Financial Aid Appeals for Admitted and Confirmed Students

Drexel carefully reviews all applications and offers admitted students financial support based upon the student's eligibility.

We recognize, however, that an individual's or family's financial situation may have changed since the time their application was completed. Please review the eligible circumstances below and then submit your financial aid appeal if one or more of these circumstances pertains to you or your family.

It is important to note that submitting an appeal does not guarantee that we will be able to award additional financial assistance. Your appeal will receive careful consideration, and you will be informed of a decision via email.

Below is a list of the eligible circumstances for which Drexel will consider a financial aid appeal. Corresponding documentation that a family must submit in addition to the appeal form is indicated in the chart below.

Please note that if you are a dependent student, the circumstances described and additional documentation requested are for your parents. If you are an independent student, the circumstances described and additional documentation requested are for you.

Circumstance	U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents – Required Documentation	International Students – Required Documentation
Loss of Employment	Copies of 2022 and 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcripts Copies of 2022 and 2023 W2s Proof of unemployment benefits eligible to receive (if ineligible for benefits, please submit proof of separation from employer) Proof of any severance pay received	Copy of your foreign tax return translated into English and U.S. currency Verification of the income documentation you provided for your student visa
Reduction in Income	Copies of 2022 and 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcripts Copies of 2022 and 2023 W2s Three most recent pay stubs	Copy of your foreign tax return translated into English and U.S. currency Verification of the income documentation you provided for your student visa
Divorce or Separation	Copies of 2022 and 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcripts Copies of 2022 and 2023 W2s Proof of divorce proceedings or legal separation	Copy of your foreign tax return translated into English and U.S. currency Official documentation regarding marriage status/divorce translated into English
Recent Death of a Parent or Spouse	Copy of Death Certificate Copies of 2022 and 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcripts Copies of 2022 and 2023 W2s	Official death certificate translated into English
Loss of One-Time Income	Copies of 2022 and 2023 IRS Tax Return Transcripts Copies of 2022 and 2023 W2s Proof of one-time income source	Copy of your foreign tax return translated into English and U.S. currency Verification of the income documentation you provided for your student visa Current bank statement translated into English and U.S. currency
Out-of-Pocket Medical/Dental Expenses Not Reported on the FAFSA	Documentation of Medical/Dental Expenses Not Covered by Insurance	Not Applicable

International Students: The University will not review any appeal request based on a change in currency conversion.

Please take special note of these requirements and procedures as you complete the Appeal Request:

To be considered for Drexel institutional need-based aid, you must file a CSS Profile by the posted deadline. To be considered for a review of federal/state aid, you must file the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. If you have not already done so, you may still complete the FAFSA.

Before submitting your appeal, please make sure:

You answer all the questions on the Student Financial Aid Appeal Request Form. Note that for each circumstance listed, there is additional documentation that you are required to provide. Appeal Requests that lack the required documentation will not be reviewed.
Your name and University ID appear on each additional document.
You only submit tax or financial documentation that is specifically listed on the instructions for each type of circumstance. Please DO NOT submit copies of actual tax returns; we can only accept IRS Tax Transcripts, which can be ordered online.
A letter from you and/or your parent accompanies your appeal. Your letter should be clear and concise and contain detailed information about the change in your financial circumstances.

Once you have gathered all necessary documents, you can submit your appeal via Discover Drexel:

Log in to Discover Drexel.
Select the Financial Aid tab.
In the "Contact Information" section, select "Information Regarding Special Circumstances" to access the "Family's Current Circumstances Not Reflected on Financial Aid Application" item.
Select this item to open the document uploader. Review the upload instructions and add documents via the drag and drop method or by selecting files from your computer.
- Please Note:
  - You can only upload files in PDF or PNG format.
  - You can only upload 10 individual files per requirement.
  - ONLY upload documents related to the requirement you have selected.
  - Once you have uploaded documents, the document upload feature is no longer available for a specific item.
When you have added your documents, select "Start Upload."
If your documents have uploaded successfully, information regarding upload date, time, and type of file will display below the associated item title. Additionally, an item will appear in the Outstanding Requirements section listing the status of your appeal. It may take a few minutes for the status of the requirement to update, indicating your documents have been received; you may be required to refresh the page in order to see the update.
If the Office of Financial Aid determines that additional documentation is required and changes the status to "Incomplete," you will be able to upload documentation for that requirement again.

If you have additional documentation but the associated requirement does not provide you with the "Upload" option, you will need to submit your documents using one of the other methods listed on Submitting Documents to Drexel Central.

The Office of Financial Aid will contact you via email regarding the status of your appeal and next steps. If you have any questions about the appeal process, please contact us at enroll@drexel.edu.

It is important to note that we consider students and their families as equal partners when it comes to financing an education. We recommend that you review the following alternative financing options in addition to submitting a financial aid appeal:

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