Documentation that we will need depending on your circumstance
Special Circumstance
Impact
Required Documentation
Reduction or Loss of Employment or Benefits
Your parent(s) income for 2022 or 2023 will be less than what was earned in tax year 2021
Copy of a termination letter of employment or other benefits, including verification of severance pay or other retirement benefits.
Copy of year-to-date earnings (last paycheck stub in current year or 2022 W-2), unemployment benefits, disability benefits.
A signed copy of the 2021 federal tax return and W-2 wage statements (if not previously submitted to our office during the verificaiton process and if the IRS data retrieval tool was not used when initally completing the aid application).
Signed copy of the 2022 Federal Income Tax return, including all schedules/attachments, if available.
Reduction or Loss of Untaxed Income
Child Support, untaxed portions of IRA or pension distributions (rollover), or other untaxed income.
Copy of divorce/separation agreement, verification of a rollover (1099-R), or other documentation indicating the start and end date of benefits.
Change in Marital Status after the aid application was completed
Your parents were married; separated; divorced; or widowed.
Separation agreement, divorce decree, or death certificate.
One Time Payment Received
You or your parent(s) received a one-time lump sum payment in 2021.
Signed copies of the 2021 and 2022 federal tax return.
2021 and 2022 W-2 wage statements.
Documentation detailing one-time payment amount and source.
Unusual/Necessary Expenses
If you or your parents will incur medical/dental expenses, paid private school tuition for dependents, or have a tax lien in 2023.
Statement from the insurance provider stipulating amount of medical expenses not covered by insurance;
Private school tuition statement detailing out cost and any financial aid received;
A statement from the IRS and/or State Franchise Tax Board indicating monthly payment amount on back taxes.