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How to Ask for More Financial Aid for Health Reasons


In order to receive more financial aid from a college or university, you need to identify and report a special circumstance that affects your ability to pay. If you experience a health-related problem that has changed since your initial application for help, there are certain steps you can take. Although the timeline is different depending on where the financial aid comes from, most things within a two-year period can qualify.

What Type of Health Reasons Are Covered?

While the answer to this question depends somewhat on location and the school itself, financial aid for health reasons usually comes from medical organizations. For example, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers scholarships for childhood cancer patients who grow up and want to attend the University. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America gives out several scholarships every year based on an MS diagnosis and financial need.

As long as your health condition qualifies as an unusual circumstance under the rules of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you may be able to get more financial aid because of it. These awards depend on the amount of money you spent specifically on medical care due to the health issue. In other words, you can no longer afford as much college tuition because of your healthcare bills.

The Process to Ask for More Financial Aid

Unless you are going after one of the private scholarships like those mentioned above, the steps to receive more aid follow the same path as any other life change.

1 – Always fill out FAFSA completely to start any financial aid process. This paperwork, however, is based on the past two years’ tax returns and has no section for unusual circumstances. Once you find out how much financial aid you get from the government and outside scholarships, you can create a plan to ask for more due to health reasons.

2 – Identify and document the health-related issue that caused the financial changes. No school will give you more financial aid based on your own claims alone. Catastrophic medical bills are the best indicator of a need for more funding.

3 – Ask your specific college what the appeals process entails. Follow all the directions closely and write a concise, fact-based, and professional appeal letter. Include all the documentation about your changed financial situation.

The Possibility of Vocational Rehabilitation

Another way to get more financial aid for advanced schooling depends on your level of disability. If you have a health or ability issue that may impact the possibility of future earnings, the US Department of Education vocational rehabilitation (VR) service may help. This assistance program awards scholarships to disabled individuals in order to get the type of training they need to complete a degree program. In order to qualify, you must work with the state VR agency where you claim your residence.

Do not give up your dreams of attending a college or university due to a health issue that results in serious budget changes. You can appeal to the school's financial aid office and have a good chance of success as long as you have all appropriate documentation of medical bills and changed circumstances.