Reason No. 4: Your circumstances have changed5 of 7Students who encounter a surprise situation that drastically reduces the amount their family can contribute to college should head to the financial aid office."That kind of information should be reported immediately," says Ellis. "(Students should) make sure they document all of those changes in writing."In cases of family death, divorce, job loss or unexpected medical bills, financial aid officers frequently have the ability to increase a student's aid package at the last minute. To be eligible for extra funding, students must file a professional judgment and provide proof.More On College Tuition:10 ways to pay college tuitionCreate a news alert for "college finance" Related Articles:10 best colleges for the moneyCollege timeline for seniors10 ways to land college aid11 associate degree jobsRelated Links:Too much college debt?Three-year college degreeCollege aid for middle classWhat's not in an award letter advertisement
Students who encounter a surprise situation that drastically reduces the amount their family can contribute to college should head to the financial aid office.
"That kind of information should be reported immediately," says Ellis. "(Students should) make sure they document all of those changes in writing."
In cases of family death, divorce, job loss or unexpected medical bills, financial aid officers frequently have the ability to increase a student's aid package at the last minute. To be eligible for extra funding, students must file a professional judgment and provide proof.
More On College Tuition:
Bankrate wants to hear from you and encourages thoughtful and constructive comments. We ask that you stay focused on the story topic, respect other people's opinions, and avoid profanity, offensive statements, illegal contents and advertisement posts. Comments are not reviewed before they are posted. Bankrate reserves the right (but is not obligated) to edit or delete your comments. Please avoid posting private or confidential information, and also keep in mind that anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused.
By submitting a post, you agree to be bound by Bankrate's terms of use. Please refer to Bankrate's privacy policy for more information regarding Bankrate's privacy practices.