If your FAFSA was selected by the U.S. Department of Education for review in a process called “Verification,” Missouri S&T is required to compare information from your FAFSA with the information on this worksheet and with any other required documents. The law states we have the right to ask you for this information and review it for accuracy under the financial aid program rules (34 CFR, Part 668). Verification must be completed before your financial aid will be credited to your student account.

Financial aid eligibility is based on the parental and/or student income for the prior prior tax year.  If during the current year special circumstances occur such as unemployment, divorce, death of a spouse or parent, loss of child support, loss of Social Security benefits, or loss of other income benefits, regulations allow student financial assistance to review the situation. 

Please note: if your FAFSA has already resulted in a Student Aid Index less than or equal to 0, a special circumstance review may not change the aid already available to the student.

Please select the applicable form based on your situation:

A student is considered provisionally independent if they can answer “Yes” to the questions in Section 7 (Student Unusual Circumstances) of the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who do not meet one of these standards are therefore dependent by federal regulations and must add their parent(s) to the contributor section of the FAFSA form.

Unusual circumstances are generally cases such as an abusive family environment or abandonment by parents where attainment of parental financial documents or support is impossible. The following conditions are not generally considered unusual circumstances:

  • Parents’ refusal to contribute to the student’s education.
  • Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for the verification process.
  • Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
  • Students who demonstrate total self-sufficiency.
  • Students do not reside with their parents.

However, if you believe there are extenuating circumstances that might warrant your being considered independent of your parents, this form provides instructions to petition for independent status.