̨ÍåSwag

You should always apply for financial aid. You may be eligible for federal, state or institutional aid. Unless you actually apply, you will not know.

̨ÍåSwag's school code is 002808.

̨ÍåSwag's TAP code (undergraduate) is 0670

̨ÍåSwag's HESC code (graduate) is 5775

Call the Financial Aid Office at 716-839-8254 and ask to speak with a Financial Aid Counselor. If you have a more elaborate question or problem, you can visit the financial aid office and meet with a Financial Aid Administrator. You can also email the Financial Aid Office at finaid@daemen.edu.

The only way to determine your eligibility is to submit an application for financial aid. Many factors are considered in determining your eligibility.

You need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The .

Each year the online FAFSA application becomes available on October 1st. ̨ÍåSwag recommends that entering First Year Students complete their FAFSA no later than November 15. However, for the 2024-2025 academic year online FAFSA will be delayed and will not be available until sometime in December 2023.

The Financial Aid Office will send you a financial aid award letter.

This should not be an issue for you since the tax information used in your FAFSA is based on your prior year tax return filing (last years tax return) so you should have already completed the required tax return.

Yes. After your first year, you will receive a "Renewal Application" which contains preprinted information from the previous year's FAFSA. Your eligibility for financial aid may change from year to year.

If your parents are separated or divorced, the custodial parent is responsible for completing  the FAFSA. The custodial parent is the parent that provided the most financial support during the past 12 months. This is not necessarily the same parent who has legal custody.

Please contact our Financial Aid Office in writing so that we can examine your specific situation to determine its impact on your aid eligibility.

Professional Judgement – Special Circumstances Policy (Income Reduction)

̨ÍåSwag is permitted to consider special circumstances based on information not necessarily
reflected on the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has encouraged the use of professional
judgment to reflect the financial need of students and their families. Undergraduate students are
encouraged to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss their specific situation. This type of appeal
will not be considered for graduate students as financial aid options are limited to student loans.

Special Circumstances that Traditionally Merit Review

• Unemployment of more than four weeks following job loss.
• Substantial change in income.
• Change in financial situation due to separation or divorce.
• Death of custodial parent.
• Death of spouse for independent student.
• One-time income used for emergency purpose (i.e. 401k withdrawal)

Special Circumstances that Traditionally Do Not Merit Review

• Student already has an Expected Family Contribution/Student Aid Index of 0.
• Credit card debt.

Request Process

• Contact the ̨ÍåSwag Financial aid Office in person (DS 111), by phone (716-839-8254)or email (finaid@daemen.edu) to request the Reconsideration Form.
• Complete and submit Special Circumstances/Income Reduction form.
• Please be sure to complete all required sections of the Special Circumstances/Income Reduction form.
• Submit all supporting documents requested.
• Incomplete request forms will not be reviewed until all required documents have been received.
• Additional documents may be requested in support of the review.

Prior to submitting an appeal, the following information must be considered:

• The student must have a complete and valid FAFSA on file.
• If your FAFSA has been selected for verification, it must be completed prior to filing an appeal.
• During the appeal process, if any of the provided documentation conflicts with any information previously reported on the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office is required to resolve the conflicting information. This process must be completed regardless of whether the appeal is approved or denied; this may cause an increase or decrease to the existing financial aid package.
• The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to request additional information after the initial review.
• Please allow three to four weeks for processing.
• Please ensure that you provide all required and requested documentation upon initial submission.
• Submission of an appeal does not guarantee additional aid.
• Appeals cannot be used simply to request more financial aid.

Notification Process

The ̨ÍåSwag Financial Office will email you regarding the status of your request. Please
monitor your personal ̨ÍåSwag email account. If you are not a ̨ÍåSwag student at the time of appeal
communication will be sent to the personal email on file with the University.

• If approved the ̨ÍåSwag Financial Aid Office will make changes to the student’s FAFSA information which will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. The student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC)/Student Aid Index (SAI) will be recalculated based on the required updates.

Professional Judgement/Unusual Circumstances Policy (Dependency Override)

Federal student aid guidelines consider undergraduate students dependent on their parents until age
24, and financial aid eligibility is calculated using parent financial information. However, a student may
have unusual circumstances that require consideration for independent status. Financial Aid
Administrators have the authority on a case-by-case basis to change a student’s status from dependent
to independent involving unusual cases that result in the dissolution of the family unit.

Unusual circumstances that merit a review:

• An abusive home environment.
• Incarceration or institutionalization of both parents.
• Parental abandonment.
• Human trafficking.
• Legally granted refugee or asylum status.

Unusual circumstances do not include:

• Parent refusal to contribute to the student’s education.
• Parent refusal to provide information for the FAFSA or verification.
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Parent income too high to qualify for need-based aid.
• Student lives apart from parents.
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

Request Process

• File the appropriate year FAFSA at studentaid.gov.
• Contact the ̨ÍåSwag Financial aid Office in person (DS 111), by phone (716-839-8254) or email (finaid@daemen.edu) to request the Unusual Circumstances Appeal form.
• Complete and submit Unusual Circumstances Appeal form. The following is required upon submission:

 A signed, detailed letter from you, the student, explaining:

• the unusual circumstances,
• your relationship with your biological parents,
• explanation of where you expect to receive your financial support for the next school year
• A separate letter from an independent 3rd party source (ex. counselor, medical authority, clergy, court, government agency) who can attest first-hand to your circumstances. This letter must include as much detail about the situation as possible.
• If you cannot provide a letter from an independent source, please explain why in your appeal letter. You may then submit a signed letter from another source in its place.
• Further documentation as determined through the review process may be necessary.

Notification Process

The ̨ÍåSwag Financial Office will email you regarding the status of your request. Please
monitor your personal ̨ÍåSwag email account. If you are not a ̨ÍåSwag student at the time of appeal
communication will be sent to the personal email on file with the University.

• If approved the ̨ÍåSwag Financial Aid Office will make changes to the student’s FAFSA information which will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. The student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) may be recalculated based on the required updates.