HLS requires student aid applicants to provide financial information for all parents, e.g. biological parents, step parents, adoptive parents, and legal guardians, including when those parents are divorced. This documentation is required by HLS even in cases where court-ordered child support obligations have ended. After all parental information is submitted, the HLS Financial Aid Committee will determine the appropriate information that will be incorporated into the determined parent resources.
Out of fairness to families that meet our application requirements, no HLS Grant aid will be offered to students whose parents refuse to provide required financial information. For students in this situation, education loans are readily available, to fully finance education-related costs.
In rare and exceptional cases, the Financial Aid Committee may waive the required submission of parental information. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the particular circumstances involved.
If the Financial Aid Committee waives the requirement of parental information for either or both parents in answer to an appeal, it may in some cases establish a minimum imputed parent resources amount, representing an average of parent resources. Students can borrow to replace an imputed parent resources amount in a financial aid package. While this approach does not represent a full release of the impact of parent resources from a student’s aid eligibility, it at least allows the student to be considered for some (albeit reduced) aid eligibility instead of none at all.
Requesting a waiver with the Financial Aid Committee
- To begin this process, you must first submit the Student Application within the SFS Self-Service Portal. If you are unsure of the information requested in the parent portion of the application, you should do your best to answer the questions because the application will not submit with blank answers. Then, you can leave a note under the “Family Structure” question to let us know that you provided the information as best as you could but will be submitting the “Petition to Waive Parent Information” form.
- After you submit the Student Application, you need to submit the “Petition to Waive Parent Information” form, which is required. It is used to provide a detailed explanation of your personal circumstances and submit supporting documentation such as a third-party letter* from a person in a professional position who is familiar with the circumstances of your case. The form can found within the SFS Self-Service Portal via the “Financial Aid” drop-down menu. You will not be able to submit the form without answering all required questions AND uploading your third party letter.
- In addition to a third party letter, any relevant legal orders/court documents that may be applicable to your situation to further document the circumstances of your case may be submitted, but is not required. This documentation may be uploaded with your third party letter in the “Petition to Waive Parent Information” form.
- The form has both a SAVE button and a SAVE AND CONTINUE button at the bottom of each page. You do not have to complete the form in a single session, and you may go back and review your information on the form at any time. You may also return at a later time to upload your third party letter.
- The system will time out if you are inactive for at least 30 minutes. We recommend clicking SAVE at the bottom of the page if you think you will be away from the form for a significant amount of time.
*Please note that the third-party letter should be from a person familiar with your circumstances (social worker, counseling professional, member of clergy, attorney, etc.). The person writing the statement should ideally have a long-term knowledge of your family’s history. Generally an acceptable letter comes from someone in the role of social worker, counseling professional, clergy, attorney or other professional who has personal knowledge of your family. The person writing this statement should be sure to include their name, address, phone number and their relationship to the student. NOTE: Letters from family members are generally discouraged but if this is the only option you have, you can submit them. However, please make every attempt not to do this as these type of letters do not make as strong a case for appeal as letters from impartial third-parties.